COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — The Blue Jackets brass thought they had assembled a playoff-caliber team last season. They continued to believe it even after Columbus started 0-8 and finished in the Metropolitan Division basement.
Team President John Davidson was as shocked as anyone by the result, but he urged everyone to be patient. He and general manager Jarmo Kekalainen stuck to their blueprint for a contending team built through years of promising draft picks and strategic trades for up-and-comers and veteran grinders, staying well below the salary cap.