Skip to content
Your daily dose of hockey
Darren Dreger raises a scenario that could lead Jeff Gorton to Columbus
Credit: Capture d'écran / Screenshot
Yesterday, when Darren Dreger raised the possibility of Jeff Gorton being approached by the Columbus Blue Jackets for the GM position, Montreal was in an uproar.

And with good reason.

After all, this is the second time in the last year that there’s been talk that he might miss having both hands in the action. Is it really that bad? Who knows.

We do know that the Habs won’t want to lose their VP just for the fun of it. And since taking on a GM position wouldn’t exactly be a promotion, we can expect the Habs to refuse to let the Jackets talk to Gorton about the vacancy.

Of course, as Darren Dreger mentioned on TSN 690 this morning, the situation is still unclear. It’s not based on anything concrete, let’s say.

What Dreger said is that he’s aware of the fact that he started a fire yesterday by raising Gorton’s name. He expects Columbus to call Montreal about the job, but he expects the Habs to say no.

Basically, we don’t even know if the executive is interested in the project.

Of course, if Gorton really has his mind set on returning as GM and Molson feels it, he could potentially let him go. But that’s not necessarily likely.

As we’ve said before, the chances of Gorton leaving are slim. But – still speculating – Dreger did raise one possibility that could make him leave.

He believes that if John Davidson (president of the Blue Jackets and a friend with whom Gorton worked in New York) were to step in as an advisor and Gorton were offered the positions of president and GM at the same time, things might be different.

But is it likely? Not really, no.

What’s also worth considering is that Gorton, who has worked for original teams all his life, probably feels there’s prestige in bringing the Habs back on track.

If he wins in Montreal, he’ll never be forgotten. But if he wins in Columbus? Yep.

It’s also worth noting that Gorton has great respect for the work he does with Geoff Molson and Kent Hughes. He takes his job seriously and you’d think he’d want to reap the rewards. He didn’t get the chance to do that in New York.

I think a Mathieu Darche would make more sense in Columbus. So does Marc Bergevin… but it’s not as if the Blue Jackets have a history he can spit on, that said…


In gusto

– Still…

– Two more years?

– Ouch.

– Surprise: Trevor Zegras is the talk of the town.

– Really?

More Content