State of the Union Blue: What does Davidson see as Jackets next step in Cup quest?
In part one of my conversation with Blue Jackets president of hockey operations John Davidson, he discussed how the team is overcoming adversity, the development of the younger players and gives his assessment of the club at this young point of the season.
In this second installment, he expounds on a collective buy-in, the next steps and the tight-knit atmosphere surrounding the players.
Here is part two of John Davidson's State of the Union Blue.
There has been a chorus of voices from the locker room that keep saying 'there are no easy games.'
Davidson: No, and there won't be in this league. It's impossible. It's a fine line from top to bottom. (That line) is very, very thin. You can catch teams in tough schedule situations, etc. but we've just got to take care of our business.
In the loss to Dallas, we weren't prepared as a group to play the way we should have. Dallas came in very hungry and played great. We didn't. They deserved to win. But, we had to learn a lesson. We've got deal with these things and be better at it.
The guys all say that win the Stanley Cup is the ultimate goal. What is the next step, in the shorter-term for the Blue Jackets?
Davidson: It's growth. We know we did last year, but that was last year. But, it provides a base for us. We need to continue (growing). We need to continue to draft well. We need to continue to develop players in the minor leagues. We need to continue to scour the earth for trades, free agents, etc. We need to continue to play a team game here like we like to play.
We need to have growth where guys don't take practices off, they take advantage of their time and practice hard and play hard. We just need to see growth. That's what we have to see. With the base of players that we have, we have a chance to be a pretty good hockey club.
But, it's not going to just happen. We have to earn it. But, we've given ourselves that chance. So, we're in a good place.
This team has become much closer than any team that has occupied that dressing room before them. Are you surprised that they've coalesced this way?
Davidson: Yes, it's good. It's good because if you don't play for each other, you don't win. It's very simple. It's not all going to be wine and roses, as there's always potholes and tough times. But it's got to galvanize you.
(For example) the Rangers last year, Martin St. Louis went through a time where his mother passed away. It galvanized that hockey club. We need to just continue to play for each other. That's part of the battle. It's a team game, a great team game. It's not an individual game.
I like the mixture and the character of our players. We have to understand that we've done some good things, but we haven't done enough great things. And we're working towards that. We're on schedule, on cue. We have a chance. But, we have to earn it.
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John Davidson knows that there are no "quick fixes" when it comes to building a successful hockey club. It takes time to get the pieces in place and for chemistry to form. The way the team plays, even in a loss, can tell him more about their progress than just the passage of time.
The credibility Davidson brings comes from a lifetime spent in the hockey world. He was the first goalie to make the jump from major junior to the NHL. He's in the Hockey Hall of Fame having earned the Foster Hewitt Memorial Award for his contributions to broadcasting (2009). He's helped turn around a struggling franchise (St. Louis Blues) and is now the Grand Poobah of the Columbus Blue Jackets.
The Blue Jackets return to action on Thursday as they visit the San Jose Sharks. Catch all the action on FOX Sports Ohio.
