Columbus Blue Jackets President of Hockey Operations, John Davidson – via blues.nhl.com

Though hockey seems very, very far away, and a hire at the top of the food chain may not be entirely glamorous, this is a very good hockey move for the struggling Blue Jackets.  Since the 2007-2008 season, the Blue Jackets have had only one winning season. The Blue Jackets also finished either 4th or 5th in the division each of those seasons. Coming of of a dismal 29-win season, it was smart for the Blue Jackets to make a bigger change at the organizational level. Davidson was credited with patience in building a winner again in St. Louis, and is one of the most connected people in the hockey world. With his knowledge and connections it seems like he could successfully build a winner in Ohio as well.

Davidson was extremely popular and successful here in St. Louis, but agreed to his buyout in response to the change in Blues’ ownership. Davidson spoke very highly of the Blue Jackets’ ownership group, saying: “You think about the organization itself and how much they want to win … you can see they want something very, very badly,” he said. “The ownership group is just a great group.”

There is no doubt the Blue Jackets’ ownership is tired of finishing last in the division. That being said, this is one tough division to compete in. With St. Louis and Nashville competing on a consistent basis, and perennial winners in Detroit and Chicago, it will truly be an uphill trek for Davidson and the front office he will hire. It seems as if NHL hockey will never resume, so it pains me to talk about such a long term situation, but Davidson’s experience will (eventually) help the Blue Jackets become competitive. The central is already undoubtedly one of the toughest divisions in the league. With Davidson’s presence in Columbus it could become the best.

Davidson added: ”This is going to be a really, really good hockey club as we march along.”

September 13, 2012; New York, NY, USA; NHL commissioner Gary Bettman speaks during a press conference at the Crowne Plaza Times Square. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-US PRESSWIRE

While the proposal gave fans a glimmer of hope, it did not truly seem like the tides were about to change. Both sides in this conflict are equally stubborn. The players obviously would like to play in the NHL, but at least they have an out by playing overseas. Our captain David Backes sent a text to ESPN today after the meetings stating: “We feel our newest proposal took a great step towards getting a deal done. It’s too bad the owners don’t feel that way and I fear that we may miss an extended amount of time now.”

It seems as if the situation has seen zero progress in the last couple of weeks and that Backes is totally correct about how much danger the NHL season is in. Though the season should have started last Friday, the latest proposal attempted to salvage a full 82-game season.

With the lack of progress, stubbornness on both sides, and the lack of a third-party mediator, there is no end in sight to this lockout. It seems more and more likely that there won’t be any games played at all this season. With KHL games to be played and also televised in the U.S., it seems strange to me that the NHL won’t budge in its its negotiations. Many of the owners have already admitted how much they could lose without a season. Many teams haven’t recovered from the damage the last lockout caused. Today was another sad day for hockey fans everywhere.