Columbus Blue Jackets fire GM Jarmo Kekalainen; President of Hockey Operations John Davidson set to take over

According to reports, the Columbus Blue Jackets fired 57-year-old Finnish GM Jarmo Kekalainen as their season seems to be heading downhill for yet another season.

Jarmo Kekalainen was in the midst of his 11th season with the team. The Columbus Blue Jackets are struggling and are currently rock bottom in the Metropolitan Division with a 16-26-10 record.

Kekalainen was named the third general manager in the history of Blue Jackets on Feb. 13, 2013. They made it to the playoffs five times since, the last of which came in the 2019-20 season.

The Blue Jackets have not qualified for the postseason for four consecutive seasons and seem to be on track to make it five.

President of Hockey Operations John Davidson, who will be taking over the team while they look for a replacement, said:

"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, 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."

What next for the Columbus Blue Jackets after Jarmo Kekalainen firing?

With the exit of Jarmo Kekalainen and incoming of John Davidson, the Blue Jackets would be hoping for a new-manager-bounce as they head to San Jose to face the Sharks on Saturday. The Sharks, currently placed last in the Pacific Division, would be hoping to get back to winning ways since their latest defeat against the Winnipeg Jets.

Although the doors to this season's playoffs seem far too distant for the Blue Jackets, their performance for the rest of the year can be the groundwork for a Stanley Cup-caliber season in 2024-25

Meanwhile, it will be interesting to find out who the Columbus Blue Jackets target as their next full-time general manager.