The Columbus Blue Jackets don't need to look far to see familiar faces spattered throughout both organizations competing for the Stanley Cup.
The Florida Panthers boast former star netminder Sergei Bobrovsky, and former Assistant General Manager Bill Zito is the current GM. Anthony Duclair probably isn't as pronounced as either of those two, but he's still an important figure and has tallied 3-6-9 this postseason. Meanwhile, Vegas is led in goals by William Karlsson (10), followed by Jonathan Marchessault (9), another former Blue Jacket. Keegan Kolesar may not get the headlines, but he's been an impactful player on the fourth line for the Golden Knights.
Put simply, no matter which team hoists the Stanley Cup, the visuals are sure to sting. So... what lessons can the Blue Jackets organization take from this year's finalists. Here are three that come to mind:
Changes Of Scenery Matter
There's no way around it; Karlsson was simply not anywhere remotely this player when he was with the Blue Jackets. Want proof? The Anaheim Ducks traded him to the Blue Jackets as part of a package to acquire James Wisniewski. He was a bottom-six, defensively responsible center. Fast forward to today, and he's... well, you know. The same can honestly be said for Marchessault. He played with the Blue Jackets for two games and Tampa for two seasons before emerging as a top-six option with the (coincidentally) Panthers. Even the Panthers exposed him in the expansion draft.
The lesson here is the Blue Jackets should be looking to add players around the league that they identify as talented but are not flourishing with their current team.
Patience Can Be Key
Many of you probably read the last sentence in the above paragraph and thought, no, Dan, the lesson is don't let go of talented players, lest they become Karlsson/Marchessault. Fair, but there's more to it than that.
The Panthers have shown a great deal of restraint/patience with Bobrovsky, who they signed to a $10M AAV contract. Bobrovsky wasn't even their starting netminder in games this postseason, which is wild to consider in hindsight. Head Coach Paul Maurice should get a lot of credit for fostering a locker room where Bobrovsky could feel comfortable with an embarrassing demotion and allow him to find his way when it mattered most. Clearly, it's paid off, and Bobrovsky is among the odds-on favorites to win the Conn Smythe.
Bold Moves Can Catalyze A Roster
This one has less to do with the Blue Jackets alumni, but it's hard to look at the way these two teams are constructed and think otherwise. The Golden Knights are almost notorious for making borderline ruthless/aggressive plays to improve their team. They've added star players like Jack Eichel, Mark Stone, and Alex Pietrangelo, and eschewed fan favorites like Alex Tuch and Nate Schmidt, to say nothing of moving out vast sums of draft capital.
Their thought process is clear: improve the roster. Sounds simple, right? Perhaps every GM could try, even if it does take salary cap maneuvering and cause PR headaches.
In Florida, Zito took a President's Trophy-winning team, switched coaches, and traded their Hart Trophy candidate and a top-pairing defenseman. Inserted into the equation were Maurice and Matthew Tkachuk. Maurice has transformed Florida from a one-dimensional/rush-heavy attacking team into a more well-rounded group that can play any type of game. Tkachuk has become the heart and soul of the team, and that trade looks better by the day.
Of course, it's a paradox for an organization to be both patient and bold, both seeking efficiencies in mismanaged players while also shipping out your own issues. The tricky part is picking the right times/players when making these decisions. Teams like Vegas have shown a proclivity for it; the Blue Jackets have not.
