(Photo : (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images)) SUNRISE, FL – JUNE 26: Jarmo Kekäläinen of the Columbus Blue Jackets attends the 2015 NHL Draft at BB&T Center on June 26, 2015 in Sunrise, Florida.
After over a decade within the place, the Columbus Blue Jackets relieved basic supervisor Jarmo Kekalainen of his duties on Thursday, the membership introduced.
Kekalainen was employed in February of 2013, taking on for Scott Howson and changing into the primary European to be named basic supervisor of an NHL franchise.
Prior to his firing, Kekalainen was the third-longest tenured GM within the league, behind simply Kevin Cheveldayoff of Winnipeg and Doug Armstrong of St. Louis.
Kekalainen’s tenure was filled with ups and downs, however the downs have been a lot decrease than the highs. The Blue Jackets underwent a number of totally different id modifications throughout this time, however the core philosophy that Kekalainen returned to was the concept of creating Columbus a complete nuisance to play towards.
He actually efficiently constructed a crew this fashion twice. In 2019, the Jackets sneaked into the wild card and famously swept the record-setting, top-seeded Tampa Bay Lightning out of the playoffs.
In 2014, the Blue Jackets have been a hard-working bunch that put a scare into the Pittsburgh Penguins within the first spherical, however they misplaced in six video games.
Frustration with Kekalainen boiled over this low season when he employed Mike Babcock, checkered previous and all, to be the crew’s new head coach. Babcock resigned in shame earlier than teaching a single recreation for the crew after one other scandal highlighting his incapacity to know acceptable methods to construct relationships with gamers, to say the least.
Outside of 2016 and 2019, the Blue Jackets haven’t been a lot to jot down dwelling about. Let’s check out Kekalainen’s finest transfer and certainly one of his largest missteps, and see the place issues might go for the Jackets from right here.
Jarmo Kekalainen’s Trade For Artemi Panarin
The finest transfer Kekalainen made by far nonetheless stands as one of many largest fleecings in a commerce in latest historical past.
In June of 2017, the Jackets acquired star winger Artemi Panarin from the Chicago Blackhawks in alternate for winger Brandon Saad, goalie Anton Forsberg, and a fifth spherical decide.
Chicago was determined to carry again Saad, a fan-favorite two-way winger who had been part of two Stanley Cup runs earlier than his departure, however Panarin had put up over 70 factors in his two seasons within the Windy City.
The commerce performed out disastrously for Chicago rapidly, and the acquisition of Panarin set the stage for Columbus being ok to knock off the Lightning in 2018-2019.
Columbus bought two productive seasons out of the Russian winger earlier than he walked in free company, becoming a member of the New York Rangers.
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The Signing of Johnny Gaudreau
Kekalinen’s different huge transfer to accumulate a star winger has not performed out almost in addition to buying Panarin did.
Johnny Gaudreau’s want to go away Calgary in free company was well-known, nevertheless it was lengthy assumed that the South Jersey native would wish to play in Philadelphia, New Jersey, or presumably for the New York Islanders to be nearer to dwelling.
Gaudreau shocked the hockey world in 2022 when he opted as a substitute to signal with Columbus, changing into the franchise participant for a crew mired in a rebuild as a substitute of becoming a member of these different groups, who have been additionally nearer to rivalry.
Johnny Hockey’s tenure in Columbus has not gone properly, because the crew struggled mightily regardless of his robust output final season, and his stats have taken an enormous dip this season because the crew continues to fade.
What’s Next for the Blue Jackets?
This goes to be a horny job for basic supervisor candidates. For one, Columbus is an effective hockey market with a slightly-dormant fan base that shall be able to explode once more for a winner.
When the Jackets have dwelling playoff video games, that area turns into a tough place to play in a rush. And for all his shortcomings, there’s cause to imagine Kekalainen left this roster in a state that would see it return to the postseason quickly sufficient.
A gaggle of younger forwards led by Adam Fantilli, Kent Johnson, Yegor Chinakhov, and Cole Sillinger with veterans like Gaudreau and Boone Jenner in place might turn into a energy rapidly.
On protection, Zach Werenski, David Jiricek, and Adam Boqvist make up a equally attractive core of gamers 26 and underneath, and Damon Severson and Andrew Peeke are among the many gamers who look good for some time as help items.
If the younger gamers develop, which is an enormous if given the difficulty Columbus has had growing younger expertise, this core might be one of many higher ones within the Eastern Conference over the subsequent couple of years.
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