Columbus Blue Jackets off to slow start

Columbus Blue Jackets’ Slow Start Draws Concern From GM Jarmo Kekalainen

The Columbus Blue Jackets are off to an 0-3 start to begin the 2015-16 NHL regular season. With the depth in this lineup, it was expected the team would be doing much better. Unfortunately the Blue Jackets have a history of starting slow under coach Todd Richards the past three seasons.

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via the Columbus Dispatch:

The Blue Jackets have been notorious slow starters under coach Todd Richards – they started 6-15-2 last season, 6-10-3 in 2013-14 and 5-12-4 in 2012-13 – but Kekalainen said the blame for the slow start lies with everybody in the organization, and especially the players

Columbus GM Jarmo Kekalainen made some pretty strong comments in an interview with the Columbus Dispatch, quoted saying:

“I’m surprised how, in just five days, we’ve gone from a very confident group to something that’s the opposite of that,” Kekalainen told The Dispatch on Tuesday. “Our confidence, our game … it’s off the rails right now.“There’s no excuse for how we played in Buffalo. No excuse. Every team in this league is a good team, but there’s no excuse to come out with an effort like that, to go off the rails, so far from the way we’re supposed to be playing.”“We’re watching this group; that’s the way it goes in this business,” Kekalainen said. “We have higher expectations this year. That goes with the territory. As a professional, you have to live up to them. That’s how this business works. It’s a results business.“The front office, the coaching staff, the players … we all have to handle the expectations and we have to deliver.”

Blue Jackets bench boss on the hot seat?

If the Blue Jackets are unable to find a way out of their funk, Columbus coach Todd Richards could find himself on the hot seat rather quickly. As per usual, the coach is usually the first one to go when things are not meeting expectations. Though, Richards only has control of the player personnel being put at his disposal. GM Jarmo Kekalainen would be wise to dip his fingers into his wealth of depth down in Lake Erie. Particularly calling up forwards Kerby Rychel and Oliver Bjorkstrand to help offer an offensive spark that has been missing early-on.

Sep 21, 2015; Columbus, OH, USA; Columbus Blue Jackets left wing Kerby Rychel (21) against the Pittsburgh Penguins at Nationwide Arena. The Penguins won 1-0 in a shootout. Mandatory Credit: Aaron Doster-USA TODAY Sports

Rychel is the son of former NHLer Warren Rychel and plays a similar gritty-style game with a bit more offensive flare. Bjorkstrand was covered in an earlier article, he produced at a two points-per-game pace in the WHL tallying 118 points in 59 games in 2014-15 with the Portland Winterhawks. At some point, you need to experiment putting Oliver Bjorkstrand alongside Ryan Johansen and Brandon Saad. A productive first line would bring the Blue Jackets one step closer to being Stanley Cup contenders.

The Columbus Blue Jackets play their next game at home on Wednesday night against the Ottawa Senators. If we see another lackluster performance from this team, what are the odds we see some personnel movement? The Jackets have a ton of depth down in Lake Erie, is there someone you’d rather see before Rychel or Bjorkstrand? Maybe Sonny Milano? At what point does coach Todd Richards land on the hot seat? Lots of exciting story-lines to follow with the Columbus Blue Jackets early in the season.

Next: Jake Virtanen to make NHL Debut

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