Blue Jackets GM Scott Howson Reveals That Rick Nash Requested Trade

The Columbus Blue Jackets ultimately did not end up trading star winger Rick Nash at today's NHL trade deadline, but GM Scott Howson did come out and state publicly that it was Nash seeking a trade, not the team's decision, according to Greg Wyshynski of Yahoo! Sports.

"With respect to Rick Nash, he approached us and asked us to consider trading him," Howson said. "We agreed to accommodate his request as long as we could get a deal that would provide us with cornerstone pieces to help us to compete for a Stanley Cup championship in the coming years. It did not happen by 3 o'clock today."

Nash has been the subject of trade rumors for much of this season, and many assumed the Jackets had chosen to become deadline sellers because of their record -- they're by far the worst team in the NHL this season, with just 43 points in 62 games. But Howson revealed after the deadline today that the captain had requested a trade in "mid- or late January."

"It's the right thing to do," Howson said of revealing the trade request. "It's the truthful thing to do."