Columbus Blue Jackets GM Kekalainen Shocks The NHL
By Frank Walker
Today Columbus Blue Jackets general manager Jarmo Kekalainen shocked the NHL with a trade that gained the team forward Brandon Saad. (read details of the deal here) When news broke of this trade it seemed to shock everyone and the deal came about only in the last few days. If you would like to hear about the trade from Jarmo’s perspective the whole teleconference is available below.
What today did for me, and I think a lot of Columbus Blue Jackets fans, was restore my confidence in general manager Jarmo Kekalainen. I haven’t questioned any of his drafts. To this point the players that he has drafted seem to be developing well. Other than the trade made last off season that sent R.J. Umberger to the Philadelphia Flyers for Scott Hartnell the trades have not been anything to write home about.
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Then last week as the draft approached rumors started to circulate that the Columbus Blue Jackets might have an inside track on defenseman Dougie Hamilton. It seemed like a perfect fit. The Jackets would get a young defenseman to fill the most glaring hole on this team and have the opportunity to sign him to a long term deal. Then the Calgary Flames swooped in and took him (read about that here). Going into the free agent signing period for the first time I started to question Jarmo’s strategy of stockpiling talent and then utilizing it when the time was right. I was questioning if Kekalainen would be a caretaker general manager. He keeps things going ok and makes sure there are prospects in the cupboard but when it was time to make the big deal and possibly change the trajectory of this franchise could he do it?
Then came today. I was in a store with my wife looking at cameras when I saw the news flash across my phone. My wife asked what was wrong I was so silent. Jarmo Kekalainen had done it. Today he did exactly what he has been saying he would do and has aquired a young future star in the NHL. He has created a tandem player that will cause nightmares for Metro Division teams for years to come. He has even got a few websites starting to refer to the Columbus Blue Jackets as a dark horse Stanley Cup pick.
I’m sorry I doubted you sir.
In Jarmo we trust.
Next: Blue Jackets Grab Brandan Saad