Blue Jackets put Pascal Vincent in a bad spot during his lone season in Columbus

Columbus let go of Vincent on Monday following the Blue Jackets’ last-place finish in the Metropolitan Division, marking the end of his tenure after only 82 games.

History has demonstrated that becoming and, more importantly, remaining a coach in the NHL is an immense challenge. Since 2000, numerous coaches have not been able to sustain their positions for more than three seasons. This difficulty is compounded when coaching a team that is already amongst the league’s weakest, as former Blue Jackets coach Pascal Vincent discovered on Monday.

Just nine months after assuming the role following Mike Babcock, the newly appointed general manager, Don Waddell, opted to take the team in a different direction with regard to coaching.

Columbus only amassed 66 points last season, finishing at the bottom of the division and ranking last in the Eastern Conference in total points. Additionally, the Blue Jackets performed poorly in nearly every major statistical category across the league.

Vincent shouldn’t bear the brunt of Columbus’ struggles

For the second consecutive season, the team finished at the bottom of a particularly challenging division. Vincent’s predecessor, Brad Larson, grappled with many of the same issues during his brief tenure with the club that Vincent encountered last season. While the coach is responsible for selecting the right players for the game, there are external factors beyond his control that have hindered his chances.

Foremost among these was the team’s significant injury woes. Similar to the 2022-23 season, Columbus faced the absence of some key players for significant portions of the season. First-round pick Adam Fantilli had an outstanding rookie season before sustaining a calf laceration in late January. Yegor Chinakhov’s periodic absence from the lineup in the latter part of the season disrupted his strong start. All-Star defenseman Zach Werenski missed several weeks during the course of the season.

Captain Boone Jenner was sidelined for over a month due to a broken jaw midway through the season, and missed the final month due to a family emergency. Sniper Patrik Laine struggled to perform consistently throughout the year, compounded by an early season concussion and a broken clavicle in December, which led to a setback in January. Laine subsequently entered the Player Assistance Program shortly after the setback was made public, keeping him out for the remainder of the season.

Furthermore, the team continued to face challenges in the goaltending department. The Blue Jackets utilized five goaltenders over the course of the season, with Elvis Merzlikins starting 40 of the 82 games. However, when Merzlikins was in goal, opposing offenses often had the upper hand. Merzlikins concluded the season with the fourth-worst GAA (3.45) among qualified goalies in the league. While the backup numbers were slightly better, they were unable to prevent Columbus from conceding the second-most goals in the league this season.

Lastly, the team’s current composition didn’t position Vincent for immediate success. It’s widely known that Columbus is in the midst of a rebuilding phase. The expectation that they would achieve significant success this season was unrealistic, even after signing standout free agent Johnny Gaudreau two offseasons ago. Although Gaudreau led the team with 60 points, he only scored 12 goals. Many of the team’s leading scorers are still in their early 20s. This is a team designed to progress in the upcoming seasons. While this doesn’t absolve Vincent of all responsibility, it offers some perspective.

 

It’s evident that Waddell is starting fresh

Don Waddell has only been in Columbus for a short time, so he’s been making rapid changes as we approach the early stages of the offseason. While Vincent isn’t solely responsible for Columbus’ difficulties, his situation reflects the team’s recent shortcomings. This is likely why the decision to make a change was reached.

A replacement for Vincent has not been selected yet, but Waddell has emphasized the importance of experience in the search for a new coach to lead the team. There are numerous potential candidates to steer the Blue Jackets into the future. It’s now a matter of determining who Waddell and his team believe has the best chance of ultimately reviving Columbus.