Say no to Nash

If you are that long-suffering Toronto Maple Leafs fan, you've got to love the fact you have a general manager who is aggressive enough to get involved in negotiations for pretty much every big name free agent who comes along.

Over the years however, the pursuit of guys like Brad Richards, Rick Nash, and possibly free-agent-to-be Zach Parise, has been nothing but background noise. Sheer Toronto sizzle.

Leafs fans want some steak in the form of a team that can compete for the Stanley Cup. And Saturday's debacle at Rogers Arena in Vancouver -- not to mention two games in Alberta that showed Toronto to be equal to a 10th to 12th place team out West -- made it mighty clear how far the Maple Leafs are from a Cup.

This team's strengths are defence and goaltending? Like all of Brian Burke's projects, Toronto is built from the net on out?

Yikes.

Then on Sunday, the morning after Toronto had been undressed in Vancouver, Sportsnet learned that the Leafs GM had enjoyed a breakfast with Columbus GM Scott Howson in New York. It's a big story, because Nash is the hottest trade deadline commodity, and Toronto is, well, Toronto.

But is this the right move for Burke? For Leafs fans?

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Does the acquisition of Nash, the six years remaining on his contract ($7.8-million cap hit), and the three or four pieces of Toronto's future going the other way -- certainly including Jake Gardiner, a first-round pick, and perhaps Joe Colborne or Nazem Kadri -- represent the construction of an eventual Cup winner? Or is this just another Leafs GM chasing the present, and losing all sight of the master plan?

The debate has raged through Leafs Nation this week, and it's a healthy one. Personally, I do not believe Toronto has the prospects - specifically, the goalie -- to put the best offer on Howson's plate. Nor do they have the centreman in place for Nash to give his approval to the deal.

Remember: as a player with a no-movement clause, Nash will retain veto power over any trade, regardless of the list submitted to Columbus.

Which begs the question: is this whole Toronto-Columbus breakfast club just an intricate dance -- Howson fleshing out the market and using the Leafs to drive up the price; Burke willing to low-ball, but not serious about paying full price; Nash, only listing Toronto to dodge critics, but with no intention of signing off on a deal to move there. (Were they actually talking about a Jeff Carter deal?)

Remember, NHL history is littered with good deals never made. Like when Dany Heatley let Ottawa GM Bryan Murray negotiate a trade with Edmonton, then vetoed it. Edmonton is still sending Heatley's counsel Christmas cards for that one.

Or in Vancouver, where GM Mike Gillis had originally offered Mats Sundin a two-year, $20-million deal. Sundin signed a one-year contract instead and as it turned out, was running out of gas in the 2008-09 season. Had Sundin signed that two-year pact, would Gillis still have been able to sign the Sedins, Alex Burrows and Alex Edler the following season?

For Burke, this is all about timing.

If Toronto adds Nash, it slows down the process of filling the eight or nine other roster spots that must be properly upgraded in order to turn the Leafs into a legit power.

Sure, Nash could take Toronto to the next level. But what's that? Eighth place? Minus the largesse needed to lure Nash, can Toronto reach the two or three more levels that lie between them and Boston?

Is a Rick Nash acquisition part of the building process, or is the addition of a pricey star something Burke should save for much later in the process?

Until this team is a lot better he should do his star shopping in the summertime, when a possible free agent like Zach Parise would cost Toronto money, which they have, but not any of the prospects that Burke has finally grown in this organization.

If it were easy to build a Cup contender, everyone would have one. Burke is laying the groundwork for one in Toronto, but as this past week showed, he's still a long ways away.

Now is the time to hang on, try and make the playoffs and take your aspirations to the UFA market in July. Not to compromise the entire project by adding a superstar to an average team.

Mark Spector is the senior columnist on sportsnet.ca