Blue Jackets Sunday Gathering: Is Rick Nash being groomed to be the next GM?

COLUMBUS, Ohio A collection of notes, insights, ruminations and did-you-knows gathered throughout the week that was for the Columbus Blue Jackets : Item No.

1: Nashs new title Ever since Don Waddell was hired as president and general manager in late May, Rick Nashs status within the Blue Jackets front office has only elevated.

The news this week that Nash now has a different title director of hockey operations makes it clear where all of this is going, too.

Advertisement Its hard to say how long Waddell, who turned 66 last month, will want to continue in the GMs chair, but its obvious who will get the chair next.

Rick is going to be involved in every decision we make for this hockey team, Waddell said.

It started with the coaching search (for Dean Evason); he was a big part of that.

Hes a true professional.

Hes a quiet guy, but when you ask him a question, he gives you his honest thoughts and he gives you a very thoughtful answer.

I knew him as a player, but I didnt know him as a person.

But throughout my time here, Ive gotten to know him as a person, and I wouldnt be a very smart guy running this team if I didnt surround myself with people like Rick Nash.

Nash joined the Blue Jackets in 2019, shortly after he retired prematurely due to a series of concussions late in his career.

He was hired by former GM Jarmo Kekalainen as his special assistant, but two years later he began a three-year run as director of player development.

It was clear after last season that Nash had hoped to be considered for the GMs job when Kekalainen was fired, but the organization specifically Mike Priest, who led the search made it clear that they were looking for someone with previous NHL experience as a GM.

Waddell is the Blue Jackets fourth GM.

None of the previous hires Doug MacLean, Scott Howson and Kekalainen had been NHL GMs before taking the job.

The goal, over the next two or three seasons, is to put Nash as close to the job as possible under Waddell, who acknowledged this week that Nash as the clubs future GM has been discussed internally.

Weve talked about it, just in general, Waddell said.

Rick has three young kids at home, and hes been away his whole career.

I said to him, Make sure you take care of your family.

Lets do that first, because thats the most important thing.

Advertisement Everything I touch, Im going to give you that opportunity to learn.

Its a great opportunity for both of us.

For me, its an extra resource, and hopefully I can teach him some things from experience through the years.

Nash will continue to oversee the clubs player development program, which is vitally important for any small-market franchise.

But hell have his hands, eyes and opinions in every aspect of the organization contract negotiations, trade offers, scouting, etc.

Dons been great, Nash said.

I have to say, Jarmo was great with me, too.

He brought me in and opened doors to me.

Don coming in has just meant a different way of doing things, and Im going to be a sponge and try to learn as much as I can from him..

For many players, retirement can be difficult.

Not just the newfound time on their hands, but the absence of the adrenaline rush or playing a major-league sport and the camaraderie of practicing and traveling and hanging out in the dressing room with teammates.

But Nash made his motivation clear.

He played 1,060 NHL games with Columbus, the New York Rangers and Boston .

He totaled 437 goals, 805 points and 750 penalty minutes, one of the elite power forwards of his era.

He won two Olympic gold medals and one IIHF World Championships gold medal with Team Canada.

However...

I didnt get my name on the Stanley Cup, so this is the next best chance, he said.

Thats why I do it, to bring a championship to Columbus, to give back to our fans for all of my great memories here.

Item No.

2: Hungry hearts Justin Danforth was seated near the glass during the early practices in training camp, trying to listen to the coaching staffs commands and pick up the new systems under coach Dean Evason, even though Danforth isnt yet cleared to be on the ice.

He might not be ready for the start of the regular season, either, after having wrist surgery at midseason when other attempts to heal the injury suffered in the penultimate game of last season didnt seem to make much improvement.

Advertisement Danforth was cleared to start stick-handling a puck last week, which was seen as good news by Waddell and staff.

But he might not be cleared for contact drills for another two or three weeks, which puts the start of the regular season in doubt.

One mans injury is another mans opportunity in the dog-eat-dog world of the NHL.

As if the Blue Jackets young players hoping to move from AHL players to NHL players didnt have enough motivation in this training camp, with a new GM (Waddell) and a new coach (Evason) to evaluate them.

Through the first three days of camp, Owen Sillinger has filled Danforths expected fourth-line spot with Sean Kuraly and Mathieu Olivier .

The older brother of Blue Jackets center Cole Sillinger has been impressive, too, playing with a pace and passion that suggests hes sensing the opportunity.

There are others, too, of course.

James Malatesta , who had a strong first pro season with AHL Cleveland last season, and who showed well in limited NHL time, wont go quietly.

Others to consider on that short list are Gavin Brindley , Dylan Gambrell , Hunter McKown and Luca Del Bel Belluz .

Asked if hes sensed a healthy level of desperation so far in camp, Evason didnt hesitate.

One hundred percent, he said.

Im really looking forward to seeing it continue through the preseason games, too.

Its one thing to look good in practice.

I do believe that the players know well, I know they know, because Don and I have both expressed it in our meetings with them that theres a clean slate here.

I dont know some of the guys (who were in) Cleveland, but theres a clean slate for all of them.

And weve seen that with how hard theyre pushing.

Waddell, of course, has not given up his pursuit of another proven NHL player.

Even if one of those aforementioned players is deemed ready for a fourth-line job, the Blue Jackets are lacking in established NHL depth, leaving them vulnerable if/when injuries occur.

Advertisement The free-agent market is pretty well picked over now.

The waiver wire likely wont bear much fruit until later in training camp, but thats a possibility.

For now, Waddell has said, the trade market seems pretty quiet, but the Blue Jackets do have ample cap space should an NHL club need help getting their roster under the cap.

Item No.

3: Snacks The NHL produced a one-minute video honoring the lives of Johnny and Matthew Gaudreau that will air in every arena before each clubs home preseason opener.

It will be followed by a moment of silence.

As the preseason begins, Clubs around the League are honoring the lives of Johnny and Matthew Gaudreau with a video tribute and moment of silence.

pic.twitter.com/bmf6Ju79E4 NHL (@NHL) September 21, 2024 Theres a salary cap, of course, but theres also a salary floor.

With the tragic death of Gaudreau, the Blue Jackets are currently projected to be under the salary floor, which is $65 million for the coming season.

In normal circumstances, that would not be allowed once the season starts.

But the Blue Jackets are awaiting word from the league and the NHL Players Association as to whether there may be a one-time concession given the circumstances.

The Jackets are presently projected to be at approximately $61.7 million, or $3.4 million under the current floor.

The Jackets dont have to be compliant until rosters are settled a couple of days before the Oct.

10 regular-season opener.

Stay tuned.

The Blue Jackets have two noteworthy depth players who, if they dont make the NHL roster, would need to clear waivers in order to join AHL Cleveland.

Forward Trey Fix-Wolansky , who has played in 26 games with the Blue Jackets over the past three seasons, and defenseman Jake Christiansen , who has dressed in 44 games during that span, both would need to be exposed to all 31 other teams before they could head to the minors.

Forward Dylan Gambrell and goaltender Zachary Sawchenko also need waivers.

Adam Fantilli ended his rookie season on the injured list after suffering a lacerated calf during a game in late January.

He was back to skating soon enough to play an exhibition game for Team Canada ahead of the IIHF World Championships, but said the full use of his leg running, sprinting and jumping didnt return until mid-summer.

I was able to train for the last seven or eight weeks of the offseason, Fantilli said.

The recovery required significant patience, and Fantilli was said to have done too much, too soon late last season in an attempt to return before the 2023-24 season ended.

Ive thanked everybody who helped me, Fantilli said.

A lot of people worked with me, and I was maybe a little bit irritable.

I was missing being on the ice, missing being around the guys.

I want to say thank you (to all of them), and sorry to all of them for what they had to deal with.

Fantilli on what he expects this season after putting up 12-15-27 in 49 games as a rookie: I just want to keep growing, get better every single year.

Its the NHL.

It doesnt get easier because Im in my second year.

Its still going to be just as hard, if not harder.

Weve lost some pieces and we have some younger guys who have to step up.

I want to be able to help out as much as possible and play my game.

Thats my whole plan, just keep my head down and grind.

Advertisement Kent Johnson showed up at camp looking noticeably thicker, especially through the neck.

Like Fantilli, he ended the season on the shelf after suffering a torn labrum on Feb.

28.

It was expected to be a six-month recovery, but Johnson seemed ahead of schedule all summer and said he feels 100 percent at the start of camp.

Fantilli switched sweater numbers for this season, giving up the No.

11 he wore as an NHL rookie for the No.

19 hes worn through most of his development years.

I wasnt able to wear it my first year because (Liam) Foudy (the previous No.

19) was here, Fantilli said.

I obviously feel bad for people who bought the 11 jerseys.

I knew I only had one shot (this summer).

I couldnt do it after two years.

Fantillis first favorite number was No.

91 after former NHL center Marc Savard but he was forced to pick a number lower than 30 at some point during his junior career, so he switched the numbers around.

Asked if he made an offer to Foudy, who is now with the New York Islanders organization, Fantilli noted that his rookie status didnt allow for such bold acts: I wasnt opening my mouth on that one.

Along with the new title for Nash, the Blue Jackets hired Zach Abdou to be senior manager of hockey operations and moved Basil McRae from assistant GM to director of pro scouting.

Abdou had worked closely under Waddell with the Carolina Hurricanes the past three seasons.

Blue Jackets Sunday Gathering trivia: the Blue Jackets hosted the 2007 NHL Draft in Nationwide Arena on June 22-23, 2007.

Six players selected in the first round of that draft have become Blue Jackets at some point in their careers.

Name those six players.

The anticipation already is building toward the March 1 Stadium Series game between the Blue Jackets and Red Wings .

One tidbit surfaced this week in the wake of James van Riemsdyk s free-agent signing with Columbus on Sept.

15.

Van Riemsdyk, who has played for Philadelphia, Toronto and Boston during a 15-year carer, will be playing in his eighth outdoor game, more than any other player in the league.

Chicago s Jonathan Toews, Patrik Kane, Duncan Keith and Brent Seabrook, and Pittsburgh s Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin , have each played in six outdoor games.

Van Riemsdyk, who has 3-3-6 in his first seven outings, has played in the following venues: Fenway Park (2010), Citizens Bank Park (2012), Michigan Stadium (2013), Exhibition Stadium (2017), Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium (2018), Lincoln Financial Field (2019) and Lake Tahoe (2021).

The Blue Jackets will hold an intrasquad scrimmage on Sunday at 12:15 p.m.

in the Ice Haus attached to Nationwide Arena.

Trivia answer: The obvious pick is Jake Voracek, who was selected No.

7 overall and had two stints with the Blue Jackets.

The others: van Riemsdyk (the No.

2 overall selection), Sam Gagner (No.

6), Colton Gillies (No.

16), Ian Cole (No.

18) and Riley Nash (No.

21).

(Photo of Rick Nash and 2024 draft pick Charlie Elick : Dave Sandford / NHLI via Getty Images).

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