CBJ leadership believes it has the right man in Larsen

Cam Atkinson first got to know Brad Larsen in 2012 when the young winger reported for his third season with the AHL's Springfield Falcons.
There, it didn't take Atkinson very long to realize the man serving as his new head coach could do the job at the NHL level one day.
"100 percent," Atkinson said Friday when asked if that was clear nearly a decade ago.

Blue Jackets general manager Jarmo Kekalainen and president of hockey operations John Davidson probably thought the same thing over the past seven seasons when Larsen served the Jackets as an assistant coach under John Tortorella. That belief was only strengthened over the past few weeks as the Jackets interviewed Larsen and a bevy of external candidates to replace Tortorella, culminating Thursday when Larsen was named the eighth full-time coach in CBJ history.
"He was one of the first interviews that we had, and we used this term, the 'Lars bar,' " Kekalainen said, noting Larsen went through three interviews with CBJ brass. "And nobody (else) seemed to get over the Lars bar. The more and more we thought about it, everything we knew about the man -- his passion for the game, his work ethic, his attention to detail, his communication skills -- we felt that he was the best choice for us.
"It was a clear consensus within our management group, and we took some input from our (on-ice) leaders that are sitting here today. And we couldn't be happier to announce Lars as the new head coach of the Blue Jackets."
The hope is to get someone who brings all the positive elements from the previous staff that led the franchise to new on-ice heights but also someone who will set his own course. Larsen certainly has a ton of experience within the Blue Jackets organization, starting his coaching career in 2010 with the club's AHL team in Springfield and being promoted to the team's head coach two years later.
In two years leading the Falcons, Larsen won a pair of division titles, skippering a team that went a combined 92-45-15 and posted the first-ever 100-point season in franchise history. He was promoted to become an assistant coach on Todd Richards' CBJ staff in 2014 and was kept on board by Tortorella when the fiery former head man was hired to fix a listing ship in October 2015.
Larsen has been with the Jackets since then, serving as a right-hand man for Tortorella on teams that made four consecutive playoff appearances, set a franchise record for 50 wins in 2017, and swept Tampa Bay for the franchise's first-ever playoff series victory in 2019.
So in some ways Larsen was a natural fit, especially when Kekalainen said after the season he was looking largely for a coach who could continue to stress accountability and team play just as Tortorella had.
"We talk about the standard, and there is a high standard and culture in place here, and Brad has been a big part of what we've been building," Kekalainen said. "We know the standard is going to be high with him. He will teach, he will keep guys accountable, and it will be a high standard every day. That's how you get better as a team, not only within one season but moving into the future."
At the same time, the Blue Jackets see Larsen as not just a Tortorella clone. While Tortorella was known for his passion -- an admirable quality that occasionally pushed him to becoming a YouTube star with his postgame interview sessions -- Larsen brings a more understated approach to things.
While Larsen teared up for a few moments at Friday's press conference in talking about what Tortorella means to him, he also said he expects to approach things with his own perspective as head coach. In many ways, that is what his new bosses wanted to hear.
"Our interviews were extensive," Kekalainen said. "They were a lot about, we know Lars, but what would he do differently, and that's how we put it in certain areas. And he convinced us. We know he's his own man. We know his character. We know all of those things, and wanted to get into more specifics to, 'How is this going to change?' and, 'How are you going to go about this?'
"And he gave us all the answers that satisfied us and got us through the decision. He's got all those qualities we were looking for in a new head coach."
The hiring of Larsen is another big step in what Davidson tabbed a "long, hard, good, very interesting summer" ahead, one that actually began in mid-May with the return of the president of hockey operations to his role after two seasons with the New York Rangers. Davidson and Larsen are now in place, but the team must settle on a full coaching staff, all while figuring out what next year's roster will look like.
An 18-26-12 record that placed the team tied for last in the Central Division has left the team looking for a "reload" or "reset," to highlight two terms Kekalainen has used to describe this offseason. The Blue Jackets have questions to answer down the middle after the early-season trade of Pierre-Luc Dubois, while the deadline deals of veterans Nick Foligno, David Savard and Riley Nash means it could be a much younger CBJ squad in 2021-22.
The team has flexibility with three first-round picks upcoming in July's draft, highlighted by the fifth overall selection, plus cap room to spend, but a number of contracts are coming due including Patrik Laine's deal this offseason as well as Seth Jones, Zach Werenski, Jack Roslovic, Max Domi and goalies Elvis Merzlikins and Joonas Korpisalo next offseason.
The roster could end up looking very different by puck drop in October, but the Blue Jackets think Larsen's familiarity with the players, approachable nature, relative youth (he's 43) and passion for the game will mesh with whoever suits up this coming season.
"I think for me you try to find a coach that is going to fit your team and your roster, and you have to find a group of players that are going to be able to work with that particular coach," Davidson said. "Then you have a meshing and a marriage, and away you go. I thought this was a really good fit in my mind."
"There's a lot of work ahead of us, but it's exciting," Davidson added. "We've now made this choice. We feel it's a very strong choice. The communication skills from Brad are exceptional, his love of the Blue Jackets and Columbus are way up the ladder. There was a lot of very positive things."
He won't get any disagreement from at least one of his veteran leaders.
"I know that (Larsen) is the right man for this job," Atkinson said, "and ultimately will hopefully lead us to bring a Stanley Cup back to our fans here."