Columbus Blue Jackets 2023-24 review: 3 reasons to keep coach Pascal Vincent
After a trying season in his first opportunity as an NHL head coach, Pascal Vincent could use a little down time to take in what he just experienced.
Good luck getting him to do it.
More: 'I really want to be here': Pascal Vincent shares desire to remain Columbus Blue Jackets coach
Vincent, 52, is heading into the Blue Jackets’ offseason with purpose. The same guy who pores over video of every game for up to six hours, studying all facets in slow motion, is already planning for next season, which he’s under contract to coach in Columbus.
“The simple way to explain it is ... we’re not in the playoffs,” Vincent said. “It’s not good enough. Did we make steps? Yes, we did. Did we grow? Yes, we did. Did we improve our metrics and analytics? Some of them, yes. ... But the results weren’t there. We’re about results. How are we going to get the results?”
He’s already charting a different offseason and training camp plan, even though somebody else might be tabbed to coach the Blue Jackets next season. A new general manager has yet to be chosen, new GMs often “start fresh” with their own coaching hires and Vincent is aware he could be replaced with a buyout on the remaining year of a contract he signed in the wake of Mike Babcock’s resignation.
Despite that, Vincent isn’t dragging his feet or waiting around. He's preparing to coach the Blue Jackets again, which says a lot about him and how he’s wired.
Vincent isn’t perfect, showing a couple flaws during his first opportunity as an NHL bench boss, but he’s also young by coaching standards and was thrown into the role unexpectedly. He also has a track record of winning at lower levels, including the American Hockey League, and is well regarded by NHL players and coaches who have worked with him. There are certainly reasons for fans to hope the new GM starts over, but there are also reasons to take a measured approach with Vincent.
Here are three:
Coaching continuity is something the Columbus Blue Jackets need to establish
Thanks to Babcock’s alleged curiosity about players’ phones, Vincent took over days before camp as the Jackets’ third head coach in five months.
Former coach Brad Larsen wasn’t fired until the day after last year’s season finale, Babcock was hired July 1, and Vincent was promoted Sept. 19. Should a new GM replace him, the next coach will bring a fourth set of systems, strategies and standards to Columbus in roughly a year’s time.
Part of the reason the Blue Jackets struggled in the first two-plus months of this season was because it took a while for players —especially defensemen — to fully grasp the nuances of the defensive system coaches were installing. Looking back, Vincent has decided that camp had too many players at the outset and that subtracted time from the staff’s ability to work with established NHL players on systems.
Vincent and his staff patterned their strategies after watching other NHL teams closely in the playoffs the past couple of years ― specifically the past two defending Stanley Cup champions, the Vegas Golden Knights and Colorado Avalanche. It’s a mix of man and zone coverage schemes that can be confusing to players who are used to playing one or the other, but it can be highly effective.
The Blue Jackets showed signs of improvement by the end of the season. Replacing the coaching staff now could take that progress and toss it in the garbage. And that’s just one major change the Blue Jackets would face with another new coaching staff.
Columbus Blue Jackets coach Pascal Vincent has experience developing players
There is a segment of Blue Jackets fans, especially those who are vocal on social media, who dislike Vincent’s coaching methods.
He "stunts the growth" of young players by not trusting them with copious amount of ice time. They feel his assessments are too harsh or coy. They recoiled about him scratching Patrik Laine, benching veterans Johnny Gaudreau and Damon Severson and advocating for both Kent Johnson and David Jiricek to get needed AHL development time.
Vincent’s most ardent critics just wanted him to throw the Blue Jackets’ youngsters into the deep end of the pool with an expectation they’d learn to swim eventually. Well, what if they don’t? What if they just sink and don’t resurface?
That’s a risk that somebody like Vincent experienced as an NHL assistant with the Winnipeg Jets and head coach of their AHL affiliate, the Manitoba Moose, before arriving in Columbus. Vincent has seen young players struggle at the NHL level, return to the AHL begrudgingly and then flourish before returning to the Jets as productive assets. Ever watch Jets forward Kyle Connor and daydream about the Blue Jackets getting a player like him?
Vincent played a role in getting Connor NHL ready, and he's just one example.
Columbus Blue Jackets coach Pascal Vincent is honest with players
One of John Tortorella’s biggest strengths as a head coach is his willingness to be direct with players. He doesn’t sugarcoat a player’s struggles and doesn’t overinflate their egos when they’re having success.
Players usually appreciate that approach because they always know where they stand with their head coach. There’s no guessing. Tortorella, however, doesn’t always relay his messages to players with a calm, composed demeanor.
Vincent does.
After Tortorella left Columbus following the 2020-21 season, former GM Jarmo Kekalainen said his goal was to find a coach who resembled Tortorella in setting high standards and holding players accountable to them without gruff behavior. An argument could be made that former coach Brad Larsen was that guy.
Babcock, an alleged NHL bully, was hired to lay down the law in Columbus, and when that failed spectacularly they went with Vincent. He and Blue Jackets players don’t always see eye to eye on things, but Vincent was willing to explain his reasoning to them. According to multiple players, Vincent’s personality and coaching approach were appreciated.
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This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Columbus Blue Jackets 2023-24 review: 3 reasons to keep Pascal Vincent
