Rick Nash and the rest of the Columbus Blue Jackets appeared despondent after the team's latest loss Saturday against Ottawa leaving them without a win this season. The Sens scored twice in the last 37 seconds to erase a Columbus 3-2 lead and send the Jackets to their eighth loss (seven in regulation time) of the season. "Tonight," Nash said, "I'm speechless." We doubt this can go on much longer with coach Scott Arniel keeping his job.

Rick Nash scored his third goal of the season as Columbus fell to Ottawa 4-3. In the battle of weak teams, Ottawa beat out the lowly Blue Jackets. Aaron Johnson, Kris Russell and Rick Nash all potted goals. Ryan Johansen added his first career NHL assist. Vinny Prospal had two assists in the loss.

Rick Nash scored a goal and added an assist for the Blue Jackets in a 3-2 loss to the Predators in their season-opener Friday. The Jackets' top line of Nash, Jeff Carter and Vaclav Prospal clicked as Prospal notched a goal and an assist of his own while Carter chipped in with a pair of helpers. Unfortunately, the team didn't receive any offensive support from the rest of the lineup on this night.

The Blue Jackets are considering casino-tax money as a source of income. The Jackets are in financial need and they are looking to a local casino for help. It is likely that a portion of the revenues generated by the Hollywood Casino Columbus will be used to help the Blue Jackets out. Negotiations are underway to help the Jackets stay afloat.

The fact that Rick Nash is now 27 was one of the catalysts for the Blue Jackets' major moves this summer. "We talked about it internally," Blues Jackets GM Scott Howson said. "He deserves it, and it's the right thing to do for our franchise. If we don't act, we're going to waste Rick and waste the prime of his career. We had to try something different, maybe more radical." Columbus acquired Jeff Carter from the Philadelphia Flyers and they signed James Wisniewski to a six-year deal. Although we don't think those additions are enough to turn the Blue Jackets into a Stanley Cup contender, they were certainly a huge leap in the right direction.

Rick Nash is thrilled that the Columbus Blue Jackets acquired Jeff Carter on Thursday. The Blue Jackets picked up their number one center for Jakub Voracek and the eighth and 68th picks in Friday's Entry Draft. "My phone is blowing up right now," Nash said. "I heard some rumors a week ago, then I heard 'no chance' a couple days later. I'm really excited ... It's tough to lose Jake because he was a really good young player and a close friend, but this is the kind of trade we've been looking for." The two should be part of one of the top lines in the NHL next season.

GM Scott Howson said that Rick Nash is the Columbus Blue Jackets' only untouchable player at this time. The Blue Jackets really need a top center as well as a quarterback for their power play and while they draft eighth overall, it is likely that pick is still a few years away from contributing. Therefore the Blue Jackets must look at the free agency and trade route and Nash is the only player that Howson will not put into play. "We've had two seasons of failure," Howson said. "There's probably a more-stark need, given where our franchise is, to do something immediate. I don't see it as pressure. To me, this is fun. It's exciting. And in saying that, I'm not diminishing the importance of it. It's a critical time for our franchise." It sure is.

Don't be surprised if the Columbus Blue Jackets trade the eighth overall pick. "I've had a few surprise calls, players who might be available," Blue Jackets GM Scott Howson said. "It's not been specifically about the pick, but just, 'Here's what I'm thinking about doing', and, 'Here's who might be available.' There's a lot going on, more than normal. Teams realize we're more open to trading a top-10 pick than we've been in the past for immediate help. That has generated some interest." The ideal for the Blue Jackets would probably be to acquire a top-six center via a trade, but Howson acknowledged that there aren't many centers of that caliber available on the trade market. It's also worth noting that the Blue Jackets will probably have to give up significantly more than just the eighth overall selection to get what they want.

Todd Richards will join the Columbus Blue Jackets as an assistant coach. Richards spent the last two seasons as the Minnesota Wild's head coach, but he was fired after the team failed to make the playoffs during his brief tenure. Richards also coached the AHL Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins and served as an assistant coach with the San Jose Sharks in 2008-09.