The Columbus Blue Jackets are not a good hockey team. They are not exactly a hockey city, though Ohio State's program has come a long way. But southeastern Ohio is the home of backyard brawling football players and the eastern bound of the corn-fed baseball sluggers. So it should come as no surprise that the Blue Jackets have consistently struggled with attendance, never finishing above the bottom third of the league in terms of capacity percentage other than during the two seasons directly impacted by COVID (from 2021-23, many Canadian and Californian teams had strict attendance and social distancing rules, affecting their attendance numbers).
Yet, during Jarko's ten year reign, which coincided with Columbus' realignment in the Metropolitan Division, the hapless Blue Jackets made the playoffs five times, scratching out their only playoff series win (a stunner over the record setting Tampa Bay Lightning). Before Jarko, the team had just one playoff appearance in its first thirteen seasons, in 2008-09, when the Jackets got swept in round one by eventual Cup loser Detroit.
Jarko was a famous big game hunter in Columbus, landing Artemi Panarin in a coup from Chicago, and shocking the hockey world by landing the biggest catch on the market in Johnny Gaudreau, signing the latter to a max-length seven year deal, for less term and money than the team he had left, Calgary, had offered. He was never afraid to roll the dice, famously losing Panarin to the allure of New York City and the money the Rangers could offer (and let's be real- the Rangers are competitive and the Jackets are not). And he made waves by trading for diva Patrik Laine, an immensely talented winger who has struggled mightily in Columbus, in the process acquiring Columbus-native Jack Roslovic, who has similarly disappointed.
Taking over the team shortly after longtime face of the franchise Rick Nash was traded to the Rangers, Jarmo set to work building a hockey culture in Columbus. Never a top free agent destination, Jarmo crafted a team of players who wanted to play for the Jackets.
However, in the end, that was simply not enough. Jarmo's gaffes, including hiring Mike Babcock, whose unceremonious resignation shortly before the season began foretold of the chaos to follow, were insurmountable. Despite landing the big names, the success did not follow; Gaudreau has been famously unproductive, and Laine had been as well, prior to entering the NHLPA's Player Assistance Program.
One has to wonder how the bungling of the team's defensive personnel affected Jarmo's firing. The team entered the season with eight rostered NHL defensemen, including rookie David Jiricek, who recently complained of not being in the NHL, competing on the highest level, like many of those drafted below him. For this to be made public, and to blow up to the extent that it did, could not have boded well for Jarmo. No news is good news, and when you are a bottom feeder, bad news is worse.
The oddest part of the firing is the timing; Columbus, sitting in last in the Eastern Conference, three points behind 15th place Ottawa, which has three games in hand, can only consider this a lost season (yet again). Laine, as mentioned earlier, is in the Player's Assistance Program, after struggling with an arm injury which derailed his season. Pascal Vincent, who was promoted to Head Coach in the wake of Babcock's resignation, is a first year head coach. Firing Jarmo mid-season just doesn't make sense.
How does firing him in February make the team better? Did he have an awful plan heading into the trade deadline? We have no doubt that Jarmo will easily land wherever he wants. I just hope it's out west.
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