Davidson exits Columbus, is NY next?

John Davidson resigned as president of hockey operations of the Columbus Blue Jackets on Friday after the New York Rangers requested and received permission to talk to him for a similar position.

Davidson has been long considered the heir apparent to Glen Sather as Rangers president, a move that could become official before the day is out. He spent parts of eight seasons as a Rangers goaltender and was a TV analyst for them for almost a decade.

Columbus owner John P. McConnell said the possibility of Davidson “returning to his roots in New York, where he spent three decades as a player and broadcaster, is an extraordinary circumstance for him and his family.”

Davidson has been with the Blue Jackets the past seven seasons, helping turn an NHL alsoran into a regular playoff contender. Columbus won its first playoff series in this spring.

“He helped us forge a winning culture based on preparation, hard work, accountability and honesty,” Blue Jackets President Mike Priest said. “He set the tone and hired talented people that put in place a plan to build the Blue Jackets through the draft and player development with the end goal being a team that could compete and have success at the highest-level on a yearly basis.”

McConnell said in 2011 that Davidson was the perfect person to lead Columbus’ hockey operations department, and seven years later believes he was correct. The Blue Jackets made the playoffs in four of Davidson’s seven seasons.