"I talked to Scott Howson a number of times; we did make an offer for Rick Nash," Holland said.
However, the return package would have had to be much more significant for the Wings to get their Central Division rivals' top player, most likely including Johan Franzen or Valtteri Filppula, top prospects Brendan Smith or Gustav Nyquist, and potentially one more player and a first-round pick.
Holland confirmed that the Wings "talked and explored" the option of acquiring Nash, who would have brought some size and skill to his lineup, but ultimately lost to the Rangers.
With Nash off the table, the Wings could shift their attention to Anaheim Ducks sniper Bobby Ryan.
Ryan is being shopped by the Ducks, who are expected to trade him before the start of the 2012-12 season.
Meanwhile, Holland is still not closer to a decision on the future of forward Tomas Holmstrom. While there is still some room available on the roster, the Wings keep waiting on Phoenix Coyotes captain Shane Doan to possibly snatch the veteran winger from the open market.
