The Blue Jackets might be the worst-run team in the NHL right now
They are bad despite trying to be good.
Hello and happy Thursday. Here is what is ahead today.
An argument for the Columbus Blue Jackets being the worst-run team in the NHL.
The Blue Jackets tried to be good and they are lousy
I have made this point before, but in my view there are basically three different types of bad teams in the NHL.
You have the unlucky bad teams. The teams that might get sunk because of a bad goaltending situation that sabotages the rest of the roster, or a series of significant injuries that change what the overall roster looks like. This situation stinks, but it can happen to any team at any time. Goalies are tough to project, injuries are unpredictable. You basically chalk this up to “shit happens.”
Then you have the tankers. The teams that are actively trading away veteran pieces on their roster as part of a rebuild that will hopefully produce better results in the future. Chicago was this sort of team a year ago. San Jose is in this phase right now. If you get lucky and land a top pick in the right year it might get you a franchise-changing talent that can be the centerpiece of your team for the next 15 years. It produces some short-term painful results for hopeful long-term success.
Then you have the worst type of bad team.
The team that is bad because it has no idea what it is doing and just horribly mismanages its roster.
With that in mind, say hello to the 2023-24 Columbus Blue Jackets, who might have an argument for being the worst-run team in the entire NHL right now.
This whole situation stinks.
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