Blue Jackets Hope Pascal Vincent Can Revive Respectability

“I know our players have been working extremely hard this summer. I know what we did as coaches and our focus right now is we’re looking ahead. What can we do today to get ready for tomorrow? And we’re gonna be ready for Thursday. We’re gonna be on the ice Thursday and we’re gonna get going. And that’s our plan.”

“Our plan is to be a highly competitive team. That we’ll be working extremely hard, but also we want to make sure that our fans are proud to be Columbus Blue Jackets’ fans. And that’s it. We’re going to stick to the process. We’re gonna move forward and we’re excited to be here. Really excited. It’s been hard, but we got to focus on the moment and getting ready for training camp. We’re gonna be ready.”

Vincent’s words echoed the words of the players who spoke at Media Day. All of Boone Jenner, Johnny Gaudreau, Patrik Laine and Zach Werenski each said in their own words that the team must move on from what happened and focus on the task at hand. The Blue Jackets will get their opportunity to put it behind them with a pair of preseason games Sunday.

The question now becomes, how can Vincent and the team take their words to heart and not let what happened carry over into the new season? It will be about coming together as a team.

Vincent Confident Team is United

Despite the possibility of players having a difference of opinion about what happened with how the Babcock situation unfolded, the players said they’ve been meeting as a team and having hard conversations. They insist this has made them stronger and closer.

Vincent also believes this is the case. He also says he holds an advantage coming in.

“Well, the advantage I have is I know those people, right?” Vincent said. “I’ve been with them for two years and I know they care. They really care about the team. They’re not happy about last year and our results. We have a good room. We really do. And team concept is not an issue whatsoever. They really care about that team. So to me, that’s not an issue at all.”

One way to measure this is by how the players reacted to the news of Vincent becoming the head coach. The reaction was overwhelmingly positive with Laine even going as far as saying he hasn’t been this excited in a long time. Here’s Vincent on what he’s good at and how that will benefit the team.

“I’ve been working 30 years to be a coach in the National Hockey League. It’s been a long process,” Vincent said. “But what I am good at is being a team player and I care about people. And once I signed on as an associate coach, I was an associate coach and I tried to do my best and I did my best. So to see the things that are happening and what the organization is facing, it’s hard.”

“Once you’re a Blue Jacket, you’re a Blue Jacket. It doesn’t matter what your role is. You’re part of it and you try to do your best and you try to help people and be the right person for the players. So it’s been a hard few days and then it settles in. Then my focus is okay, what do we do? We focus on tomorrow. We make sure that we’re ready. And the players? I know they deserve for the coaches to be ready for Training Camp and we will be.”

Vincent Talks Connecting with Players

A big part of the aftermath of the Babcock situation was the concept of some players perhaps not feeling comfortable going to certain people to discuss hard topics or problems. Kekalainen admitted this was a thing that it might not always be comfortable to approach management especially if a player is involved in a contract negotiation.

However players should feel empowered to approach the coaching staff or management if there is an issue. Vincent was asked about open lines of communication and how they will be kept open. For him, it’s about having a plan of attack in that area.

“It’s our job to make sure they feel comfortable in order to do that,” Vincent said. “But we have that connection with the players. We have a lot of people that are supporting us and the coaching staff (like) Steve McCarthy, Jared Boll. They have really good relationships with the players. I do as well.”

“I think the one thing we need to do is we have a plan. We’re gonna agree on a plan and we’re gonna evaluate the players on those concepts and keep the door open. It’s an open door policy. I’ve always worked that way. We have good conversations. Sometimes they’re hard conversations, they need to happen. But if the player knows that you have his best interest at heart, I think it opens up a lot and the gray area disappears. We’re gonna keep the door open as we always did and we’re just gonna be honest with them.”

Vincent With High Praise For Columbus

How quickly did this situation transpire? Vincent said that Kekalainen pulled him aside in Traverse City during the Prospect’s Tournament and had a quick conversation.

Despite being passed over twice, once before the Blue Jackets hired Brad Larsen and again before they hired Babcock, Vincent loves Columbus and everything that it offers. He also explored other head coaching opportunities during the offseason. Imagine being as close as he was to the head job twice and being told no. He could have had every reason to move on.

Instead, Vincent stayed through it all and got his reward. Being in Columbus was an easy decision for him. Many things stood out as to why it’s a special place for him.

“How much time do you have?”, Vincent said smiling when asked about Columbus and the market. “I love the city. I fell in love with Columbus the first day I arrived there. But I’m getting to know the city a little more. Now after two years, I remember I received some calls. Paul Maurice lived there for a year I believe and he said it was a great city. I’ve had lots of people that know about the city told me this is a great city but until you experience it yourself, you don’t know.”

“This is a great city. I was amazed by the fans last year showing up. They care about their team. I think the facility is great. As a coach, having two rinks in the same building makes a huge difference. Everything about it for me is fantastic. The location of the city compared to the other teams. My family in Montreal, my parents not too far.”

“We want to put Columbus on the map a little bit more, making sure that we’re recognized because the market of Columbus is amazing. I truly believe that.”

Task at Hand: Becoming Respectable Again

Vincent is coming into a situation where there is pressure to be better. Ownership made it very clear with their recent statement that the team can still achieve the goals set out for them despite the coaching change so close to camp.

The Blue Jackets’ image took a hit with how everything unfolded. Despite all the evidence out there that hiring Babcock was a bad idea, they initially believed he deserved a second chance. It didn’t work. Now they have to face that music and start the long process of becoming a respectable team again.

Vincent will have to find a way to make sure that they do what they’re saying they’re going to do. They pledged to move on. They vowed to be ready for camp and the upcoming season. Sunday when the puck drops at PPG Paints Arena in Pittsburgh, the preseason will officially begin. With that, the Blue Jackets can finally focus on hockey.

These Blue Jackets are facing several key questions. Are they as united as they say they are? Are they in a position to improve enough to be in the playoff conversation? Can they make the right changes on defense so that it’s a respectable unit again? Vincent has to oversee all of these aspects in short order.

It won’t be easy for Vincent. But if there is anyone that could do it, it’s him. He’s proven in 30 years of hockey that he has had success at every level. The overwhelming majority of folks both locally and nationally believe he is the right hire for the Blue Jackets at this time. He will have every opportunity to prove doubters wrong. That’s the one part that is a wildcard in all of this. What will his impact be this season?

That’s yet to be determined. But for now, Vincent is confident in who he is and believes he can get the best out of these Blue Jackets. If he can find a way to revive respectability with this team, he would have done his job and done it well.

Don’t count him out in that aspect.