Blackhawks have to inquire about Nash

You can imagine Jonathan Toews has thought about it.

He must remember well the time he spent on a line with Rick Nash at the 2010 Olympics — when Toews was named best forward of the tournament — and now Nash is up for auction in Columbus.

If Toews has thought about it, you know Blackhawks GM Stan Bowman has thought of calling the Jackets to inquire.

If he hasn't already, he must.

Losing streak or no losing streak, it's Bowman's job to check out all possibilities and explore all angles, even the remote possibilities like the Hawks acquiring Nash.

He's too good a player to ignore, and the Hawks absolutely have to see what it would take to get him.

What is certain is that the Hawks have the talent and the cash to get a deal done.

What's quite uncertain is whether they would want to part with players like Patrick Kane, who has a no-trade, and Nick Leddy, two of the first four names the Jackets would ask for in any discussion with the Hawks.

And if you think that price is high, it could go higher. If the Jackets don't get enough now, they can wait until the summer or even longer to get what they need.

Columbus has to start over again, but they also have to sell tickets, so they'll need something big to offer their fans.

Meanwhile, the Hawks finally have some financial flexibility and Bowman may not be willing to add a contract that pays the 27-year-old Nash $7.8 million a year for six more years — unless, of course, he sends back a huge contract in return.

The problem with that is several big-name Hawks — including Kane — have a no-trade clause in their contracts, and there's no way players with no-trade protection are waiving it to go to Columbus.

The other hang-up is the Jackets need a goaltender and the Hawks don't have one they'd want, but if they offered a package of, say, Patrick Sharp, Niklas Hjalmarsson, Brandon Saad, Jimmy Hayes and a No. 1 pick, would that be enough to get the dialogue started?

Never know unless you try.

It's true that offense isn't the Hawks' biggest need, but power forwards like Nash — who might score 50 goals on a line with Toews — don't come around very often.

There's also talk of an amnesty clause being added to the next CBA, which would give the Hawks some payroll relief if they wanted to dump any of the long-term contracts they view as cumbersome.

It seems a longshot, but it's something the Hawks have to consider, and whether or not they think the Stanley Cup is a realistic hope this season, this kind of player is worth looking at under any circumstances.

Also knowing their Cup chances are growing more remote by the day, it's as good a time as any to consider the long-term view of the roster.

There are teams with a better chance to win the Cup this year, like the Rangers, Bruins and Red Wings, and they're all going to take a look at Nash, but it's probably a team like Vancouver or Los Angeles — teams that can offer a goaltender — that have the best opportunity to win the Nash sweepstakes.

For what it's worth, Bowman says the Hawks won't be making any big trades before the Feb. 27 deadline, and that's what he has to say.

He can't announce to a struggling team — or his fellow GMs — that he doesn't like the roster, but that doesn't mean he can't change his mind and make a deal in the next 11 days.

Still, Columbus would be foolish to ask for anything less than the moon for Nash, and that may push the Hawks out of the discussion.

Nevertheless, it's a discussion the Hawks must have, and they must have it now.

brozner@dailyherald.com

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