Kekalainen might seek to add veteran
General manager Jarmo Kekalainen said he wouldn’t make any “knee-jerk reactions” amid the Blue Jackets’ disappointing start, but said the lack of leadership among players has him interested in acquiring a veteran.
A disturbing 7-0 loss at the Edmonton Oilers on Tuesday night still was resonating with Kekalainen and the club yesterday morning as they prepared for a game last night against the Calgary Flames.
“I always think there’s a good lesson in everything,” Kekalainen said. “It’s hard to see when you lose a game like we lost (at Edmonton). Leadership is being questioned right now. It’s certainly something we’re looking at. Leadership is a full-time job. It’s not a part-time job. It has to be there every day, in every practice and every game.”
The NHL season is only six weeks old. The trade market, Kekalainen noted, is stagnant. But players in the mold that Kekalainen would like to add come at a premium.
“You can never have too much of that, so if there’s a way to improve in that area by adding that kind of player from the outside, sure, we’d love to look at it,” he said. “But at the same time, I think we have enough guys with that kind of potential on the inside.”
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