According to Aaron Portzline and the Columbus Dispatch, Brad Shaw, former associate coach for the St. Louis Blues was offered a spot on the Columbus Blue Jackets coaching staff. Shaw, part of the Blues organization for ten years reportedly has offers by multiple team’s and is weighing all of those offers. He may also have been offered the title of “associate coach” which carries a significant pay raise.
Shaw has helped cultivate a fair amount of defensive stars on the St. Louis Blues. Alex Pietrangelo, Kevin Shattenkirk and Colton Parayko immediately come to mind. These are the types of players any team would gladly take, having coached the team for so long, it is tough to gauge how important he was to their development.
Other names attached to the job are Darryl Sydor, a Stanley Cup champion under John Tortorella and Jared Bednar, the Calder Cup winning coach for the Lake Erie Monsters. All candidates seem worthy and all would be a welcome addition to a Blue Jackets team that is aching to make the playoffs once again. In the day’s ahead more info will start to become available and the muddied waters should become clearer.
UPDATE
It was confirmed by Aaron Portzline last night that Shaw would be joining the Blue Jackets coaching staff. I asked a St. Louis Blogger (@FrozenNotes) about Shaw and he had this to say.
“Brad Shaw was always a consistent presence for the Blues. Under his guidance, and thanks to a talented group on the ice, the team’s penalty kill and defense (areas Shaw managed) were always formidable. He brought out the best in the team’s young defensemen which should be a big positive for Columbus.”
Jackets may have a good one here.
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