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 1: This is anonymous, right? (laughs) I would say fire the coach, for sure, and I love Torts. I wish I would have had Torts at Dubois’ age, to learn how to be a pro the right way — how to work, how to play, how to focus. I’d love to have him as a coach when I was 20 years old. But I think he’s probably worn out his welcome, and guys have tuned him out. I think you need a coach that wants to bring guys together, play a fun system, score goals … that’ll lead to wins. They have the players, in my opinion, everybody’s just kind of stymied with him.
Player 3: It’s a tough one. You have to establish who wants to be there and who really doesn’t and try to build around that. If you get the sense that there are players who don’t want to be here long-term, even if you like them, you have to find a way to get valuable pieces for them. The guys who are there, make sure you’re doing everything you can to make sure they love it there and that they’re part of the long-term solution. It’s easier said than done. If you’re the GM of the New York Rangers, the job is easier. I understand that. Some states have tax situations that are really good so guys sign for less and still make more money. Or they’re treated really well and have a chance to win.
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.