Columbus Blue Jackets Greatest Players: #1 Rick Nash
The Columbus Blue Jackets will be entering their 17th season as a NHL franchise this year, so we ranked the 17 greatest Blue Jackets. This list wasn’t filled with the best players per say, but rather the most impactful, durable, and lovable Jackets in our minds.
If you missed #2 on our list, check it out!
Related Story: #2 - Sergei Bobrovsky
#1 – Rick Nash
The former Columbus Blue Jackets captain may not be the most lovable Jacket that comes to mind now, but nothing but good memories should come to mind when reminiscing his time in the 614.
The Columbus Blue Jackets drafted Rick Nash with the first overall selection in the 2002 NHL Draft. The big winger played nine seasons in Columbus and he was able to tally more than 50 points each of those seasons except his rookie campaign.
CBJ’s First Superstar
Rick Nash was a perennial All-Star in Columbus and was the first player in franchise historythat was a top notch NHLer. Nash was selected to five All-Star games while with the Blue Jackets and his lone appearance with the Rangers came in 2015 when the game was held in Columbus.
Nash is a big bodied wing that had skill and speed that was unseen at his size. He was a slam dunk first pick that proved he deserved that selection immediately. Nash scored 30 or more goals in six out of eight years. This was unheard of in Columbus before his arrival and it may not happen again for some time.
The CBJ only made the playoffs once in Nash’s tenure which ended in the Blue Jackets being swept by the Detriot Red Wings. Other than the lack of playoff berths, Nash’s tenure as a Jacket was incredible.
Along with being a superstar on the ice, Nash was a superstar and fan favorite with the fans and front office as well, evident by being named the captain of the team in 2008. The Blue Jackets trusted Nash to lead at just 23 years old. And in 2009, he was named the NHL Foundation Award recipient, a community service award.
Nash’s Departure
The foundation of Columbus was rocked when news broke that Rick Nash wanted to be traded out of Columbus to a team that would be able to compete. Nash had enough of the losing that he endured in Columbus and a trade was the only way out.
At the time, myself like many other Jackets fans felt betrayed by Nash. However, I now know he did everything that the organization asked of him. The issue was the organization did not play their part in making Nash the centerpiece of a winning team.
On July 23, 2012, Rick Nash, Steve Delisle and a conditional 3rd round pick were traded to the New York Rangers in exchange for Brandon Dubinsky, Artem Anisimov, Tim Erixon, and a first round pick. This trade shook the fabric of the Columbus Blue Jackets and it changed the franchise forever.
View of Nash Now
The Columbus Blue Jackets do not have any numbers retired or a ring of honor, but when they decide which route to go, Rick Nash should be the first player inducted. Rick Nash was the first star in Columbus and he should be seen as such.
There is only one year remaining on Nash’s deal with the New York Rangers, so I am going to be one of the first to go on record and say that the Columbus Blue Jackets should sign Nash once his deal expires.
The idea of Nash signing with a contending Columbus Blue Jackets team seems like a fairytale and it might be, but he should retire as a Blue Jacket. He was the greatest player to dawn a Jackets jersey and should be treated as such regardless of any brushes he had with the number one cop on the force.
ALRIGHT, NOW LET’S WATCH SOME HIGHLIGHTS!