The Blue Jackets announced some front office changes this morning, most notably within the scouting department. Long-time director of amateur scouting Ville Siren has been moved into a different role, and replaced with Trevor Timmins.
Originally brought on by the Blue Jackets way back in 2013, Siren outlasted the GM that hired him into Columbus by two and a half years. Under his guidance, the team made 85 selections at the NHL Draft, with at least 18 of them becoming full-time players in the league.
The jury is still out on several players, but the prospect pool has some notable pieces within, that could still turn into NHL players. While there were some obvious misses at the draft, I'm of the belief that Siren and Kekalainen had this team's scouting department pretty well dialed in.
However, with that said, it's not surprising to see Waddell make this move. I'm honestly surprised it took him this long to do it, as GMs typically want to assemble their own hockey operations staff-including the scouting department.
Siren will remain with the organization as the director of European scouting, at least for the time being. It will be interesting to see if he can find a lead role elsewhere in the league again soon, because he has made quite the name for himself in the business. Maybe Jarmo will come calling again.
Trevor Timmins has a long history of experience.
Replacing Siren is Trevor Timmins, who has been with the Blue Jackets organization since 2022. He's served as Assistant Director of Scouting for the last four years, and gets his second chance as Director of Amateur Scouting.
He most recently held that role with the Montreal Canadiens, from 2013-17. After that point, he acted as assistant GM for the Habs for five seasons. You can check out his drafting history here, if you're interested.
Timmins has worked in the NHL for more than 30 years, spending time with the Blue Jackets, Canadiens, and Ottawa Senators in a variety of roles. This is exactly the kind of guy I would expect Waddell to seek out and lead one of his most vital hockey operations departments.
One thing that is certain: this team needs to find NHL players at the draft every single season. Typically, they have players leaving town quicker than they can replenish their spot on the roster. Having a quality prospect pool is vital for this franchise's success.
Changes in the training department, also.
The Jackets also noted some changes behind the scenes, with long-time head trainer Mike Vogt opting to step into a secondary role. He will be replaced by Tom Bourdon, who has held that title with the Cleveland Monsters for the last 10 years-and the Springfield Falcons for 5 years before.
Meanwhile, Chris Strickland has been named as the team's assistant athletic trainer and physical therapist. He has been with the organization for 18 years.
It's now safe to say that the Blue Jackets have completely overhauled their physical training staff under Waddell's guidance. Hopefully, they can find better health and success in the years to come.
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