Since the end of the regular season, news on the ongoing Blue Jackets’ general-manager search has been few and far between. With John Davidson saying the search would not be done in the public forum, information would be very hard to come by.
But on Tuesday, a report from Dennis Bernstein seemed to ignite Blue Jackets’ fans on social media. He reported that former Montreal Canadiens GM Marc Bergevin was being considered for the Blue Jackets’ opening. That was the first name reported as being linked to the job. Bergevin was hired in 2022 as a special assistant under Rob Blake with the Los Angeles Kings.
Then on Wednesday’s episode of 32 Thoughts, Elliotte Friedman indicated that he believes Bergevin talked with the Blue Jackets. However he doesn’t get the sense the team is close to making a decision citing the need to talk to potential candidates once their playoff season is over.
We reported the same thing on Tuesday night before 32 Thoughts came out. We just don’t get the sense the Blue Jackets are close to making a decision yet. It does not appear they’ve talked with everyone they want to talk to.
Slow Search Is Correct Approach
Seeing that there hasn’t been much reported on this search has frustrated a select few within the fan base. They interpret the slow search as not having urgency.
That couldn’t be further from the truth. A slow search is necessary given the magnitude of this hire for the Blue Jackets. Let’s dive into why that is.
First, the Blue Jackets absolutely must get this hire right. This hire will set the course for how the next several years and beyond look especially with a lot of young talent in the organization.
The Blue Jackets have made enough missteps of late with several of their decisions. Not getting this hire right could set them back decades.
Whether it’s signing good contracts or finding the right mix of players for the team, the new manager is going to have a lot on their plate to deal with. They’ll have to evaluate everything on the Blue Jackets top to bottom when they first start out.
The second reason why a slow search is necessary is because they must do their due diligence on every possible candidate. Since the team must wait until a particular team’s season is done, talking with them now is not an option.
Unless it’s absolutely the most-perfect candidate, there is no need to hire someone just for the sake of making a hire. Whether they choose to hire someone on May 20 or June 1 or even June 15, that amount of time isn’t going to make a difference. They have to make the most-informed decision. The only way they can do that is if they wait it out and talk with everyone on their list.
The Blue Jackets will be ready for the draft. Their scouting team has been at work all season making sure they are ready for Las Vegas. Although it would be preferred to have a manager in by the draft, it’s not 100% essential either. The focus here is to get it right at all costs, even if it takes longer than what you would expect.
Resetting the Situation
Bernstein reported that Bergevin is being considered for the job. Friedman also mentioned “he wouldn’t be surprised” if the Blue Jackets spoke to someone like Jason Botterill. Davidson said experience matters. So it shouldn’t come as a surprise to see names like Bergevin and Botterill linked here.
Davidson recently told the Hockey Writers that they’ve spoken to some candidates already, so there are names that we don’t know about yet. However, it makes sense to believe the Blue Jackets are waiting to speak to others. Ken Holland in Edmonton and Mark Hunter in London are examples of managers in various leagues that are still in the playoffs.
Regarding a timeline for an announcement, Davidson said recently they don’t have a firm one in place. That supports the idea of needing to talk to more candidates. Ideally they would want someone in place before the NHL Draft. Don’t be surprised if this decision eventually goes into June.
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The search for the next Blue Jackets’ GM is not a race. It needs to be thorough and needs to have every stone turned over. Davidson and staff have shown so far that they are willing to take their time in the name of getting this right. There’s simply too much on the line to hurry this in any way.
