Within the next 24 hours we could have our first coaching casualty in the NHL. Saturday night’s contest in Ottawa is a must win for the Columbus Blue Jackets. If they lose again, going winless for eight straight, it will likely be Scott Arniel’s final game as the team’s head coach.
If he does lose his job, would it be fair? It’s not his fault he’s got a goaltender in Steve Mason who cannot stop a beach ball if his life depended on it. Mason in 7 games this year had 3.46 g.a.a with a .881% allowing 3 or more goals every game. Arniel’s partially responsible that his team has failed to score 3 goals once this year.
Some nights this season they’ve been without six regulars due to suspension or injuries; for a team lacking in depth in every position, you’re behind the eight ball before the puck is even dropped.
The fact is this; with the losses mounting for the Jackets, they’ve got no chance in making the playoffs this year. Going into Saturday’s contest, Columbus has to go 49-26 in their final 75 games, and that would only give them 99 points; and over the past few years 99 point have not be enough to make the playoffs.
Coaching change or not; there will be no quick fix
In my expert opinion it doesn’t really matter who’s behind the bench. Arniel could be replaced by assistant coach Todd Richards, or by Springfield Falcons head coach Rob Riley and they’d still be a struggling team. You can even bring in Mike Keenan, Scotty Bowman and Pat Quinn, none of them could make a difference this year.
Do you want to know why they’ve scored 2 goals each game this year? They’ve got one bottom six forward in Samuel Pahlsson who has scored more than 10 goals in one season and it was six years ago (Pahlsson has 10 goals in 161 games with Columbus). The next highest goal input from the bottom six is Derek Dorsett and his career high 4 goals
How soon before the fire sale begins?
On Wednesday night TSN’s Bob Mckenzie said it best; the teams owners could walk up to general manager Scott Howson and tell him to start the fire sale. The Jackets have over 58 million in players salaries this year; and they’re drawing flies; 9200 per game to be exact, in fact last week they had a franchise low 8200 at one game. It’s only a matter of time before Pahlsson, Vaclav Prospal, Radek Martinek, are unloaded for anything. This team has so many bad contracts its shocking; starting next year alone, RJ Umberger will be making 4.6 million (27 goals, 57 points) career high; Fedor Tyutin will be making 4.5 million a year.
If I were team owners I’d keep Arniel for the year; on top of that I’d get rid of Howson, before he makes matters even worse.
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