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Columbus Blue Jackets (Official Thread)

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While getting rid of Howson will be a good move at the end of the day, I didn't think he was the issue with the team/franchise Howson I thought did a great job at what he was given. Basically gave up nothing to get all-star Jeff Carter (who then he traded for Johnson) then made a great deal for Nash. All three guys we got out of that trade have been huge players for us this year. Howson also gets credit for drafted Mason, which I think we can still save, and getting us 3 1st round draft picks this year. I give Howson credit for bringing in the talent...the issue still lies with our development program, plain and simple. Coaching has also been an issue, but the development program is by far the biggest stain in the team's history. How many CBJ players have we seen over the years move to other teams and are great 1-2 line players and key players in team's playoff pushes. The past few years, we've had a ton of young talent on the team but no one turns them into the players they should and could be.

I'm seeing good strides with the development program this year with the guys being called up, but we are still no where near the top teams in the NHL. I think this is what we need to look at next. Bring in a GM with a lot of NHL rep and start making some trade and drafting top line players. I don't think Richard's as coach is a long term thing...we will eventually need a proven coach that can win in the playoffs. I still have faith in John Davidson and saving this franchise. He did it with a much less talented Blues franchise, so I think he can do it again.
 
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http://bigstory.ap.org/article/blue-jackets-hire-1st-european-nhl-gm#overlay-context=

Welcome Jarmo!

COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) ? The Columbus Blue Jackets hurried to make history.

Just more than 24 hours after firing Scott Howson, they announced the hiring of Jarmo Kekalainen of Finland as the first European to be a general manager in the National Hockey League.

Kekalainen, director of amateur scouting with the St. Louis Blues 2002-10, held a news conference Wednesday in his native Finland at the same time the Blue Jackets Blue Jackets held theirs in Ohio.

"One of my dreams since I hung up my skates has been to be a GM of an NHL team sometime. Now that dream has come true," Kekalainen said in Helsinki at the home arena of the Jokerit club, where he's been GM since 2010. "I'm really happy and pleased, even proud, that I've been give this chance."

The 46-year-old, who played sparingly in the NHL, worked closely with Columbus director of hockey operations John Davidson with the Blues. When the Blues hired Doug Armstrong as general manager in 2010 instead of Kekalainen, Kekalainen returned to Finland to take over as GM of Jokerit in Finland's top league.

"Jarmo and I have a relationship that goes back a number of years, most recently with the St. Louis Blues organization where he was an assistant general manager and in charge of the amateur draft," Davidson said. "I look at Jarmo as a person who has a world of experience. Thirty percent of the players in our league are European. He's very intelligent about the world of hockey, not only in Europe but also in North America."

Kekalainen's current team is in first place. So badly did Kekalainen want to return to the NHL as a GM, that he had an unwritten agreement with the club's owner that he could be let out of his contract if a GM job developed in the NHL. He is expected to arrive in Columbus as soon as travel and visa issues are resolved.

"I'm humbled but at the same time have faith in myself. I believe I've deserved this opportunity through my own hard work," he said. "Now I'm going to roll up my sleeves and go there and build a team out of the Columbus Blue Jackets that seriously aims to win the Stanley Cup."

He'll face a number of challenges. CONT...
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No hope for the Jackets this season, but I am optimistic about their future for the first time...well...ever.

JD knows what it takes to build a winning club and with the most important draft in the history of the franchise you just had to know he wasn't going to leave it in the hands of Howson. Jarmo, by all accounts, is a great talent evaluator and has had a hand in building winning clubs everywhere he's been.
 
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ysubuck;2305586; said:
No hope for the Jackets this season, but I am optimistic about their future for the first time...well...ever.

JD knows what it takes to build a winning club and with the most important draft in the history of the franchise you just had to know he wasn't going to leave it in the hands of Howson. Jarmo, by all accounts, is a great talent evaluator and has had a hand in building winning clubs everywhere he's been.
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I agree with you 100%. I have been waiting for this ownership group to get serious about winning by bringing in proven winners in the Hockey Ops department. JD has done it before and he did it most recently with Jarmo. These 3 1st Round picks will be vitally important for this franchise to get some top end scoring forwards. This is one year where we have to hit all 3 of these draft picks out of the park.
 
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3074326;2306034; said:
Loss to Phoenix goes on Mason. Let in two pretty bad goals.
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He's still lazy in net. He tries to get by with using his glove to catch everything instead of using positioning to let the puck hit him. And when it does hit him instead of his glove, he gives up huge rebounds.

Either he's afraid of the puck, or he has a mental block about his pads or something, I'm not sure. Or maybe he's a "AAAA" type player like guys like Andy Marte - a guy who sets the world on fire in the minors or in his rookie season, then does nothing else for his career.
 
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Same as it ever was.

The guy is NEVER going to help you win a game. He'll make saves, but won't steal one for you. He will lose a bunch for you. The rebounds he gives up are incredible. 10-15 feet straight out in front. It's almost like a centering pass sometimes.

Well on their way to the best chance at the number one pick in the draft. I don't think for a minute that the NHL and Gary Bettman will allow the Blue Jackets to get the number one pick, but they will definitely have the worst record in the NHL. Especially with some of the injuries right now.
Here's to LA and the Rangers sucking wind as well. Could, theoretically have the 1, 2 and 3!! The Kings have red hot Chicago today and the Rangers are playing the streaking Washington Capitals tonight.

Nathan McKinnon and Seth Jones in CBJ colors would look awfully nice.
 
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Last night's game is a perfect example as to why we cannot get into shootout games. We just can't score more than 3 goals in a game...it's almost impossible for us. You knew it was going to be a bad night when Boll scores the first goal of the game.

This team just seems to have a lot of bad luck mixed in with mediocre play. Have we every had a fully healthy team this year? And of course all our injuries are too out top guys. This team is obviously still a work in progress and will be for the next couple years. I have true faith in our leadership though. They've turned around the Blues, who at the time, were a less talented team compared to what Blue Jackets currently have. They are trying to change a culture that has been the exact same for 12 years. I expect to see some big moves by the end of the season.
 
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I take it they're planning on using the same playoff format with the realignment they voted down last season ? Each "Conference", or more like "Division" for that matter will play for it's own Champion & the four remaining teams will battle it out for the Stanley Cup.
 
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