5 ideal candidates to take over as next Columbus Blue Jackets GM ft. Mathieu Darche

The Columbus Blue Jackets fired Jarmo Kekalainen as their general manager on Thursday.

Kekalainen was named the Jackets' third GM on Feb. 13, 2013 and led Columbus to a 410-362-97 record in 869 regular-season games. The team made the playoffs five times under him, but with the Blue Jackets last in the East, Columbus decided to make a move.

"This is one of the hardest days I have had in my career as Jarmo is a friend, someone I have a great deal of respect for and someone who has done a lot of good things during his time here," president of hockey operations John Davidson said.

"While the future of our club is bright, our performance has not been good enough and it is time for a fresh perspective as we move forward."

With Jarmo Kekalainen being fired by Columbus, here are five potential replacements:

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Five options for Columbus Blue Jackets GM job

#1 Mathieu Darche

Darche is expected to be a GM in the NHL soon, and the Columbus Blue Jackets should show interest in him.

He has been the director of Hockey Operations for the Tampa Bay Lightning since 2019. Darche is well-respected in NHL circles, and with the success of the Lightning, he has interviewed for GM jobs in the past.

#2 Jason Botterill

Botterill is the former GM of the Buffalo Sabres and the current assistant GM of the Seattle Kraken.

He's likely to get another shot as a general manager in the NHL. Although Buffalo struggled when he was GM, he set them up for success by getting them the likes of Tage Thompson, Rasmus Dahlin and other key players.

#3 Laurence Gilman

Gilman is the Toronto Maple Leafs assistant general manager and is in charge of the Toronto Marlies in the AHL.

He was in the running for the Vancouver Canucks GM job last year, showing that the league has kept tabs on him as a future GM.

#4 Shawn Horcoff

Horcoff could be the next former player to be a GM in the NHL. He played over 1,000 games in the NHL, making over $50 million, but after retiring, he wanted to work in a front office.

He took up a $60,000 job with the Detroit Red Wings. Horcoff is now the Red Wings assistant GM and the right-hand man for Steve Yzerman. He helps out the GM with contract negotiations to player development, so he could be a good fit for the Blue Jackets.

#5 Eric Tulsky

Tulsky is the Carolina Hurricanes assistant general manager and has helped build the franchise into a Stanley Cup contender.

He interviewed for the Chicago Blackhawks GM job in 2022, albeit unsuccessfully. Tulsky has remained with the Hurricanes, and it's only a matter of time before he gets a GM job.