from Aaron Portzline of the Columbus Dispatch,
In John Davidson’s rough outline of how to build a hockey franchise for long-term success, there are three broad directives:
First, make your franchise a place where veteran players want to come and want to stay. Second, surround the youngest players with veterans who can show them how to be pros. Third, draft the best young players and develop them properly.
Davidson, the Blue Jackets’ president of hockey operations, acknowledged that the 2015-16 season, which began with playoff aspirations and ended with the NHL’s fourth-worst record, called into question all three items.
But if Davidson or general manager manager Jarmo Kekalainen — or, for that matter, the beleaguered fan base — needs reassurance, they need only look West.
Or watch the Western Conference finals.
The St. Louis Blues, whom Davidson directed from 2006 to ’12 and Kekalainen built through the draft from 2002 to ’10, are on the doorstep of the Stanley Cup finals.
“I’m proud of what we did in St. Louis,” Davidson said.
Create an Account
In order to leave a comment, please create an account.