The Columbus Blue Jackets are in the NHL headlines today announcing the hiring of a new Head Coach Todd McLellan. Don Waddell has come on board and shook things up in a very short amount of time. From Waddell resigning his post with the Carolina Hurricanes, reportedly getting hired by the Blue Jackets, then being named as general manager, and even had time for an RFA signing (Yegor Chinakhov), and now the pièce de résistance the hiring of a new bench boss.
The Columbus Blue Jackets Name 10th Head Coach in Franchise History
The hiring of Todd McLellan as the head coach of the Columbus Blue Jackets is a very strong move. McLellan is known for getting the most out of great players. Even though McLellan has never won the Stanley Cup, he has definitely coached some great players. Joe Thornton, Connor McDavid, and recently the Los Angeles Kings who still have a player or two left from their championship pedigree (Anze Kopitar and Drew Doughty come to mind).
Furthermore, McLellan has a career .581 win percentage over 1100 NHL regular season contests coached. One more stat, as we mentioned he has been apart of some winners. His team won the division his first three years of coaching at the NHL level, with the San Jose Sharks. And say what you will about his consistency at having successful teams, seven times in his career his team had a .600 winning percentage or better. Cumulatively, that is a lot of success.
What Does It Mean for the Columbus Blue Jackets
Make no mistake, the Columbus Blue Jackets have some players with very high ceilings. For instance, Adam Fantilli, the number two overall selection if the 2023 or most recognizably the Connor Bedard year, will become a top line NHLer. The Blue Jackets are loaded with speedy and talented Russian forwards. Moreover, GM Don Waddell has come in and done a very thorough investigation of his team in a short amount of time. It will be interesting to see how the 2024-25 team plays out on the ice, but one thing is for sure they have accountability in the front office and potential high-end skill on the ice.
Main photo: Christopher Hanewinckel-USA TODAY Sports
