MLB
– Yankees’ SS Derek Jeter hit a leadoff double in the first inning Friday night for his 3,185th hit, moving past Cal Ripken Jr. for 13th place on the career list. The 38-year-old grew up watching the former Baltimore shortstop and has often been likened to the Hall of Famer, playing the same position and spending his entire time with one team. Right after the milestone hit against the Chicago White Sox, the New York Yankees released a statement from Ripken congratulating Jeter. ”I hope that he continues to play and continues to give all of us baseball fans great memories,” Ripken said. Next up for Jeter on the hit list is Nap Lajoie at 3,252.
– D’Backs’ 2B Aaron Hill hit for the cycle for the second time in the last 12 days in a 9-3 win over the Brewers. Hill became just the second player since 1900 to hit for multiple cycles in a single season (Babe Herman in 1931 being the other). He doubled in the first, doubled in the third and a two-run homer in the fourth, finishing with a triple in the sixth. Hill finished the night 4-for-5 with a pair of runs scored, three RBI and a stolen base. He’s now hitting .302 on the season with 11 homers, 38 RBI and seven steals.
– Cardinals’ RHP Chris Carpenter (neck/shoulder) was diagnosed with thoracic outlet syndrome after travelling to Dallas, Texas on Thursday to visit Dr. Gregory Pearl, a specialist in thoracic outlet syndrome. Symptoms of the condition include pain in the neck and shoulder and a weak grip. The 36-year-old threw a bullpen session Friday and fully intends to pitch through the condition. GM John Mozeliak confirmed that Carp will likely require a procedure during the offseason.
– Phillies’ RHP Roy Halladay (lat) threw a bullpen session Friday for the first time since being placed on the DL. Doc threw 33 pitches in all and used all of his pitches. He could return sometime in July, barring setbacks.
– Rangers’ RHP Yu Darvish said he doesn’t think he’s deserving an All-Star selection in his first season in the major leagues, despite his 10-4 record.
“Personally, do I feel like I’m an All-Star? I don’t think so. And I’m also hearing there’s a possibility that I might start an All-Star game, and to me that’s totally out of context. … Am I going to be an All-Star? I don’t know. But do I think that I’m worthy? Probably not.”
“I think that the fact that I’m Japanese, the first year over here, the Texas Rangers paid a lot of money for me to come over here, I think the fact that I am an All-Star candidate, I think that’s more of a buildup by just who I am and where I came from.”
“Whether I’m not leading anymore, still I’m giving up more walks than I should. That’s something that I’m going to improve on in the future.”
– Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com reports that the Dodgers are viewed as a favorite to acquire Cubs’ RHP Ryan Dempster (lat) once he returns from the DL. Heyman writes that the Dodgers are looking for one veteran starter to bolster their rotation. Dempster resumed throwing earlier this week and isn’t expected to return until after the All-Star break. The Braves have also been mentioned as a potential landing spot.
– Ken Rosenthal of FOXSports.com reports that the Dodgers are talking to the Astros about a trade for 1B Carlos Lee, not SS Jed Lowrie. SPN’s Buster Olney previously reported that the two sides were talking about a deal that would send Lowrie to the Dodgers for prospect RHPs Zach Lee and Garrett Gould. Lee, an impending free agent, has a partial no-trade clause and would have to approve a deal to the Dodgers. He’s owed roughly $9M for the rest of the season.
– According to Ken Rosenthal of FOXSports.com, the Dodgers are “lukewarm” to the idea of signing free agent 1B Derrek Lee, and want to explore other options first. The 36-year-old didn’t sign with a team over the winter, but is said to be open to playing more. The Dodgers enter play Friday with a paltry .243/.302/.339 batting line and a .641 OPS out of the first base position this season.
– According to Ken Rosenthal of FOXSports.com, the Athletics will be willing to trade RHP Brandon McCarthy (shoulder) once he returns from the DL. McCarthy is currently sidelined for the second time this season due to shoulder issues, and will need to prove his health in order to be moved. The 28-year-old has a 2.54 ERA and 52/19 K/BB ratio over 78 innings. He’s making $4.275M this season and will hit free agency this winter.
– According to Andy Martino of the NY Daily News, the Mets recently called the Padres to inquire about RHP Huston Street. New York is currently in the market for bullpen help. The 28-year-old has a 1.42 ERA, 11 saves and a 24/6 K/BB ratio over 19 innings this season. His contract includes a $9M mutual option for 2013 with a $500K buyout.
– The Twins have signed C Ryan Doumit to a 2-year/$7M extension. The 31-year-old will get $3.5M each of the next two years. The 32-year-old Doumit is hitting .271 with seven homers and 32 RBIs in his first season with the Twins.
– Free agent RHP Brad Lidge told ESPN’s Jerry Crasnick that he hasn’t decided whether he’ll pitch for another team this season. Lidge was released by the Nationals after being designated for assignment. He has told his agents to take calls from interested teams, but hasn’t decided if he wants to continue playing. “I am healthy, but based on the path I would have to take to get back to the bigs this year I am not sure I will be jumping back in right now. No official decision one way or another, but mostly I am not happy that I rushed back from surgery before I was ready only to be designated for assignment a couple of days later.”
– Indians’ 3B Lonnie Chisenhall (right forearm) will undergo surgery to repair a fractured ulna bone and will miss 4-6 weeks.
NFL
– After watching tape and studying every snap Eagles’ QB Michael Vick took in 2011, ESPN’s Ron Jaworski believes Vick is capable of turning in “the best year of Vick’s ten-year career” in 2012. ”This offseason is the most important of his career. It’s the first time since 2006 with the Falcons that he will go through the OTAs and training camp as the starting quarterback. … Vick has shown he is capable of throwing the ball exceptionally well from the pocket. His overall throwing skill set can be top-five in the league. His objective in 2012 must be to play that way more often. It becomes an availability issue. You can’t be an elite NFL quarterback if you can’t be counted on every single week. I am really excited to see Michael Vick in 2012. A more disciplined player will result in fewer turnovers. I would not be surprised if we’re getting ready to see the best year of Vick’s ten-year career.” Stay tuned.
– Lions signed head coach Jim Schwartz to a multi-year contract extension. Schwartz helped turn a team that went 0-16 in 2008 into a playoff club in 2011. The Lions’ won-loss record has improved in four straight seasons, and have improved exponentially on both sides of the ball.
– ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported on NFL Live Friday that the Raiders remain interested in signing free agent RB Cedric Benson. Schefter suggested a deal would likely happen “down the line.” Per the report, the Raiders envision Benson’s power complementing RB Darren McFadden’s open-field ability.
– A Seahawks insider told Pro Football Weekly that the club believes RE Chris Clemons will arrive to camp on time. Clemons is reportedly unhappy with his $4.5M salary. The unnamed insider said, “I really think he’ll show up for camp, whether he’s signed a new deal or not.” Clemons was also rumoured to be unhappy with Seattle taking 1st-round pick on DE Bruce Irvin. The team is optimistic that an “angry” Clemons will respond with a big year on the field.
NBA
– The Mavericks have officially traded F Lamar Odom to the Clippers in a four-team deal including the Mavs, Jazz, and Rockets. G Mo Williams–who accepted his $8.5M opt-in clause–will go to the Jazz, while Utah sends its trade exception for G Deron Williams. The Rockets acquired 2012 No. 53 pick Furkan Aldemir, while the Jazz received draft rights to 2008 No. 52 pick Shan Foster, and the Mavs received draft rights for 2008 No. 53 pick Tadija Dragicevic. Mo-Will will be competing for the starting job with G Devin Harris. Dallas faced a Friday deadline on a $2.4M buyout of Odom’s $8.2M option for next season.
– Heat’ F Chris Bosh (abdominal) has withdrawn from the 2012 Olympics. Bosh may require surgery, but will attempt to heal with rest and rehab first. He’s currently out indefinitely with no timetable for anything. This would have been the second Olympics for Bosh, who won a gold medal in Beijing four years ago. In the 2008 Olympics he averaged 9.1 points and 6.1 rebounds, while shooting 77.4% from the field to help the USA finish 8-0.
“After the Finals, I met with my doctors to determine the best course of action, with the full intent to play in the Olympics. From those meetings, I was advised that rest and additional rehab of my abdominal injury will be necessary in order to avoid the development of a chronic injury.”
– Magic’ G Jameer Nelson opted out of the last year of his contract on Friday, making him a UFA. Nelson will pass on $8.6M so he can get a multi-year contract on the market.
– The Blazers will not extend a qualifying offer to restricted free agent F J.J. Hickson, but are open to negotiating with him when free agency opens on July 1.
– The NBA and the players’ association have reached a settlement that clarifies some rights that Knicks’ G Jeremy Lin and three other players have entering free agency. The rule will now be that players who are claimed from waivers will have the same “Early Bird” rights as if they had been traded, but will not have full “Bird” rights unless they are claimed through the league’s amnesty procedure. That helps the New York Knicks’ chances of keeping Lin, their breakout point guard, and F Steve Novak, who led the league in 3-point shooting percentage last season. The Knicks will be able to sign both without being restricted by the salary cap. The “Bird” exception allows teams to sign their own free agent to a first-year maximum salary if he has played for some or all of each of the prior three consecutive seasons, or if he changed teams, did so by trade. The “Early Bird” exception applies to those who played for a team for each of the previous two seasons, and if he changed teams, did so by trade. However, the union argued that the rights should also apply to players claimed off waivers, and an arbitrator agreed last week. The NBA appealed, and agreed to drop its appeal with Friday’s agreement.
– The Bobcats made a qualifying offer to G D.J. Augustin on Friday.
– The Cavaliers made a qualifying offer to RFA F Alonzo Gee on Friday. GM Chris Grant said, ”Certainly Alonzo is a primary target to return for us and he’s a priority. He did a fantastic job for us last year and continues to grow.” Gee set career-highs with 10.6 points and 5.1 rebounds last season.
– Contrary to rumours, Raptors GM Bryan Colangelo told the media on Friday that he has no plans to use the amnesty clause on G Jose Calderon. Toronto is still expected to go hard at G Steve Nash. Stay tuned.
– The agent for Blazers’ RFA G Nicolas Batum told GM Neil Olshey not to contact his client during negotiations. Batum’s agent, Bouna Ndiaye, has been upset with the team since they reportedly low-balled Batum on an extension last season.
– The Pacers have extended a qualifying contract offer to F Roy Hibbert, making him an RFA. According to the team, retaining Hibbert is a top priority, and head coach Frank Vogel has said Hibbert is “not going anywhere.”
– Bulls head coach Tom Thibodeau said he does not think F Luol Deng (left wrist) will need surgeryt, and will be at training camp on time after playing in the Olympics this summer. Previous reports indicate that surgery appears inevitable. The surgery option will likely be revisited after the Olympics are finished. If Deng reverses course and opts for surgery, the recovery time would put him out until December.
– The Grizzlies have opted not to extend a qualifying offer to O.J. Mayo, making him a UFA. Mayo’s option was for $7.4M, so it was a no-brainer. The Knicks, Celtics and Pacers have all been interested in Mayo over the past few months.
– The Raptors extended qualifying offers to RFA G Jerryd Bayless and F Sonny Weems. Bayless averaged career highs with 11.4 points and 3.8 assists for the Raptors last season. The former 11th overall pick upped his production to 17.8 points and 5.3 assists per game in 11 starts. Weems spent the 2011-12 season with Zalgiris in the Lithuanian league. He averaged 10.3 points and 4.1 rebounds in 16 VTB showings and 15.5 points and five rebounds in five Euroleague contests. Toronto also announced that it will not extend a qualifying offer to F Soloman Alabi.
– Warriors’ head coach Mark Jackson released a statement detailing his side of the story, regarding nude pictures being sent to a stripper.
“My family and I were the victims of an extortion scheme.
The scheme began on April 3, 2012, when the Warriors were in Memphis to play the Grizzlies. A man approached me at the team hotel with personal information which he threatened to sell to a tabloid. At the time, he demanded a substantial sum of money. Regrettably, I paid him. In retrospect, I understand that this was a terrible lapse in judgment and a course of action I would not recommend to anyone.
Following the encounter in Memphis – a little over two weeks later – the extortionist sent an e-mail and phoned my wife, Desiree, making threats and demanding additional money. At that point, I informed the Warriors about the situation and asked for their guidance. We immediately notified the FBI, which promptly began an investigation.
The personal information in the extortion scheme related to a woman that I, mistakenly, had an extra-marital relationship with six years ago – prior to joining the Warriors – when I was a TV sports analyst. I made my wife aware of the relationship at that time, apologized to her and we reconciled. Obviously, my self-centered transgression at that time is not something I’m proud of, but I’m blessed to have an incredible wife, mother and partner and I thank the Lord for her each day.
I recognize the extremely poor judgment that I used both in having an affair six years ago – including the embarrassing communication I exhibited during that time – and in attempting to deal with the extortion scheme at first by myself. I made some egregious errors. I apologize for any embarrassment I may have caused my family, friends and, of course, the Warriors.
At that time in my life, I was not pastoring. Three years ago, my wife and I established a ministry. With deepest regret, I want to apologize to my Church Family.
I was wrong. We must live Holy.”
NHL
– The Rangers have re-signed G Martin Biron to a 2-year/$2.6M contract. The 34-year-old was set to become a UFA on Sunday. Last season, he put up a 12-6-2 record with a 2.46 GAA, a .904 SV% and two shutouts.
– The Canadiens have re-signed F Travis Moen to a 4-year/$7.4M contract. The 30-year-old will earn $1.85M annually. Moen was on pace for a career season in goal-scoring with nine in 48 games before suffering a concussion.
– The Flames have re-signed F Lee Stempniak to a 2-year/$5M contract, and have signed F Blair Jones to a 2-year/$1.3M contract. Stempniak scored 14 goals for 28 points in 61 games for Calgary last season. Jones tallied three goals and eight points between the Flames and Lightning last year.
– Canucks’ GM Mike Gillis says he’s in no rush to trade G Roberto Luongo following G Cory Schneider’s extension. Luongo still has 10 years to run on a 12-year/$64M contract that averages out to a cap hit of $5.3M annually.
“With respect to the possibility of trading Roberto, we’re going to take our time. We’re going to make sure we do the right thing for this organization.”
“When a player steps on the ice, the money doesn’t matter. I could care less about the money. I care about having the best team and the most competitive team. I think we’ve done pretty well with that approach.”
“Cory wanted to stay here and we wanted to keep him here, so we were confident that we were going to get it done before July 1st.”
– The NHL and the players’ union opened negotiations on a new labour deal Friday by meeting for about 2 1/2 hours. Commissioner Gary Bettman and Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly met with NHLPA Executive Director Donald Fehr, union special counsel Steve Fehr and several player reps at the league’s Manhattan offices. This was the first formal talks between the two sides. They come after the NHLPA’s executive board held a three-day meeting in Chicago earlier this week. Daly said in a statement,
“Members of our League Office staff and several of our owners met today with the NHLPA and various members of the players’ negotiating committee at the League Office in New York. The meeting was very cordial and we hope it was constructive.
“Before breaking, the parties discussed follow-up steps and confirmed plans for future meetings. We have nothing further to report at this time.”
– The Coyotes have re-signed F Andy Miele to a 1-year/2-way contract. Miele, 24, had 16 goals and 38 assists in his first season for Phoenix’s AHL affiliate in Portland, Maine. His 54 points led the Pirates last year.
– The Flyers named Terry Murray coach of their AHL affiliate, the Adirondack Phantoms, on Friday. Murray, 61, was fired in December by the Los Angeles Kings, who went on to win the Stanley Cup under the direction of Darryl Sutter. Murray was coach of the Flyers from 1994-1997, leading Philadelphia to the Stanley Cup final in the latter. He was 118-64-30 in 212 games for the Flyers.
“I got a call from (Flyers general manager) Paul Holmgren before the draft. We made a commitment over the phone to do this. There wasn’t a lot of stuff coming in from the NHL teams after I got fired. The phone rings for about four or five days and then it goes silent, and there was nothing up until Homer called me.
“I took some time to think about it, and … I’m a hockey coach, I love to coach.”
WWE
– Maxine confirmed rumors of her departure from WWE via Twitter Friday.
“We have come to terms on my release. Its been a ride I want to thank WWE for the experience and understanding on my feelings,” Maxine wrote. “Its not easy saying goodbye. But there are other options at wich I can do. To my fans you may not see me on the WWE screen but on another(;.”
“I want to do nothing but get the real chance to entertain all of you…sometimes you have to make that chance for yourself!!
“I want to take all of you with me…so I hope you all understand why i made my decision.”
Maxine also says she has no plans to continue wrestling.
“Im not going to another wrestling company that is not in my plans!!! I didnt ask for my release to go to another company.”
According to PWInsider, Maxine quit WWE due to frustrations with “not being offered a guaranteed deal and not having the chance to prove herself on TV beyond the WWE NXT level.” Her profile, however, remains on the company website and no official announcement concerning her status has been made. Maxine joined WWE as a developmental talent in 2009. After learning the ropes in Florida Championship Wrestling, she was promoted to NXT for the Diva-exclusive third season. She returned to the program in August and became involved in a love triangle with Derrick Bateman and Johnny Curtis.
– Booker T’s Twitter account and website were hacked on Friday by a group believed to be affiliated with the Ku Klux Klan (KKK) organization. The hackers posted Booker T’s personal emails as well as addresses and phone numbers of his wife Sharmel on his website. The following message appears on Booker T’s official website:
Just Jacked the sh*t out of this f*cking *** who goes by the name “Booker Huffman”, we also took the extra time to f*ck his monkey wife over. Booker is known for being a “Professional”, yet fake WWE wrestler.
The hackers posted many racist messages via Booker T’s Twitter account and redirected his RealityOfWrestling.com site to a Klan website.
– Episode 73 of Zack Ryder’s YouTube show Z! True Long Island Story was posted online Friday.
– Several of WWE’s top developmental prospects from Florida Championship Wrestling debuted on Week 2 of the new season of WWE NXT from Full Sail University. Former FCW Champion Seth Rollins (former ROH World Champion Tyler Black) wrestled in the opening contest and defeated Jiro. Rollins cut a promo after the match and said he has arrived in NXT and plans to “change the world.” South African wrestler Leo Kruger, another former FCW Champion, cut a promo and called himself the “Alpha Male Lion.” He later defeated Aiden English via submission in a match that he dominated from bell to bell. Richie Steamboat was the third FCW alumnus to debut in NXT, defeating Rick Victor. After the match, Steamboat celebrated with his father, WWE Hall of Famer Ricky “The Dragon” Steamboat. Richie Steamboat vowed to take the Steamboat name to new heights in WWE.
– Rhyno is the latest addition to WWE.com’s Alumni section: “The last-ever champion of the original incarnation of ECW, Rhyno was one of the most physically intense Superstars of all time, and now he has crashed onto WWE.com’s alumni section. Check out The Man Beast’s profile with classic photos, videos and more!”
TNA
– On Thursday’s Impact Wrestling, the returning Sunjay Dutt defeated masked wrestler Rubix in the opening round of the TNA X Division Championship tournament. As previously reported, Rubix is independent wrestler Ed McGuckin, who wrestles for Chikara and has previously worked for ROH, CZW and Full Impact Pro. According to a report at PWInsider, Rubix won’t be the only Chikara wrestler headed to TNA. There was buzz backstage at Thursday’s Impact that TNA has some sort of working relationship with Chikara and more wrestlers from Chikara are expected to appear on TNA television in the coming weeks and months.
Martin Biron signed a two-year/$2.6 million contract extension with the New York Rangers.
Biron has been a great backup for Henrik Lundqvist, so it’s not surprising that the Rangers wanted him back. Biron should continue to get about 20 starts per season over the life of this deal. However, Biron won’t have much fantasy value in standard leagues unless Lundqvist gets injured.
Source: Bob McKenzie on Twitter Jun 29 – 8:49 PM
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Canadiens lock up Moen to a four-year deal
Travis Moen inks a four-year/$7.4 million contract extension with the Montreal Canadiens.
Moen had nine goals and 16 points in 48 games in 2011-12. He’s more of a defensive forward and consequently doesn’t have much fantasy value in standard leagues.
Source: Renaud P Lavoie on Twitter Jun 29 – 5:37 PM
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Lee Stempniak signs a two-year extension
Lee Stempniak has signed a two-year/$5 million contract extension with the Calgary Flames.
Stempniak is coming off a two-year/$3.8 million deal, so this represents a decent raise for him. He had 14 goals and 28 points in 61 games last season.
Source: Bob McKenzie on Twitter Jun 29 – 5:16 PM
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Hudler is still open to signing with Detroit
There’s still a chance that Jiri Hudler will re-sign with the Detroit Red Wings.
Hudler’s agent, Petr Svoboda has engaged in negotiations with Red Wings GM Ken Holland, but it sounds like those talks have stalled. “Kenny made an offer to us, I would say four to five days ago, and we left it at that point,” Svoboda said. “We didn’t close the door. Maybe we’ll be talking before July 1st. But if not, then we can talk though July 1st. Nothing done yet.” Svoboda emphasized that Hudler is still open to re-signing with Detroit. Hudler is scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent on Sunday.
Source: Detroit Free Press Jun 29 – 4:25 PM
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NHL, union have ‘very cordial’ CBA meeting
The NHL and NHLPA have completed their first CBA negotiating session.
“The meeting was very cordial and we hope it was constructive,” NHL deputy commissioner Bill Daly said. This was just the first of what will likely be many meetings. Details regarding this meeting are somewhat scarce, but for now it’s just encouraging to see both sides get the ball rolling. The current CBA is set to expire on Sept. 15.
Source: Stephen Whyno on Twitter Jun 29 – 3:28 PM
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CBJ open to trading Nash to a division rival
The Columbus Blue Jackets are open to trading Rick Nash to a Central Division rival.
That might not be a popular move, but it looks like the Blue Jackets’ biggest concern is finding a team that’s willing to meet their high asking price. Detroit might have interest in Nash if they lose out on Zach Parise, but it’s not clear if they’d be willing to make the sacrifices necessary to pry Nash away from Columbus.
Travis Moen inks a four-year/$7.4 million contract extension with the Montreal Canadiens.
Moen had nine goals and 16 points in 48 games in 2011-12. He’s more of a defensive forward and consequently doesn’t have much fantasy value in standard leagues.
Source: Renaud P Lavoie on Twitter
Jun 29 – 5:37 PM
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Lee Stempniak signs a two-year extension
Lee Stempniak has signed a two-year/$5 million contract extension with the Calgary Flames.
Stempniak is coming off a two-year/$3.8 million deal, so this represents a decent raise for him. He had 14 goals and 28 points in 61 games last season.
Source: Bob McKenzie on Twitter
Jun 29 – 5:16 PM
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Hudler is still open to signing with Detroit
There’s still a chance that Jiri Hudler will re-sign with the Detroit Red Wings.
Hudler’s agent, Petr Svoboda has engaged in negotiations with Red Wings GM Ken Holland, but it sounds like those talks have stalled. “Kenny made an offer to us, I would say four to five days ago, and we left it at that point,” Svoboda said. “We didn’t close the door. Maybe we’ll be talking before July 1st. But if not, then we can talk though July 1st. Nothing done yet.” Svoboda emphasized that Hudler is still open to re-signing with Detroit. Hudler is scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent on Sunday.
Source: Detroit Free Press
Jun 29 – 4:25 PM
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NHL, union have ‘very cordial’ CBA meeting
The NHL and NHLPA have completed their first CBA negotiating session.
“The meeting was very cordial and we hope it was constructive,” NHL deputy commissioner Bill Daly said. This was just the first of what will likely be many meetings. Details regarding this meeting are somewhat scarce, but for now it’s just encouraging to see both sides get the ball rolling. The current CBA is set to expire on Sept. 15.
Source: Stephen Whyno on Twitter
Jun 29 – 3:28 PM
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In-season Projections
CBJ open to trading Nash to a division rival
The Columbus Blue Jackets are open to trading Rick Nash to a Central Division rival.
That might not be a popular move, but it looks like the Blue Jackets’ biggest concern is finding a team that’s willing to meet their high asking price. Detroit might have interest in Nash if they lose out on Zach Parise, but it’s not clear if they’d be willing to make the sacrifices necessary to pry Nash away from Columbus.
Source: Aaron Portzline on Twitter