The Columbus Blue Jackets have their coaching staff in place, and its makeup speaks volumes about the direction the franchise intends to go over the coming years.
By hiring Brad Larsen as the head coach and Pascal Vincent and Sylvain Lefebvre as assistant coaches, the organization is clearly looking for a development-heavy flavor. All three of these coaches have both AHL and NHL experience (coaching and/or playing), though none of them have been a head coach at the NHL level.
It may be anecdotal, but I can't recall a coaching staff with less NHL coaching experience. But that may not be a bad thing.
Like it or not, the Blue Jackets seem to be trending more and more towards a re-whatever in the coming year(s), as they build out their prospect pool and restock with a new wave of players. Aside from a small core of older players - Cam Atkinson, Boone Jenner, Gus Nyquist - the team is remarkably young, and with youth comes learning pains.
Enter three coaches who are perfectly situated for their current situation. These three coaches will be tasked with doing what they do best: working with and developing young players.
One point worth clarifying is that all three of these coaches have sufficient experience for their current roles. Larsen, 44, played over 300 regular-season and playoff games, and has been behind the bench at the AHL and now NHL level for 11 years. Vincent, 49, never played in the NHL but has been a coach at the QMJHL (head), NHL (assistant), and AHL (head) level since 2000. Lefebvre, 53, played nearly 1,100 NHL games (regular season and playoff), and has been an AHL (head and assistant) and NHL (assistant) coach since 2007.
Might it mean some short-term pain? It might. On the other hand, I can't imagine a coaching staff that is better equipped to facilitate the development of its young roster.
