As teams start to drop out of the NHL playoffs, everyone is quickly noting their favorite candidate's availability for the vacant GM job in Columbus. This leads me right into my first bold prediction.
Bold prediction #1: the new GM comes from way off the radar.
I'm sure you've heard the names, if you follow the Blue Jackets with any regularity. Eric Tulsky. Mark Hunter. Mathieu Darche. Jeff Gorton. There are a few others, also, but you get the point.
I'll step out on a limb and say that the Blue Jackets aren't hiring any of these guys. I think they're going to hire someone who isn't being talked about very much, or at all.
All along, team President John Davidson has talked about finding the right fit to build a culture. They've cast a wide net in this search, and are looking at every possible scenario.
Does this sound familiar at all?
It should, because this is exactly what happened last summer as they searched for a new head coach. And, in the end, they hired someone that nobody was talking about. Let's just hope that it works out better this time around.
It has to work, because if not, oh man... we're in trouble.
Look for this hire to be someone who comes in and says all the right things about building that winning culture. Since I think this one will be off the radar, I'll refrain from mentioning any names.