The Columbus Blue Jackets (16-26-10) do not think they can wait until the offseason to enact significant change. A new leadership voice is evidently needed right away, as ownership fired general manager Jarmo Kekalainen on Thursday morning amid the team's last-place standing in the Metropolitan Division.

Well, that new voice could be an old friend for some members of the organization, according to NHL insider Elliotte Friedman.

“The first guy who jumps into my head was Mark Hunter and you know the reason that Mark Hunter jumps into my head is because, Rick Nash, London Knight,” he said on 32 Thoughts: The Podcast. “Basil McRae owned the London Knights with the Hunter Brothers, and Basil McRae’s in the front office there.”

Hunter, who played 12 NHL seasons and later served as a Toronto Maple Leafs executive, is the owner and general manager of the Ontario Hockey League's London Knights. His past relationships with Nash (Blue Jackets director of player development) and McRae (director of player personnel) could be critical factors in Columbus' search for a new GM.

Experience and chemistry are vital qualities that could be what this struggling squad needs going into the 2024-25 season. Hunter's time as director of player personnel with the Leafs as well as the success he has recently enjoyed in the OHL could have him poised to return to the NHL. The Blue Jackets could see him as a perfect fit for their front office.

They must focus on getting their act together on the ice too, though, with a road matchup against the San Jose Sharks (15-33-5) awaiting them on Saturday night.