Columbus Blue Jackets ruin coaching careers

 Sure, they've had some good years and bad years. The only ones who didn't suffer were John Tortorella and Ken Hitchcock, worst-case they went less than two seasons without a coaching job. But some coaches who started there had to really work their way back up again. 

Mike Babcock was hired by the team and got fired before even coaching one game. I think that one is funny personally, but goes to show someone once deemed the best coaches ever who is also in the triple gold club can't always succeed afterward. 

Scott Arniel, in his first year back as head coach since the 2011-12 season after being fired by Columbus has coached the Winnipeg Jets to their first ever President's Trophy win in franchise history which some don't understand how huge that is. And spoiler alert, he is my pick to win the Norris Trophy this season. Got hired by Columbus after losing in the Calder Cup finals. Had stints as an NHL assistant coach and being an AHL head coach with the Chicago Wolves.

Gerard Gallant was a long-time assistant coach with the Blue Jackets just before Rick Nash, their franchise star for many years to come, could be in the same sentence as Columbus Blue Jackets. He ended up being an assistant coach with the Islanders after that, and following that he decided he needed to really prove himself where he became head coach of the Saint John Sea Dogs of the QMJHL. He took them to final appearances every single season, Memorial Cup in his second year and a QMJHL championship a second year only for the host team the Shawinigan Cataractes to win the Memorial Cup -- in a future post I plan to talk about the Memorial Cup. Joins a bad Montreal team where they managed to make significant progress in the playoffs, and once he joined the Florida Panthers took them straight from the basement and in his second year had them first in the Atlantic, and the next year is fired after a loss to Carolina leaving Florida with an 11-10-1 record. Joins an expansion team with Vegas, bring them to not just first in their division, but to their first ever cup final appearance. Two seasons later is fired mind-season, and following that becomes head coach for the New York Rangers where he did great things for them and gave them 99 wins in two seasons. 

Pascal Vincent didn't last that long, and has done a great job his first year with the Laval Rocket thus far. 

Now we'll talk about the coaches they don't talk too much about. Dave King had proven to be a decent coach with Calgary with experience going on for years. Only to be replaced by Doug MacLean, who coached the Panthers to their first ever cup-final appearance. Now, Doug MacLean was replaced by Gerard Gallant who was replaced by Frank Agnew, who was once a talented junior/AHL coach only to win a Stanley Cup as an assistant in Pittsburgh in 2015-16. Now, Agnew's tenure didn't last long as Ken Hitchcock took over coaching them to their first ever playoff appearance only to be swept in four games. Hitchock was later replaced by Claude Noel, who was replaced by Scott Arniel; and funny enough Noel took Arniel's old job with the Manitoba Moose, but it wasn't all that bad considering Noel became the Jet's head coach in their revival which Arniel also became later on. But after Arniel was fired, Todd Richard took over which happened to be the first coach to bring Columbus to their first-ever post-season victory. Richards was eventually replaced by Tortorella, who had the best coaching record for the club. Richards eventually had a successful assistant coach career with Tampa Bay and Nashville where he eventually won a Stanley Cup. Tortorella on the other hand was replaced by Brad Larsen, who was their longest-serving assistant coach who was replaced by Mike Bab-cough cough, I'm sorry Pascal Vincent. But once Pascal Vincent was let go, they were the last team to hire a coach with ultimately became former Wild head coach Dean Evason.

Now, this season Columbus did well. I personally believe Dean Evason to be a great head coach, but if Columbus does let him go, he should be given another and fair chance. But today, Columbus is fighting for a playoff spot between Montreal for the final spot which is a huge improvement if you ask me from the basement. 

As for fixing the Blue Jackets, I personally believe them to be on the right track and will surprise people just like Carolina did in 2018-19 as early as next season. Fantilli is looking to be a promising young player and I believe he's going to be the face of the Blue Jackets. Kent Johnson I think is really going to break-out next season. Marchenko came and surprised us all showing he can be a star in the NHL. But the key guy here was Zach Werenski, playing a big role offensively, defensively, for the team on and off the ice. Also, the signing of Sean Monahan was quite effective for the team, bringing a strong veteran leadership to the Blue Jackets. But if you ask me, if Columbus goes out there and finds a star goaltender, I think they're truly a threat in the NHL. 

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