News Article: Former players tell The Athletic about CBJ as an organization

[CBJWerenski8]

MOD:
Moved this discussion to its own thread. I’m sure there will be overlap with the ‘Building’ and ‘Roster’ threads — hell every thread reads the same to me half the time — but I’m hoping this topic might generate some different discussion.



This is going to be good.

my guesses? The players will be 3 of Matt Calvert, Brandon Dubinsky, Anthony Duclair, Bobrovsky, Ryan Johansen, Jared Boll, Mark Letestu, josh Anderson, James Wisniewski, William Karlsson, Alex Wennberg

Click to read more...

 

[majormajor]

Dog gommit I'm going to need to subscribe to the Athletic again.

 

[DJA]

I’ll guess Anderson, Wennberg, maybe Foligno or Savard, Nash?

I also have a feeling this piece is going to be underwhelming.

 

[DJA]

So, basically, Jarmo is an ass in negotiations, Torts is tough but fair, we need to overpay to get free agents, the city isn’t great but not terrible, players aren’t marketed enough....nothing we don’t already know.

Right now in Columbus, you don’t get a sense that they really have a chance to win right away. It’s a smaller market. But when you have it together and going, you should try to keep it together as long as you can. And it’s not all a money thing, either. You need to let guys know, “Hey, listen, we love you here. You’re a huge part of things. This is what we want for you, and this is how we envision your career here, but this is all we can pay based on our salary-cap outlook.” I would have signed in Columbus for less than I got on the market. That didn’t matter to me. What mattered to me was having a chance to win and having a good role. If you’re going to try to sign free agents, you need to overpay. But when you have guys who are there and love it there — a lot of guys who are there love it — you have to keep it together and make them feel like they’re part of something.

Player 2: It’s tough. You’re still fighting an uphill battle with the city of Columbus. I say this as somebody who really liked the city of Columbus. I just think generally speaking guys don’t love the city of Columbus, as a whole. When you are trying to sign guys, you might have to fly them in, wine and dine them, show them ‘Hey, this is actually a really great city! Let’s show you around.’ I don’t know if they do that, and I don’t know if they do that enough to entice people. Not to say you’re going to have to overspend on everyone, but if you want to get guys or your want to keep certain guys, you’re going to have to spend money. You’re going to have to land some big players and hold onto your best players when they hit their UFA years to change the perception that the Blue Jackets are a team that won’t pay. Get good players. Draft them, surround them, make them love it and love being there.


Player 3: I’m not really surprised, I hate to say. I wanted to stay there, but I never got the sense it was possible. If guys want to be there and you have a winning culture, you have to do everything you can to keep it together. I have a ton of respect for Jarmo, but I feel like Columbus always has their eye on the future, what they can build, without maybe recognizing what they already have. I’ll never forget our exit meetings after my last season there. We had a great season. We were so excited about the future. And then after a bunch of us players had our (exit) meetings, we were sitting around in the room just kind of stunned. “Wait. Am I going to be back? Shouldn’t we all be back?” And a bunch of us kind of realized that was it, we were moving on. I was sad as hell, to be honest.
I get why they’re so hard on their RFAs. You have to keep your numbers down when you can. But also, the way that generation is, you have to make them feel like you really like them and value them, and I don’t think they really do that. I just know how the negotiations worked with me and it was like, “Shit, they don’t want me at all.”

Former Blue Jackets on what's wrong with Columbus: 'If you’re going to try to sign free agents, you need to overpay'

 

[CBJWerenski8]

So, basically, Jarmo is an ass in negotiations, Torts is tough but fair, we need to overpay to get free agents, the city isn’t great but not terrible, players aren’t marketed enough....nothing we don’t already know.

Oops didn’t see it in your quote

thought it was a good article. Nothing really surprising but it was cool to hear it from the horses mouth. Clearly there needs to be changes to the inner workings of the team

 

[DJA]

If anyone wants the link

Link is in my post

 

[CalBuckeyeRob]

Oops didn’t see it in your quote

thought it was a good article. Nothing really surprising but it was cool to hear it from the horses mouth. Clearly there needs to be changes to the inner workings of the team

The only way to fix it would be to replace the GM and coach. No doubt the coach is gone. The GM has certainly had his positives, but a complete reboot seems to be needed.

 

[Iron Balls McGinty]

It definitely isn’t news to me that Jarmo expects loyalty from players but that loyalty doesn’t exist at the negotiating table.

 

[EspenK]

Dog gommit I'm going to need to subscribe to the Athletic again.

Use a new email & take the $1 month option

 

[DJA]

I'm thinking Hartnell and Calvert were 2 of the 3

 

[GoJackets1]

Jarmo's hardball negotiations have always struck me as odd, for the reasons a couple of the players stated. I was thinking one of the guys was Hartnell. But anyways, Jarmo definitely needs to take a look around and really understand what he has going for him in negotiations. The one quote that stuck out to me was about how he treats guys as assets and not as much people, and I've always had that feel as well. That needs to change when the team/city doesn't have as many redeeming qualities as other franchises. You can't play hardball on a small market team, especially when you're losing.

The Torts assessments were interesting, and pretty much what we all know to be true. Torts is honest to a fault, holds guys accountable, etc. But he also does that accountability in public, and when things aren't going well, some players are held more accountable than others. A couple of the guys mentioned, in some form, that Torts' strategy is essentially "play hard" (which is no longer enough), and that they believe the current players are capable of being successful in a more offensive system, but that Torts is hindering their development in that area.

 

[EspenK]

To me this was the most salient quote:

"Now, Torts may have some misgivings as a coach with tactics and adjustments. His thing is go out, work hard and we’ll win (laughs), and that’s not always the case. But I think he is a fantastic coach."

 

[Jive Pawnbroker]

We seem to be getting a little more clarity on the issues confronting our team.

 

[DJA]

Well, the Torts issue will be resolved this summer, so that's one thing off the list.
Jarmo and the front office would need to undergo a fundamental philosophy change regarding negotiations/overpaying, and I'm not sure they're prepared to do that.
The city thing is impossible to change, although maybe with a bit more marketing some guys will be happier/feel more appreciated.

So, not sure most of this will be fixed anytime soon?

 

[CalBuckeyeRob]

Jarmo's hardball negotiations have always struck me as odd, for the reasons a couple of the players stated. I was thinking one of the guys was Hartnell. But anyways, Jarmo definitely needs to take a look around and really understand what he has going for him in negotiations. The one quote that stuck out to me was about how he treats guys as assets and not as much people, and I've always had that feel as well. That needs to change when the team/city doesn't have as many redeeming qualities as other franchises. You can't play hardball on a small market team, especially when you're losing.

The Torts assessments were interesting, and pretty much what we all know to be true. Torts is honest to a fault, holds guys accountable, etc. But he also does that accountability in public, and when things aren't going well, some players are held more accountable than others. A couple of the guys mentioned, in some form, that Torts' strategy is essentially "play hard" (which is no longer enough), and that they believe the current players are capable of being successful in a more offensive system, but that Torts is hindering their development in that area.

In life, you get loyalty when you treat people well when you didn't have to do that.

 

[Double-Shift Lasse]

Now that we have some quotes, any guesses who’s who?

I have some thoughts about the quotes too but I don’t have time to posts them right now.

 

[Monk]

Now that we have some quotes, any guesses who’s who?

It would be helpful context. Someone like Duclair vs someone like Calvert would seriously impact how I feel about this info.

 

[CBJWerenski8]

I'm thinking Hartnell and Calvert were 2 of the 3

Cant be Hartnell I don’t think. Never negotiated a contract with us.

Im pretty sure at least one of them is Letestu

 

[DJA]

Cant be Hartnell I don’t think. Never negotiated a contract with us.

Im pretty sure at least one of them is Letestu

I'm pretty sure Hartnell would still know enough of other's guys' experiences to be able to comment.

Letestu still lives here, doesn't he? so I'm not sure how much he could comment on Columbus as a city, objectively.

 

[CBJWerenski8]

I'm pretty sure Hartnell would still know enough of other's guys' experiences to be able to comment.

Letestu still lives here, doesn't he? so I'm not sure how much he could comment on Columbus as a city, objectively.

That’s true. I guess porty didn’t specify if all 3 players had to meet the same criteria. So the basket of options really is extended.

This has become more interesting than the article itself

 

[MissADD]

I think one of them has to be Calvert. Not sure who the other 2 are. Maybe Letestu and Murray?

 

[Crede777]

I mean, you can't knowingly overpay players and expect to have a competitive team.

It's all about fitting as much talent as possible under the cap. Sure, you can identify a few players who you are willing to overpay a bit, but those players have to be gamechangers. That means a player like Panarin or maybe Jones. But the rest? You gotta go with what the metrics and comparables show.

The key is to show loyalty other ways. Spending off the ice is a major factor as well as making sure guys feel comfortable here and have a social life.

The team needs to really push in a number of directions. They need to push local companies to market the players more. They also need to try to push the league to raise this team's profile more.

Also, I don't know why attracting free agents is such a point of concern for other players. Free agents almost always are overpaid and not a real recipe for success. You can add a few to bolster positions, but the key pieces need to come from drafting and developing. You can then trade those draft pieces for additional help.

 

[JacketsDavid]

Dubinsky is an option. I agree on Calvert (I thought Boll, but realized he still works for CBJ so not likely he would go off the record).

 

[Monk]

This is the criteria for the players interviewed. I've bolded the one that would exclude Dubinsky and Calvert, since they've each only played for 1 other team (Rangers & Avs).

"We had several stipulations to these interviews:

• the players would be granted full anonymity so that they could speak freely
• the players must have played in Columbus during the Kekalainen/Tortorella era
• the players needed to have played in multiple other cities during established NHL careers
• the players must have left the organization on good terms, with no ax to grind and no agendas"

This reads like all 3 players met the same set of criteria to me.

EDIT: Here's another clue:

"To get to the root of the challenges the Blue Jackets have had retaining elite talent, The Athletic wanted to take a deep look inside the organization, not by talking to those who still work or play there — Blue Jackets fans hear from them all the time — but by talking to respected veterans who have recently worn the sweater and have seen the operation from the inside out."

I think Foligno might be one of the 3.

There's a ton more content in the article, I'll post any additional highlights when I get a chance to really read it.

 

[Double-Shift Lasse]

This is the criteria for the players interviewed. I've bolded the one that would exclude Dubinsky and Calvert, since they've each only played for 1 other team (Rangers & Avs).

"We had several stipulations to these interviews:

• the players would be granted full anonymity so that they could speak freely
• the players must have played in Columbus during the Kekalainen/Tortorella era
• the players needed to have played in multiple other cities during established NHL careers
• the players must have left the organization on good terms, with no ax to grind and no agendas"

This reads like all 3 players met the same set of criteria to me.

EDIT: Here's another clue:

"To get to the root of the challenges the Blue Jackets have had retaining elite talent, The Athletic wanted to take a deep look inside the organization, not by talking to those who still work or play there — Blue Jackets fans hear from them all the time — but by talking to respected veterans who have recently worn the sweater and have seen the operation from the inside out."

I think Foligno might be one of the 3.

There's a ton more content in the article, I'll post any additional highlights when I get a chance to really read it.

Possibles?
Hartnell
Letestu
Duclair
Wisniewski
Johnson