Five Bold Offseason Predictions for the Columbus Blue Jackets

At some point this week, we’ll see the end of the Western Conference Finals, and the league will shift to the Stanley Cup Final series. Once the Cup has been won, the offseason kicks off in rapid succession, with the NHL Draft now under one month away – followed almost immediately by free agency. Today, we’ll offer up five bold offseason predictions for the Columbus Blue Jackets.

This is a huge offseason for GM Jarmo Kekalainen and the Jackets. They’re looking to turn the corner from lottery team, to playoff contention – and in a hurry. He has to nail this offseason from a variety of angles, or else he could find himself in the unemployment line in the not so distant future.

There is reason to be optimistic here, in my opinion. Jarmo has done a terrific job over the last two summers, reloading the prospect pool and making it one of the best in the NHL; as well as signing Johnny Gaudreau via free agency last summer. Credit where it’s due, and I do believe this team is not as far from contention as the naked eye might believe. Here are our predictions for how he might steer the ship.

The Head Coaching Hire is Bold

Alright, this one might not be all that bold a prediction. But, it seems like the first domino that will fall this summer – maybe even as soon as this week – is a new head coaching hire. We have talked in the past about how important it is for Jarmo to get this hire right, and that still holds true. In fact, his own job’s future likely depends on this hire working out. It’s that important.

For these reasons, this hire is going to reflect on Jarmo’s personality in a lot of ways. It’s going to be bold, and in my opinion, will change the look of the entire franchise overnight. It seems like Peter Laviolette is leaning towards taking the job with the New York Rangers, which takes one of the leading candidates off the board.

The confirmed names that the Jackets have spoken to, off the top of my head: Pascal Vincent, Andrew Brunette, Kirk Muller, Mike Babcock, Sergei Fedorov, and Patrick Roy. If you want something bold, really bold, and reflective of Jarmo’s typical decision making process; I would not be surprised to see any of these names called. In fact, the only ones I would potentially cross off my list with that history in mind, are Vincent and Babcock. If you like drama, Patrick Roy might very well be the guy here.

The boldest move the Jackets could make isn’t on this list however. Joel Quenneville is supposedly meeting with Gary Bettman soon, in regards to reinstatement to the league. Could an under the radar job in Columbus help him re-establish his name in the NHL? It certainly wouldn’t be popular, at least not right away – but, let’s not forget that this sport is about wins and losses first. And, let’s be honest: winning cures a lot of things.

Whoever is hired for this job, will be expected to turn this team around quickly, and have them in a playoff push within two seasons. It’s not impossible, there’s a lot of good talent here and more on the way. The only question I have here: is the quick turn-around important enough for Jarmo to sell his soul to save his job?