Columbus fires Jarmo Kekalainen

[sxvnert]

About ****** time!

 

[Gustave]

"Mike Grier, you're next", - Seravelli.

 

[Ted Hoffman]

It’s equally concerning that John Davidson wasn’t walked out either. The biggest issue with the Columbus franchise is culture and that stops at the very top. It’s virtually guaranteed that Davidson will hire someone from his old boys club (former Blue, Ranger, or Bluejacket)—GM Jody Shelley coming up.

I don't know if it's Davidson or who that was making those decisions, but I've said before there are A LOT of ex-Columbus players on the organization's payroll. It's like the franchise decided to start a retirement program for ex-Blue Jacket players so they didn't go poor in their post-playing days.

And sure, every team has some of them, and there might be guys in those positions who really have earned that spot - but the way ex-players are all over the place in hockey ops roles is ... just ... freakish.

And sure, every guy who comes in brings his own folks. I get that, that's expected. What's not expected is that they come in and never leave, and seemingly no one is ever held accountable - which means you're now created another semi-retirement program for all your buddies simply because they know you, and if they do a good job or they waste space in the room they're still collecting a paycheck as long as you're there.

There's a lot that has to change in Columbus, but putting an end to that shit would be a great first step.

 

[Chainshot]

Was hiring Babs him or was that JD? Or a bit of both?

 

[Viqsi]

Was hiring Babs him or was that JD? Or a bit of both?

It was both.

 

[Evergreen]

I guess they didn’t want Jarmo in charge for the trade deadline. I wonder if a new GM is named before then.

 

[Ted Hoffman]

Was hiring Babs him or was that JD? Or a bit of both?

If I had to guess, that was Kekalainen. Davidson might offer advice, but from his time in St. Louis he very rarely if ever overruled in decision-making and I don't see that having changed in Columbus.

Which, it shouldn't - if you pick a guy to do a job, trust them to do the job. If you're overruling their decisions, they're not the right person and either you need to be doing the job or you need to go find someone else to do that job.

 

[Fatass]

Jim Benning come on down!

 

[WhiskeyYerTheDevils]

should’ve been fired after the Babcock fiasco

I have to think this was probably in motion after this fiasco.

 

[Winston Wolf]

Looks like they waited for the biggest CBJ fan podcast to be taken off the air first.

 

[Dirty Dog]

I also liked him early on, but things really stalled out the past few years

 

[seafoam]

So all it took was for some reporter to call him the worst GM in the league for them to finally think to themselves wait, this guy is not good?

 

[Double-Shift Lasse]

They need a Jamaican GM to add diversity to the NHL

Good idea, John Candy!

 

[jkrdevil]

He severely misevaluated his own team and how close they were the last few seasons. That is a cardinal sin for a GM. That and the Babcock thing sunk him.

 

[deca guard]

John Davidson can still do just as much damage.

OR MORE

 

[LOFIN]

He severely misevaluated his own team and how close they were the last few seasons. That is a cardinal sin for a GM. That and the Babcock thing sunk him.

The common misconception a lot of fans have, is that the GM actually has all the authority to swing the ship in whichever direction he chooses. Nah, the ownership usually dictates a direction, if not the ownership then the president of hockey ops.

 

[Chainshot]

I wonder if this was coming after philosophical differences when discussing what to do at the deadline.

 

[johnnystormcgy]

Outside of being a GM, how do the Columbus fan's feel about his drafting and prospect evaluation? I always thought he would make of a good director of scouting.

 

[Frenzy31]

Jarmo did a great job of stocking the system, but always failed to ID the key UFAs. But this goes beyond Jarmo, I think Davidson needs to go also.

Best thing the Blues did was to move on from him (Davidson).

 

[paragon]

Get Shrek'd.

Well deserved.

 

[Mark Stones Spleen]

Dorion is available, CBJ fans.

 

[Satan]

Long time coming

 

[traffic cone]

Davidson is still there. Nothing changes. Doomed organization now.

Jarmo will find a new GM job easily.

 

[LOFIN]

Jarmo did a great job of stocking the system, but always failed to ID the key UFAs.

Let's be frank here, is this a failure by him (and Davidson), or is it simply hard to lure players in/keep them in Columbus? I'd say probably the latter. This is also why you have to look at the Johnny Hockey signing through a different lens, it was THE free agent signing for Columbus and while it hasn't really worked out, it did send a message to the fans and players that some people want to be there.

 

[Ted Hoffman]

I don't think it's understating things to say this is going to be a critical hire for the future of the Blue Jackets given their wealth of young talent. Who should it be? No one from within the organization.

Basil McRae. Great guy, but ... no, we don't need yet another ex-NHLer in a GM spot. That trend has long passed. Not to mention, he's a Kekalainen carry-over and if the team is moving from Jarmo it needs to have a clean break.

Josh Flynn. Well, he's not an ex-NHLer. He's also been with Columbus for 16 years, meaning he's been part of a nearly perpetual losing culture for 16 years. No.

Chris Clark. That's Basil McRae ex-the Kekalainen connection + Flynn's "part of a nearly perpetual losing culture" piece. No.

Rick Nash. That's grounds for an ass-kicking, and not by Nash.

It has to be an outside hire. If Mark Hunter is still held in high esteem, I'd say "go swing for the fences with a guy like that." It has to be someone who has a vision for what the team can be with its young talent, and someone who can talk with agents and not be constantly combative and woo agents to woo their players on considering Columbus as a destination in a positive light.