The Columbus Blue Jackets recently interviewed John Davidson, currently St. Louis Blues president of hockey operations, for an unspecified executive level position according to Aaron Portzline of the Columbus Dispatch. His contract with the Blues has a 30-day window that allows him to seek other opportunities around the NHL that kicked in when the team was sold back in May. That window, according to the Dispatch, will come to an end on Friday.
Davidson, a former NHL goalie, has been with the Blues since 2006, and according to his bio "has been involved in the acquisitions of Andy McDonald, Alex Steen, Jaroslav Halak, Chris Stewart and Kevin Shattenkirk while continuing to develop a solid young team."
It's not known what role he would have with the Blue Jackets -- assuming he actually took a position with the club -- but the interesting development out of this story is what impact it could potentially have on the team's current captain, forward Rick Nash.
Nash has been on the trade block since the middle of last season, and the upcoming June draft has been the focus for when he might actually be dealt. If Davidson were to join the team the situation could change.
More from Portzline:
Also to consider is what impact Davidson’s arrival would have on the impending trade of Blue Jackets captain Rick Nash, who asked to be traded last winter after he was told by management that the Jackets were rebuilding. One NHL source said he suspected a meeting between Davidson and Nash would be one of the first items on Davidson’s agenda should he join the Blue Jackets.The Blues are coming off one of their best seasons in franchise history with a young, talented roster that Davidson obviously had a hand in building. So it shouldn't be a surprise that he's an attractive target for a team like Columbus that hasn't exactly had much success in recent years, and could probably use some fresh ideas and a different perspective in the front office.
Davidson is nearing the end of a 30-day window in his contract in which he is allowed to pursue opportunities with other NHL clubs. The window was triggered, per his contract, when Blues were purchased by Tom Stillman on May 9, and closes on Friday.
The Blue Jackets could either sign Davidson to a new contract, or assume his existing contract with the Blues. He has three years remaining at close to $2 million per season, according to reports in the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. The Blue Jackets needed permission from the Blues to interview Davidson.
The Blue Jackets are coming off an extremely disappointing season that saw them finish with the worst record in the league by nine points after making a couple of big splashes in the offseason, acquiring Jeff Carter and James Wisniewski. Carter was eventually traded to Los Angeles for defenseman Jack Johnson and a conditional first-round draft pick. Adding to the frustration was the fact they also went on to lose the NHL draft lottery and won't even have the luxury of picking No. 1 overall later this month.
Instead they will pick second after the Edmonton Oilers.
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