This is the team I was drafted to, and this is where I've made my home for the last three years. I don't want to switch teams. I'd rather take this team to the top.

Home is heaven and orgies are vile/ But you need an orgy, once in a while.

That means a lot to us. Most of my friends back home, they don't have this. Everyone's been great.

They didn't throw me on one of the top lines, but they didn't keep me out as a healthy scratch, either. I think Dave King and Doug were using me well, and I think it was good development for me. I couldn't think of a better team to come to for a young guy than Columbus. You aren't just going to jump in and be a star player at 18. It's tough to be a star in the NHL. I just fit in and played my role on the third line, and just kind of hit and chipped in with a goal here or there when I could.

[A Calder Trophy finalist last season, Nash hopes that his new bulk will enable him to muscle in goals around the net and do anything else to help turn around a team that limped to a Western Conference-worst 69 points. Columbus lost its top point-scorer when former captain Ray Whitney signed with Detroit, but his exit opened a spot for Nash on the second line. He will skate alongside speedy center Todd Marchant, who had career highs in goals (20) and assists (40) with Edmonton last year.] It's an honor to play with him, ... I grew up watching him and pretending I was him.

I'd like to play like Joe Thornton does right now. I try to mold my game around his. If you say four years, three years down the road, if I could be where he is, then I'd be pretty happy.