The Columbus Blue Jackets have been sellers for longer than any other team in the league, which means that there has been plenty for trade rumours and speculation to develop. That speculation has come to encompass just about every player on the roster. Right now, the two most highly-valued players reportedly on the market are both from Columbus’ roster. Team captain and leading scorer Rick Nash, and big offseason acquisition Jeff Carter are both possibly ahead of this season’s deadline.

Carter has been a big disappointment since Columbus GM Scott Howson pulled out the stops to acquire him during the offseason. Carter was supposed to be the center that finally gave this team a true top line, but he has scored just 12 goals and 22 points in 38 games. He has played a little bit better of late, but he has just five assists in his last eight games. It’s a difficult one with Carter, he definitely has trade value, but the size and length of his contract makes him a tough player to trade in-season. There is also a serious question over the direction of this team if Howson decides to trade a 27-year old player, who has four seasons with 29+ goals to his name during his career. The rumours are circulating though, and there is always a chance that a team with a bit of cap room will push the boat out to grab Carter. The odds still suggest he will be a Blue Jacket on Feb 28 though.

Nash’s case is possibly even more interesting, if only for the reason that the rumours have been so strong recently. He has been strongly linked to Philadelphia, and the Rangers appear to be the front runners right now. Again, pulling off massive trades in-season is always just that little bit more challenging. There would undoubtedly be interest in Nash, who is a strong north to south scorer, and a player who has taken on the leadership of this young Columbus franchise. Nash has now declined to comment on trade options, and there is a real sense that a trade could actually happen. It still isn’t a move that really makes sense from Howson’s perspective. Nash would fetch a great return of course, but he has been the key cog on this roster for nine seasons, and trading away the face of the franchise isn’t a decision that should be made lightly. He is only on pace for 26 goals at the moment, but if he did score 30, it would be the seventh time in the last eight seasons that he had done so. That type of scorer doesn’t grow on trees.