The Columbus Blue Jackets needed a new direction and a fresh perspective. Given the way things have gone since the departure of John Tortorella, stability was something not linked to the team in any way.
But as we sit here at the end of July 2024, doesn’t it feel a little different around the Blue Jackets? With so many changes that have taken place, it’s natural to feel a difference.
In this case, the difference is a welcomed sight. There’s new leadership in charge. That has seemed to reinvigorate the team at multiple levels.
Waddell Already Making a Difference
The Blue Jackets took their time in going through the process of finding a new general manager. That patient approach appears to be paying off in the early going.
The team waited for Don Waddell to become available since he was on an expiring contract. They added the title of President of Hockey Operations to his role. Suddenly, the Blue Jackets had a general manager who was experienced and enjoyed recent success.
Then it was time for Waddell to get settled in and go to work himself. He has had to make several important decisions to set the direction of the Blue Jackets. While his work is not nearly done, what he has accomplished so far has helped make it a different feeling around the team.
Waddell decided to move on from Pascal Vincent after taking time to get to know him. After a lengthy process, Dean Evason was hired. Moves like this will resonate with the players given what Evason brings to the table.
Once the coaching situation was figured out, Waddell turned his attention to player contracts. In recent days, he has signed all the players who elected arbitration before getting to the hearing. He also secured perhaps one of the best value contracts to a high-upside player in recent memory.
Waddell was able to get three-year contracts done with both Kirill Marchenko and Kent Johnson. Marchenko’s AAV of $3.85 million shows good value. Johnson’s AAV of $1.8 million could eventually show insanely good value. Waddell’s experience is already paying off in these early moves.
Let’s Not Get Carried Away Yet
The Blue Jackets still have a lot of work ahead of them. Waddell has one more contract in Cole Sillinger to hammer out. He also must find an amicable solution to the Patrik Laine situation.
Both of those situations will fall into place accordingly. But then it will be time to ramp it up for the 2024-25 regular season. This is the part in which it’s not wise to get carried away. Waddell and the Blue Jackets still have a lot of elements they must evaluate.
At the top of the evaluation list are the players who were already under contract. Will they be part of the longer-term plan of the Blue Jackets? It will be up to Waddell to determine if they fit and where they fit.
So while it feels different around the Blue Jackets, the upcoming season still has many unanswered questions and no guarantee of on-ice success. After all, the team finished in last place in the division and will be running many of the same players back at least to start.
Will Elvis Merzlikins continue on his redemption tour? Can Daniil Tarasov take the next step? The net is nowhere near settled and sets up to be a wide-open competition between those two.
Where will the defensive improvement come from? Will Evason’s structure lead to better results? Consecutive seasons of allowing at least 300 goals and most of the same personnel back will be a major story to watch.
Confidence in Waddell
Waddell’s moves so far have been met with mostly positive reviews. That has helped make it a different feeling around the Blue Jackets as this offseason continues on.
Where this will become important is the confidence level in what Waddell will eventually do. While there’s no guarantee the Blue Jackets will make the playoffs this season, they now are under the watchful eye of an experienced manager who has been to the playoffs and knows what it takes to get there.
Remember this. Waddell comes to the Blue Jackets with a fresh set of eyes. He did not sign most of these players. There is no allegiance to even the highest paid players. If he feels a change is needed, he will not hesitate to do so for the sake of the team.
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Here’s the bottom-line question. Why does it feel different already under Waddell? He’s made key moves without hesitation. He’s signed some of his best young players to good contracts. And most importantly, it feels like for the first time in several years, there is a plan in place.
Moves in recent years were not well received. It left more questions than answers in most cases. But now under Waddell? There’s decisiveness. There’s swift action. There’s purpose.
That different feeling might not translate to on-ice success right away. But that feeling will pay off in the long run. Waddell was hired to bring a fresh perspective to a struggling team.
At least so far, Waddell’s presence has made a difference on all levels of the Blue Jackets.
