Evan’s NHL Daily: Newcomers Speak, Babcock Fallout

The NHL season is nearly upon us, but the Columbus Blue Jackets are already in shambles. After Mike Babcock resigned, you’d think upper management would be next to get the axe.

Apparently not.

In Colorado, the Avalanche held their annual golf tournament, and a few of the newcomers spoke to the reporters that showed up.

All that and more in this Tuesday edition of Evan’s Daily.

Colorado Hockey Now

Both Ross Colton and Tomas Tatar spoke to the media on Monday about coming to the Avalanche, and how they’re looking to help the team any way they can.

In Vegas, the Avalanche prospects completed a perfect tournament, and Oskar Olausson had his best showing of the weekend.

Columbus Fallout

It’s hard to overcome changing your head coach right before the NHL season is set to start. Just ask the 2016/17 Avalanche. Columbus will have to do that after Mike Babcock resigned on Sunday. In reality, upper management should probably have paid the price, seeing as how they knew exactly who Babcock was when they hired him, but instead, they got a stern warning.

Statement from #CBJ ownership group, including majority owner John H. McConnell: pic.twitter.com/BCFOgaKXNg

— Aaron Portzline (@Aportzline) September 18, 2023

Jarmo Kekäläinen has been the GM in Columbus since 2013. In that time, the team has been average at best, and he’s now on his 4th Head Coach. Most GM’s are lucky to survive through all those changes, and given the disaster of this Babcock situation, he should be gone. I really don’t know what Columbus is waiting on, and why they’re so loyal to their GM. The embarrassment of this situation should have been enough to can everyone.

National Hockey Now

Sidney Crosby wants the Pittsburgh Penguins to be more consistent next season.

Will the Boston Bruins name Brad Marchand their next Captain? Just imagine an NHL Captain whose licked another player…

Lane Lambert finally broke his silence after a quiet offseason.

Matvei Michkov was extremely frustrated back in Russia before his move to Sochi.

One question for each member of the New Jersey Devils next season.