COLUMBUS, Ohio - Columbus Blue Jackets president and general manager Doug MacLean said Saturday he has received no assurances that he will be back after the franchise missed the playoffs again for the sixth straight season.
MacLean said he didn't know if his job was in jeopardy.
"I have no idea. That's a decision they will make," MacLean said before his team closed out the season with a 4-3 home loss to Anaheim.
The Blue Jackets have the worst record in the NHL since their inception before the 2000-2001 season. This year's team finished 33-42-7, better than only a handful of teams. The club has never come close to earning a spot in the playoffs — the only team in the league which has never played in the postseason.
MacLean, who coached Florida to the 1996 Stanley Cup finals, was hired by local steel magnate John H. McConnell to build the team shortly after McConnell stepped into the breach to bring an NHL team to Columbus.
The first year the team went 28-39-9-6 for 71 standings points with a collection of castoffs, has-beens and never-weres under coach Dave King. That may have been the franchise's high point, however.
This was supposed to be the season when the team finally contended for a playoff spot, but following an annual script it got off to a dreadful start. Despite adding Anson Carter, Fredrik Modin and an unknown Finnish goaltender (Fredrik Norrena) who would end up having a good year, the Blue Jackets won only five of their first 20 games.
Gerard Gallant was fired as head coach, and was replaced by veteran coach Ken Hitchcock. After Hitchcock took over, the team went 28-29-5.
Two young, budding stars, Rick Nash and Nikolai Zherdev, have had disappointing seasons. Nash, who tied for the league lead with 41 goals three years ago, had just 27. Zherdev has been in the doghouse for most of the year after a protracted contract squabble and has just 10 goals.
Attendance has not fallen dramatically, but many are wondering if McConnell has grown tired of thanking the fans for their support while apologizing for a lack of success.
MacLean remains upbeat.
"I'm unbelievably disappointed about where we are but I think we've got an unbelievable foundation in place," he said. "I'm telling you, I look around the league and how many teams would I trade ours for⢠Not many."
MacLean said he would meet with the McConnell soon to discuss the direction of the team and his own future.
