DETROIT – Detroit, to nobody's surprise, is on Rick Nash's short list of approved destinations. And the Red Wings, naturally, would love to land the high-scoring forward.

The Red Wings made "a hell of an offer" to Columbus for Nash, according to a person with knowledge of the situation. But the offer generated no conversation.

No counteroffer, no back and forth negotiation, nothing.

It is clear Columbus has no intention of trading the face of its franchise to the team it considers to be its top rival, a Detroit club that has dominated the Blue Jackets since they entered the NHL in 2000-01.

The last thing Columbus general manager Scott Howson wants to see is Nash being paired with Pavel Datsyuk and his Blue Jackets having to deal with that scenario six times a season.

It is not certain what the Red Wings offered. Howson recently told TSN's Geno Reda that he is seeking at least two NHL-ready forwards in return for Nash because he likes his defense.

The Red Wings, in need of a top-pair defenseman, would be more inclined to relinquish a couple of NHL forwards in addition to prospects and draft picks.

Which forwards might the Red Wings move to get a franchise player like Nash? The two that come to mind are Johan Franzen and Valtteri Filppula, though it's unlikely Detroit would deal both.

Franzen has been wildly inconsistent since the midway point of the 2010-11 season. He has a tendency to score goals in bunches and then experience long droughts.

But, he has averaged nearly 30 goals the past four seasons (excluding 2009-10, when a knee injury limited him to 27 games) and has a modest salary-cap hit of $3.95 million, though he does have eight years and $27.75 million remaining on the deal.

As for Filppula, the Red Wings view the highly skilled winger/center as a key part of their future and would like to lock him up to a long-term contract before he becomes eligible for unrestricted free agency next summer.

If Detroit were to offer Filppula in a trade, his value would be limited, unless that team can sign him to a long-term deal. Otherwise, he'd just be a one-year rental.

Again, it's unclear what the Red Wings put on the table for Nash, but if it truly was “a hell of an offer'' it wasn't a pair of third-line forwards, a couple of minor leaguers and a mid-round draft pick.

In any event, it doesn't appear as if Nash will be traded anytime soon.

It doesn't help Columbus that Nash, who has a no-movement clause, will approve a move to only one of six clubs (the New York Rangers, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Boston, San Jose or Detroit), according to the Columbus Dispatch.

Also complicating matters for the Blue Jackets is the fact that teams interested in Nash likely have made a pitch for Anaheim's Bobby Ryan, too. They are similar players, with good size and scoring ability. But Ryan, 25, is three years younger and has a more palatable contract (three years left at a salary-cap hit of $5.1 million). Nash has six years remaining at a cap hit of $7.8 million.

In addition, teams in the hunt for Nash might be waiting to see whether the $70.2 million salary cap will be significantly reduced when the NHL and the players union settle on a new collective bargaining agreement.

None of this likely matters to the Red Wings, since their offer for Nash “gained no traction.''

Whether Howson reconsiders dealing with Detroit remains to be seen. Perhaps he'll feel more urgency as the season approaches.

For now, Howson's asking price for Nash is more than any club is willing to give, and Nash-to-Detroit is a pipe dream.

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