(Sports Network) - Columbus has never made the postseason since entering the league prior to the 2000-01 season. The face of the franchise, Rick Nash is doing his best to get them there.

A playoff appearance is about all that is missing from Nash's resume. He already owns a 40-goal season that earned him the Maurice "Rocket" Richard Trophy in 2003-04, an honor he shared with Jarome Iginla and Ilya Kovalchuk. The first overall pick in 2002, Nash was a Calder Memorial Trophy finalist, is an All-Star team lock and is the Blue Jackets' captain.

However, thanks to budding talent around him, Nash might be in the midst of his best season yet. He is four goals shy of his second straight and fourth career 30-goal season, but the 24-year-old has already matched his season high in assists through just 56 games. Nash set his personal best last year, notching 31 helpers through 80 games.

His 18 multi-point games are just one shy of the franchise mark held by both David Vyborny and Ray Whitney, and Nash makes those points count as Columbus is 13-3-2 in his multi-point games this year.

Nash has always been Columbus' best skater, so what is different this year for the currently sixth-seeded Blue Jackets? How about support.

Nash led the Blue Jackets with 38 goals last year and only Nikolai Zherdev (currently with the Rangers) also topped the 20-goal mark. Jason Chimera finished third on the club with 14 tallies. However, Columbus already has a pair of 20-goal scorers in Nash and R.J. Umberger, and Kristian Huselius and his 18 tallies should join the two soon.

Add in outstanding play by rookie goaltender Steve Mason (23-13-3, 2.17 goals against average, 7 shutouts), and it appears the Jackets have finally put a competitive squad around Nash.

With next week's trade deadline looming, Columbus has already added a veteran presence to the roster, claiming center Chris Gratton off waivers from the Tampa Bay Lightning. Though he has just two assists in 18 games this year, the 33-year-old is a veteran of 1,086 games, recording 214 goals and 353 assists in that span.

RED WINGS: FACING ISSUES IN NET

While most clubs will be busy working the phones over the next week prior to Wednesday's trade deadline, don't expect too much activity from the Red Wings despite some questions in net

Offensively, Detroit leads the NHL with 222 goals scored and already has five 20-goal scorers in Marian Hossa (33), Pavel Datsyuk (25), Johan Franzen (25), Henrik Zetterberg (22) and Jiri Hudler (20).

Add in a Motown blueline that features Norris Trophy-receiving regular Nicklas Lidstrom, who is a plus-23 on the season, as well as Brian Rafalski, Niklas Kronwall and Brad Stuart and the only real question is who will be manning the pipes for the Red Wings down the stretch.

After splitting time last season with Dominik Hasek during the regular season, Chris Osgood was spectacular as the man in the postseason in leading the Red Wings to a championship. However, he has a 3.29 goals against average and .879 save percentage in 31 games (30 starts), leading to an 18-15-7 mark.

Detroit recently made Osgood unavailable for playing time as he attempts to rest and get through his rough stretch, which includes a 4-3-3 mark and 3.87 GAA over his last 10 starts.

That move was made easier thanks to the play of Ty Conklin. The first-year Red Wing is 21-7-1 on the season with a 2.32 GAA and six shutouts. He has been outstanding in his first season at Joe Louis Arena, notching a 12-1-0 home record and posting four of his shutouts as the hosting netminder. Conklin has won 11 straight home starts and is 5-0-0 over his last five outings overall with a 2.00 GAA.

Osgood will get a chance to reclaim his No. 1 role as he is expected to return Friday, but if he should falter the Red Wings won't have to make a move thanks to Conklin.

PREDATORS: RINNE POSTING BAGELS

The Central Division is making a name for itself in regards to goaltending, and the Predators are determined to keep pace.

Rookie netminder Pekka Rinne has taken over the starting spot from Dan Ellis and has responded with an outstanding February. Rinne is 6-2-0 this month with a 1.85 goals against average and .940 save percentage. He notched his fifth career shutout on Saturday with a 30-save effort versus St. Louis and is one shy of the single-season franchise mark set by Ellis last season.

The 26-year-old made his initial splash by winning his first six career decisions and posting three whitewashes over his first 10 starts. The 2004 eighth-round pick is 17-10-1 on the season and his 2.23 GAA is tied for third in the league, while his .923 save percentage ranks sixth.

Rinne's play has pushed the 28-year-old Ellis to the bench. Ellis' 23 wins and 2.34 GAA last year in 44 games made Chris Mason expendable in the offseason, and Ellis might meet similar fate this year. He is 11-18-3 with a 2.93 GAA in 33 games, but there might be a few teams out there willing to bank on a change of scenery sparking the former second-round pick.

Nashville will begin a five-game homestand on Tuesday and four of those contests will take place prior to Wednesday's trade deadline. It is uncertain how much time Ellis will get in net before then, but he should see some action if the Preds are looking to move him.

Ellis' numbers could see a boost with some home games. Nashville is tied for first in home penalty killing at 88.4 percent and has killed off 15 straight shorthanded situations over its last four games. The Predators are killing off penalties at a 94.9 percent rate over their last 17 home tests.

BLUES: HOPEFULLY TKACHUK IS A GOOD PACKER

The trade deadline is almost here, which means Blues forward Keith Tkachuk probably has his suitcases open and ready on his bed.

With St. Louis second-to-last in the Western Conference with 58 points - though just six points out of a playoff spot - the Blues are likely getting ready to field a number of calls on their winger.

With the club still reeling from more surgeries than a Grey's Anatomy script, a postseason berth will be a big uphill battle for the Blues. With names such as Paul Kariya (surgery on both hips), Erik Johnson (knee surgery), D.J. King (shoulder surgery) and Eric Brewer (back surgery) still on the mend, and Andy McDonald only recently returning from injury, St. Louis might decide that it just isn't in the cards this season.

That likely has Tkachuk out of town.

Not that the 36-year-old would be unprepared. He has been traded three times in his career, but twice in the last two years. That includes a 2007 that saw the Blues deal Tkachuk to the playoff-hopeful Thrashers, only to get him back four months later from Atlanta by way of trade.

Should the Blues decide to part ways again with the 500-goal scorer, the receiving team will likely get a boost to their power play. Eleven of Tkachuk's 18 goals this season have come on the man advantage, and the Massachusetts-born forward has 35 points in 57 games this year.

He is also a veteran of 85 postseason contests, notching 28 goals and 28 assists in that span.

BLACKHAWKS: COULD MOVE A GOALTENDER

Firmly entrenched in the fourth spot in the Western Conference, the Blackhawks could still be involved in the goaltending market prior to the trade deadline. However, they will likely be moving a netminder, not acquiring one.

Despite currently being sidelined with what is believed to be his second groin injury of the season, Chicago could try to move Nikolai Khabibulin and in return acquire some pieces to make a splash in the postseason.

Khabibulin is 17-5-5 with a 2.37 goals against average this year, but has missed the last six games with injury. He also sat out five contests in late November and early December with a groin ailment.

Chicago signed Cristobal Huet prior to this season and has been rotating the two netminders when healthy. However, Huet is 4-2-0 with a 1.52 GAA since Khabibulin's latest injury and 17-11-3 with a 2.23 GAA on the season, making the "The Bulin Wall" expendable.

The 'Hawks might be looking to add some offense, as leading goal-scorer Patrick Sharp suffered a sprained left knee that is expected to sideline him for up to three weeks. Sharp, fresh off his first 30-goal season last year, is tops on the club with 23 tallies this year.

Chicago has 76 points through 58 games this year, its highest total through that span since posting 79 in 1982-83. The Blackhawks, who haven't made the postseason since 2001-02, had 60 points through 58 games a year ago.