The Columbus Blue Jackets pulled off the biggest shocker of the NHL offseason on Wednesday. The team signed superstar winger Johnny Gaudreau to a seven-year, $68.25M contract.
It was expected that the 28-year-old would leave the Calgary Flames when he hit the open market. However, the Blue Jackets were not a team on anyone's radar. The New Jersey Devils, Philadelphia Flyers, and New York Islanders were the most talked about teams.
Many considered the city of Columbus a less-than-desirable place to play. It was a narrative that Blue Jackets general manager Jarmo Kekalainen vehemently disliked.
“I think we can finally get rid of the bulls**t that this is somehow a bad destination, a bad city, whatever,” Kekalainen said told reporters Wednesday. “Because it’s never been true. We got a bad rap because a couple of people decided all along that they weren’t going to be here long-term for various reasons, but it has never been about the city or the organization.
“We’ve just had to shut our mouth and deal with that, but every time I see a comment like that, I get a rash.”
Gaudreau cited the atmosphere around the team as a reason he wanted to spend his prime years in central Ohio.
“I’d never been to Columbus before until I made it to the NHL, so when I started playing there I didn’t know what I was walking into, and I was just … ‘Wow!'” Gaudreau told The Athletic by phone late Wednesday. “They’ve always had great crowds, really into the game. I said to myself then, ‘This looks like a really fun place to play.’”
The Jackets have had issues recruiting bigger ticket-free agents in the past. The team isn't the most historic franchise in the league and has never made it past the second round of the playoffs.
However, the Gaudreau signing may be a sign of change. A player of his caliber should help recruit other high-profile players around the league. Especially if the Jackets are successful with their new superstar. Only time will tell for sure.
