Blue Jackets left winger Rick Nash was not quite ready to return to the lineup last night against the New Jersey Devils in Nationwide Arena. His sprained left knee was feeling better, he said, but it's not quite healed enough.

"We're waiting as long as we can on this to make sure there are no setbacks," coach Ken Hitchcock said before last night's game. "If this were a playoff game, he'd be playing."

Nash could return Sunday at Vancouver, but the question beginning to loom is about his availability for the All-Star Game a week later in Montreal.

"If it's sore, I'm not going to jeopardize it by playing in the All-Star Game," Nash said.

Nash's first obligation, he said, is to the Blue Jackets, who could be in the throes of their first playoff race.

Even if he plays in the three games leading up to the break -- at Vancouver, Edmonton and Calgary -- he might ask out of the All-Star lineup.

"Rick is going to have to make the decision," Hitchcock said. "But if he doesn't feel good, he's not going to go."

The NHL would like a decision from Nash by Monday or Tuesday, a spokeswoman said yesterday, so it would have enough time to find a replacement player. But the league won't press Nash to make a decision.

"We're pretty flexible," director of media relations Julie Young said.

Contrary to popular belief, the league does not stipulate that every club be represented in the All-Star Game. So Nash pulling out would not mean another Blue Jackets player would go in his place.

Three lineup changes

Center Jason Williams, acquired in a trade this week with Atlanta, made his Blue Jackets debut last night.

Two other players, right winger Raffi Torres and defenseman Ole-Kristian Tollefsen, returned after long layoffs with knee injuries.

Torres, acquired in an offseason trade with Edmonton for Gilbert Brule, has played in just 14 games because of knee and shoulder injuries. He hadn't played since Dec. 1.

"Not to make excuses, but I just have never felt my best in any of the games I've played so far this season," Torres said. "I felt like I was always battling something.

"I'm just ready to put it all behind me and help this team out. It's really exciting right now. It's a great time to be coming back."

Tollefsen, who hadn't dressed since Dec. 7, went into the lineup for Christian Backman, who was a healthy scratch.

"He has had some tweaks in the knee," Hitchcock said of Tollefsen. "The last three days he has felt fine. If we don't get him going now, he's going to be on the shelf too long.

"I think we know what's coming up on this trip. We're walking into a hornet's nest. We can use his grit and determination."

Slap shots

With Torres back in the lineup, Alexandre Picard was a healthy scratch last night. Right winger Andrew Murray missed his second straight game because of an upper body injury. NHL referee Brian Pochmara left the game at 7:56 of the first period because of an apparent arm injury.

aportzline@dispatch.com