Blue Jackets Are Building Slowly, Quietly

by Susan Slusser

Filed under: Blue Jackets

Scott Howson's summer was relatively calm. The Blue Jackets' general manager flirted with only one big name, making some inquiries on Tomas Kaberle, but nothing came to fruition. So it's mostly low key, status quo, in Columbus.

That's not to say Howson did nothing. Along with bringing back the bulk of the team -- no easy feat these days -- and acquiring Edmonton captain Ethan Moreau on waivers, Howson also hired a new coaching staff.

Here again, the Blue Jackets were under the radar. The pick for head coach, Scott Arniel, has worked his way up in methodical fashion as a minor-league assistant, an NHL assistant, an AHL head coach and now Columbus, but his name recognition is minimal. The Blue Jackets aren't going for flash, they're going for a stealth approach while trying to get back to playoff-worthy. Few headlines now, with the hope of gaining a few next spring.

"From a player standpoint, we're expecting internal growth and improvement," Howson told FanHouse by phone on Friday when discussing the relatively quiet offseason. "We believe in our young players, we believed they'll be good players in the NHL. Sometimes that doesn't happen right away, but it doesn't shake our confidence."

 

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Source: http://nhl.fanhouse.com/2010/08/20/blue-jackets-are-building-slowly-quietly/

Rod Pelley Joel Perrault Mathieu Perreault Eric Perrin