Three Traits the Next General Manager of the Columbus Blue Jackets Must Have

3. Patience...

We've heard the Blue Jackets talk all season about how close they are to contention. You know what: that may be true.

If they are close, the reason they are is because they have a lot of talent on this roster. It's just mostly young, with loads of potential and promise.

The incoming GM is certainly going to want to make his (or her) mark on this roster, right out of the gate. I think that's a great idea, as long as they are pulling the right strings.

What I don't want to see, is someone throwing band-aid fixes for the short term, at the expense of this team's massive future upside.

It's important for this GM to understand that their job is not on the line right out of the gate. Nationwide Arena fills up regularly, even when this team is bad. Yes, we want to see a winner. Preferably soon. But we want to see this team win for the long-haul. Not just for three or four years.

So, they would be wise to trim the fat. Work around the edges of the roster; trade away the irrelevant pieces (such as JD did with Emil Bemstrom last week). But, keep those core pieces together.

Build around Fantilli, Johnson, Marchenko, Voronkov, Chinakhov, Jiricek, etc. Those guys are the reason everyone looks at this roster and talks about how close they are. The new GM will have to be patient, and give these young guys the proper support.

I will be fascinated to see who they decide on for this role. By all accounts, it's a highly sought after position. The city of Columbus and the 5th Line deserve a proper NHL team.

Jarmo Kekalainen left this person with a great start. I would love to have someone run with it and see where it takes us.