Columbus fires Jarmo Kekalainen

[LOFIN]

Jarmo will find a new GM job easily.

I don't know if he has a chance to jump back at the big seat immediately, but teams should be lining up to call him to become AGM, director of scouting or something. He's a pretty damn good hockey mind.

 

[tantalum]

So soon?

11 years in charge with 6 missed playoffs (what will be 4 in row to end the tenure). On top of that only 1 playoff series victory.

 

[GeeoffBrown]

Jarmo is very entertaining because of his aggressiveness but his Blue Jackets have had almost no team success

CBJ loading up to knock off Tampa was incredibly exciting as an outside observer but if I were a Jackets fan, I'd be pissed at the asset management LOL

 

[DJB]

Pierre Dorion is available as replacement

 

[Tasteless Beaver]

The culture seems to stink in Columbus - Laine is struggling mentally, Johnny is just mailing it in for the next few years on a gross contract, the whole Babcock mess, and on and on. The team makes a splash by trading big assets that don’t want to be there, and then overpay UFAs, but the roster never seems complete. I hope the draft picks and prospects turn it around, but it’s a big hill to climb.

 

[STL fan in MN]

I’m surprised he lasted as long as he did. A bit surprised JD survived but I guess he sacrificed his buddy.

I feel bad for Columbus fans. They’ve had some good pieces over the years but then make a couple bad moves and constantly stagnate.

 

[Snuggs]

Hmm... Maybe signals a real quiet deadline from the Blue Jackets?

Hard to believe an interim GM would make some major roster changes.

I don't see a huge benefit to firing him now weeks before the TDL unless ownership already knows who they're going to hire. * Doug Wilson is at the least an easy interview.

 

[deca guard]

he was so close the year bread n bobby wouldnt re-sign but instead of trading them for massive futures he kept then traded a 1st + for duchene . all the while trying to march against super power armys in the east back then like tbay-pitt-caps-etc = he never was gonna get by them all . if he aquired the futures woulda been much better off

 

[LEAFANFORLIFE23]

Doing this 3 weeks before the deadline feels like odd timing

 

[Hockeyfrilla]

Should have happened long time ago.

 

[Viqsi]

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.

Depends on who you talk to. There's a number of folks here who are so frustrated with the last few years that they've decided everything he ever touched is terrible. By and large, though, his drafting could be best described as "above-average to average" - he's not an unstoppable genius but he is legitimately good at it.

 

[614 CBJ]

multiple posts saying he won only 1 playofff series

I'm thrilled he's gone, they are going downhill fast

but He did win 2 playoff series, Tampa and then Toronto the next year

 

[geebster]

I don't hate myself enough to watch a lot of CBJ hockey but from the outside this seems like it should've been a long time coming.

 

[These Are The Days]

Overdue in my opinion. What happened to his team isn't entirely his fault. He's has a lot of bad luck. But hiring Babcock? That was the unnecessary nail in the coffin. How in God's name did you POSSIBLY think that was going to be a good idea?

Good luck Jackets fans. I wish you nothing but success

 

[trick9]

How did JD survive?

Babcock hiring had JD written all over it.

 

[Perfect_Drug]

Was there anything he could have done to retain Bread Duchene and Bob?

Columbus simply has a very similar problem to smaller-market Canadian teams.

 

[Viqsi]

How did JD survive?

Babcock hiring had JD written all over it.

There's some speculation on HFCBJ that this is a phased exit - that JD might retire at the end of the season. I dunno if that's plausible or if it's just wishful thinking, tho. I dunno where I stand on it myself.

 

[BlueSeal]

As Fred Rogers would say ‘ It’s a beautiful day in the neighborhood.’

 

[Viqsi]

Was there anything he could have done to retain Bread Duchene and Bob?

No, yes but it was too expensive, and no. We just had them for the duration, we weren't going to get anything significant for them (remember, before that 2019 series Bob's reputation was that he was a playoffs choker who couldn't get it done when it mattered), so we went for it with what we had and got something memorable.

 

[MrHeiskanen]

Many years too late.

 

[HisIceness]

Figured it was coming but interesting timing.

Gotta give him props for 2019 at the TDL, that was ballsy. He probably realized a rebuild was soon coming anyway so take advantage of the window you have.

 

[Rubi]

Are Columbus fans dancing in the streets?

 

[Ted Hoffman]

Was there anything he could have done to retain Bread Duchene and Bob?

No. The 1st and 3rd had long signaled they were departing at the end of their contracts, the 2nd wasn't sticking around if the other two weren't. To underscore that: Panarin reportedly got offered 8/96 and turned it down for slightly less money per year and a year less term to go to New York.

Columbus simply has a very similar problem to smaller-market Canadian teams.

Yes, but a lot of that has been because it's rarely been a winning franchise. No, winning wouldn't fix everything, but it would fix some stuff.

There's some speculation on HFCBJ that this is a phased exit - that JD might retire at the end of the season. I dunno if that's plausible or if it's just wishful thinking, tho. I dunno where I stand on it myself.

He's 71 in about 2 weeks, I can't imagine he's working a whole lot longer.

 

[TheDawnOfANewTage]

Huh, wonder why?

 

[Pavel Buchnevich]

He was capable of some very good decisions, but most didn’t work out. Long past due he was sacked.