The Columbus Blue Jackets Public Relations team announced this afternoon that Assistant coaches Mike Haviland and Scott Ford, and video coach Aron Augustitus will not return to the club next season. All part of the Evasson and Larsen regime.
Mathieu Oliver and Denton Mateychuk are also representing the USA and Canada for the summer’s World Hockey Championships. Jet Greaves is also joining Canada.
It’s a start but not the start to the true culture issue that lies in Columbus.
Goaltending has been the number one culture problem in the organization with not having one pass the first round of postseason besides Sergei Bobrovsky in 2019. Since the miracle sweep of the Tampa Bay Lightning, the Jackets have not advanced beyond a Stanley Cup playoff round. I’m being technical because some count it and some don’t. I lean more 19 than 20. The second round for the cup was the same as the first in the bubble.
Here are potential targets that were available at the deadline that could be considered come June:
Via Trade
Jarry
Wallstedt
Binnington
Montembault
Stolarz
Levi
Saros
Grubauer
Via Free Agency
Talbot
Skinner
Pickard
Ingram
Prosteov
Ersson
Vanecek
It is a very thin market, but $5.5M of Merzlikins needs more competition from winners. Vanecek won the cup in Florida. Skinner has been to two cup finals. Stolarz won the cup in Florida. Binnington won the cup in St. Louis.