Nash in Neutral for Now

Rick Nash has suffered an apparent high ankle sprain and the extent of his injury will not be known until an MRI is performed this afternoon/evening. I would think that this puts a bad taste in the mouths of Blue Jackets nation , not to mention Doug Maclean. A rookie, Derek Reinhart drove Rick into the boards feet first and he had to be helped off the ice. Do you think that upped Derek's chances of making the team?

This brings up a question. Rick is the center peice of the franchise, so why in god's name is anyone allowed to touch him? Do you think anyone is roughing up Sidney Crosby, or Mario Lemieux in the Pens training camp? Save the "getting in game shape" b.s. argument please. If you have a franchise player of which your entire season's fate rides, then you need to minimize the chances of having him roughed up in a G.D. intra squad scrimmage by not allowing anyone to touch/check him (especially by a G.D. rookie defenseman who wil play in the ECHL this year). It may sound like a bit of a wuss excuse, but I would much rather have a healthy star player not get touched in practice, then one that is fair game by his own teammates in a G.D. meaningless intra-squad scrimmage.

Hopefully, Rick will be fine and will only be out a short time.

The Furnace