Three Candidates for the Columbus Blue Jackets head coach vacancy

Just three weeks into the job, Don Waddell made his first move as general manager of the Blue Jackets: Firing Pascal Vincent.

This is not a surprise to anyone who follows the team. The on-ice results just have not been there and it was time for a new voice in the locker room. In all fairness to Vincent, he was put into a difficult position from the get-go and really was put in a no-win situation from the start.

Waddell has stated that he wants a coach with head coaching experience in the NHL. He stated that he has a list of a dozen candidates or more. Who may be on that list?

Some of the rumored names on the list have been Bob Hartley, Claude Julien, Dean Evason, Gerard Gallant, Jay Woodcraft, Jeff Blashill, Todd McLellan, and Todd Nelson. Waddell’s list probably includes many more names. Waddell has said that he will do his due-diligence and then narrow the list down to 3 or 4 candidates for interviews.

So, who makes the final cut? We take a shot at that shortlist.

2. Gerard Gallant

Gallant got his first head coaching position with the Blue Jackets during the 2003 season. Since then, he has been the head coach for three other NHL organizations.

Outside of his time in Columbus, he saw great success from behind the bench. The former CBJ head coach made the playoffs in 8 of the 9 seasons with those other organizations.

His best coaching job was the inaugural season of the Vegas Golden Knights, where he took an expansion team to the Stanley Cup Final. One pause to hiring Gallant is that he was let go from all those positions, three of which were during/after winning seasons.

That raises more questions than answers.

But, the numbers don’t lie, Gallant is a good coach. He won 52% of his games, which included terrible seasons with the Blue Jackets. If the organization is putting winning now first, then Gallant may be the ideal candidate.

3. Dean Evason

Evason has only been a head coach for one NHL club (the Minnesota Wild). In his three seasons in Minnesota, he made the playoffs all three times and helped the team exceed expectations.

He changed the culture in Minnesota and got the best out of his players. That is something that is needed in Columbus. If the organization is putting culture first, Evason may be the top candidate.

Each candidate has his pros and cons. While I think any of the three mentioned above could be a good coach for the team, I really don’t have a preference of one guy over the other. I don’t see a candidate who is a slam-dunk, perfect fit for the club.

Regardless of who the next coach will be, the team will have a new voice and will have a new culture. That has been needed for years. Hopefully the new coach can breathe fresh life into the veteran players and help develop the young guys who are coming.