Central: Nerves, intrigue, hope abound at Draft
The day was as fresh on his mind as if it happened yesterday instead of June 22, 2002.
On that date, the Columbus Blue Jackets traded up from third overall to first, making trades with the Florida Panthers and Atlanta Thrashers in the process, in the 2002 Entry Draft at Air Canada Centre in Toronto to ensure they would get their man -- left winger Rick Nash, who turned 18 just six days before the draft.
With the uncertainty of the draft, the Blue Jackets felt they couldn't take a chance on Nash being there with the third pick -- so General Manager Doug MacLean flip-flopped from No. 3 to No. 1 with Florida and sent a couple draft picks to Atlanta to keep them away from the 6-foot-3, 190-pound Nash, who had 32 goals and 72 points in 54 games for the London Knights.
"I've always watched the draft and wondered what it must be like to be that guy who goes first," Nash remembered a short time ago. "It was amazing. I’m sitting there thinking about Jay Bouwmeester going first to Florida and then Kari Lehtonen to Atlanta. Or maybe I’d be going to Atlanta ..."
The confident, young power forward paused for a second and then added with surprise; "Then the next thing I hear is Commissioner (Gary) Bettman announcing that there’s been a trade, that Florida traded the No. 1 pick to Columbus."
Nash admitted he didn’t know what to think. He didn’t know that the trade was completed with Florida and Atlanta just 20 minutes before the draft proceedings began after a long night of haggling by MacLean.
NHL.com - Division Notes
Central: Nerves, intrigue, hope abound at Draft
Central: Nerves, intrigue, hope abound at Draft
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