"It didn't take long for the Blue Jackets' contract negotiations with captain Rick Nash to take a contentious turn.

After meeting with his agent, Joe Resnick, Nash told The Dispatch last night that the initial offer from Jackets general manager Scott Howson fell short of what he had in mind.

Nash watched yesterday's free-agent spending spree, with NHL teams continuing to shower elite players with huge contracts, and said he expected more from the Blue Jackets.

"There were tons of teams throwing some pretty big money around," Nash said. "If this doesn't get done, I'm sure I won't have a problem getting signed by somebody next summer."

Neither Howson nor Nash revealed details of the proposal, but sources indicated to The Dispatch it was a five-year offer.

"Things didn't line up the way I anticipated them lining up," Nash said. "I thought we had a solid chance of getting (a contract) done, especially with all the interest they said they had going into this. If they want me that bad, they'll get it done."

Nash, 25, can be an unrestricted free agent after the 2009-10 season, but the Blue Jackets are trying to avoid a messy situation by getting him signed quickly.

Resnick is expected to issue a counterproposal today.

"This is part of the process," he said. "We've begun, and we'll continue to work through and reach an agreement.""