Item No. 2: Coaches returning
There likely won’t be any public announcement coming until later this summer, but it sounds as if the Blue Jackets’ entire assistant coaching staff under previous coach Brad Larsen will remain in place under new coach Mike Babcock.
Associate coach Pascal Vincent and assistants Steve McCarthy, Kenny McCudden and Jared Boll each have one year remaining on their contracts with the Blue Jackets.
The Blue Jackets haven’t yet made Babcock’s hiring official, and they won’t until at least July 1, when Babcock’s final year under contract with
Toronto expires. Until then, Babcock can’t serve in any capacity with the Blue Jackets, including interacting with players, coaches or staffers, and nobody with the club is permitted to discuss their plans to hire him.
But a source this week told
The Athletic that the plan is for the assistants to begin working with Babcock when he comes aboard in July. If all goes as planned, they’d fulfill their final contract years. If all goes well next season, any or all of them could sign extensions.
It could be a bitter pill for Vincent to swallow. He has been a candidate for the top job in Columbus during their last two hiring processes, first when Larsen was hired to replace John Tortorella and earlier this summer when Babcock got the job.
Vincent was given permission by the Blue Jackets to interview with other clubs — he reportedly met with Calgary before they hired Ryan Huska — after Larsen was fired.
The Blue Jackets attempted to negotiate a settlement with Toronto that would have released Babcock from his contract with the Maple Leafs a month early, but couldn’t come to an agreement. He’s expected to sign a four-year contract with Columbus.
theathletic.com
