Columbus Blue Jackets' next challenge: avoid distraction from Kekalainen firing

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Columbus Blue Jackets' next challenge: avoid distraction from Kekalainen firing

Nov 14, 2023; Columbus, Ohio, USA; Columbus Blue Jackets goaltender Elvis Merzlikins (90) races to get back in net after losing his stick as Pittsburgh Penguins defenseman Erik Karlsson (65) prepares to shoot during the third period of the NHL hockey game at Nationwide Arena. The Blue Jackets lost 5-3.

Brian Hedger, Columbus Dispatch · The Columbus Dispatch

Sat, Feb 17, 2024 ·

4 min read

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SAN JOSE, Calif. ― No team in the NHL has dealt with more adversity the past two years than the Blue Jackets .

Last season, it was a mind-numbing spate of injuries that turned a slow start into a freefall to the bottom of the NHL standings. That prompted the removal of former coach Brad Larsen a day after the season, cleared a path for Mike Babcock's short-lived return to the NHL as the Jackets' next head coach and rolled into his stunning departure 78 days later .

Babcock's alleged violation of privacy with some players during 1-on-1 summer meetings led to the resignation less than a week before training camp, which led to Pascal Vincent's sudden promotion to head coach for a team that's on their third one in less than a year.

Nov 14, 2023; Columbus, Ohio, USA; Columbus Blue Jackets right wing Patrik Laine (29) skates during the second period of the NHL hockey game against the Pittsburgh Penguins at Nationwide Arena.

Patrik Laine then dealt with two injuries ( concussion , fractured clavicle ) before entering the NHL/NHL Players' Association Player Assistance Program in late January. Johnny Gaudreau slumped to start the season, the Blue Jackets' hopes were sunk with a nine-game winless nosedive and that's without mentioning injuries that took out captain Boone Jenner plus alternate captains Zach Werenski and Sean Kuraly for long stretches.

There was also a big issue protecting leads in third period that hasn't been fully resolved, and that allowed too many victories to slip away. Those losses are the biggest reason the Jackets' record was just 16-26-10 going into a game against the San Jose Sharks on Saturday night at SAP Center ― two days after those struggles were cited in the firing of longtime general manager Jarmo Kekalainen .

Sep 18, 2023; Columbus, Ohio, USA; General manager Jarmo Kekalainen talks about Mike Babcock's resignation and the hiring of new head coach Pascal Vincent during the Columbus Blue Jackets media day prior to the start of training camp at Nationwide Arena. — Jarmo Kekalainen was fired last week after more than 10 years as general manager of the Blue Jackets.

Now they've got that adversity to manage heading into a three-game trip against the Sharks, Los Angeles Kings and Anaheim Ducks . That's a tall order for any team to fill, let alone one that's powered by youth and has still, somehow, made strides.

"We're building something," forward Alexandre Texier said. "I think people can see it, off the ice, and now it's translating on the ice too. We've just got to do it, finish strong, work on the small details and get better as a team. But I think we're on the right track now."

The newest hurdle is getting over the shock of Kekalainen's dismissal amid his 11thseason as the Blue Jackets' GM. He'd become a franchise pillar in the front office, and most of the Jackets had good reason for feeling a pit in their stomach about the news.

Kekalainen drafted, acquired in trade, signed or re-signed every player on the team.

"He changed my life in a lot of ways," Werenski said. "This whole organization did. It's tough for a lot of us. I think the guys who've been here longer it's probably toughest on us, but when you're not performing up to your expectations as a team, it's on us. This is what happens. I think we can see this and maybe rally around it, so it doesn't happen again. You never want to see someone lose their job because of our play."

Feb. 10, 2024; Columbus, Ohio, USA; Columbus Blue Jackets defenseman Zach Werenski (8) takes the puck up the ice while defended by Tampa Bay Lightning center Alex Barre-Boulet (12) during the second period of a hockey game at Nationwide Arena on Saturday.

How they play against the Sharks will say a lot about the Jackets' frame of mind, which has stayed positive for most of a trying season. They're also playing a more effective style under Vincent's coaching, despite losses in four of the past five games and a 3-7-2 record since Jan. 6.

It's imperative now to turn those results around without letting Kekalainen's departure become a distraction.

"We're going to be challenged in that area," Vincent said. "Talking about it is No. 1, but we're going to try. All year, we've been trying to control what we can control, and we can't control this. We can only do what we can do to prepare for (the next game) and go from there."

Dec 8, 2023; Columbus, Ohio, USA; Columbus Blue Jackets head coach Pascal Vincent watches from the bench behind Russians, from left, right wing Yegor Chinakhov (59), right wing Kirill Marchenko (86), left wing Dmitri Voronkov (10) and defenseman Ivan Provorov (9) during the second period of the NHL game against the St. Louis Blues at Nationwide Arena.

Provorov , Chinakhov and Gudbranson expected to play against San Jose Sharks

In the good news department, the Blue Jackets should have defensemen Ivan Provorov and Erik Gudbranson in the lineup Saturday night in San Jose along with forward Yegor Chinakhov .

Provorov needed x-rays to assess a lower-body issue that happened while blocking a shot Tuesday in Ottawa , while Gudbranson left practice Friday in San Jose after "tweaking" something that's believed to be minor. Chinakhov, who missed the Ottawa trip with an upper-body injury, practiced without restrictions Friday.

Chinakhov will reunite with rookie center Dmitri Voronkov and Kirill Marchenko on the second line to start out against the Sharks, bringing back the all-Russian forwards look. Provorov and Gudbranson should man their usual spots on the second and third defense pairings.

bhedger@dispatch.com

@BrianHedger

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This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Blue Jackets 'building something' despite Kekalainen dismissal

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