Management sees team with hunger to climb higher

One by one over the past two days at Nationwide Arena, Blue Jackets players had exit interviews with general manager Jarmo Kekalainen, president of hockey operations John Davidson, assistant general manager Bill Zito and director of player personnel Basil McRae. These are verbal grade cards, yes, but there is room for back-and-forth, too.

It was in that backand-forth that Davidson said he found yet more proof of progress in the organization.

“It used to be management trying to tell the room how to do things, trying to get them to believe how this business is run, how

the best pros you can possibly be,” Davidson said. “We don’t have to do that anymore.

“The players were telling us what they’re going to do in the summer. They’re telling us how great their room is. They’re telling us how disappointed they are and what they can do better. I sat there and said, ‘This is really good.’”

Davidson and Kekalainen met with the media Monday for a look back at the 2016-17 season, which ended in disappointment when the Blue Jackets were bounced from the first round of the playoffs by Pittsburgh in five games.

But it would be hard to miss the progress the Blue Jackets made this season, climbing from the fourth-worst to fourth-best record in the 30-team NHL, amassing 50 wins and 108 points, and setting numerous records along the way.

Davidson fancied the phrase “brick by brick” when he took over in 2012, but on Monday he stressed how well the foundation has developed.

Now it’s time for the Finnish carpenter, Kekalainen.

The Blue Jackets’ greatest likelihood for growth will come from within, Kekalainen said, with one of the youngest rosters in the NHL expected to take great strides again in 2017- 18.

To that end, Kekalainen and Davidson shared details of two of their exit meetings with players who will be counted on for more next season: forward Brandon Saad and defenseman Ryan Murray.

Saad has 55 goals and 106 points in two seasons with the Blue Jackets, but his play has been inconsistent.

Each player is rated by the front office on a scale of 1- 10 in each game, and Saad’s number fluctuates too often, Kekalainen said.

“When you see his best game and his average game, there’s too big of a gap,” Kekalainen said.

“When he’s at his best, he can be a dominating force. We expect that 82 times a year. He knows it as well as we do.”

Murray settled into a third- pair role, scored just two goals in 60 games and had his playing time slashed by 4½ minutes per game. He suffered a broken hand on March 13 and missed the rest of the season.

This is not what the Blue Jackets envisioned when he was drafted No. 2 overall in 2012.

“It’s a big summer for Ryan; for him and for us,” Davidson said. “He knows it. We’ve had good talks with him. He’s had good talks with our strength and conditioning people, our doctors.

“He’s a good hockey player, and we’ve seen some good things from him. He’s had bad injury luck without question, but he’s going to overcome that. He’s at the age now (23) where he’s not a young pup.”

Although most of the grade cards were delivered with smiley faces, Davidson and Kekalainen did not rule out trades this summer as a means to improve. The Blue Jackets have plenty of prospects they could dangle, he noted.

“Splashy (trades) are hard because a lot of people don’t want to move people,” Davidson said. “Either we continue with the plan, or we find a way through the depth we’re building up to maybe do something with a team that’s looking for what we have.

“I think all options are on the table.”