2. His passion for the game...
Throughout today's press conference, both Don Waddell and Dean Evason brought up the word "passion" several times. If you look at Waddell's past successes in Carolina, this trait makes a ton of sense.
In short, the Canes were in a similar situation to that of the Blue Jackets when Waddell took over as their GM. They had a collection of young players, along with some experienced vets; who just hadn't put it all together quite yet.
One of his most important moves in Carolina was hiring Rod Brind'Amour as his head coach. Their entire culture shifted, and the team has not missed the playoffs in the six season since.
Now, I'm not saying that the Blue Jackets are going to snap their fingers and become a playoff team next season. But, clearly, Brind'Amour's passion for the game carried over into that Hurricanes locker room, and it helped a young team gel more quickly.
That has to be the hope with Evason, who has lived an entire life in the world of hockey. You could see the love of the game in his eyes, and he spoke with great ambition when talking about the potential of hoisting the Stanley Cup.
Relaying that passion over to the team should definitely help them come together and play for one another. Which leads me to my final takeaway from this press conference...