Report: Jackets willing to give Davidson complete autonomy over hockey operations department

John Davidson has gotten a lot of credit for the Blues revival in recent years and the Columbus Blue Jackets could certain use his expertise now. To that end, he’s come to Columbus to meet the team’s ownership over the weekend.

The Blue Jackets seem serious about getting Davidson and are willing to throw money his way and give him complete autonomy over their hockey operations department, according to the Columbus Dispatch.

If he decides to join them, the Blue Jackets are likely to give him the title of president of hockey operations, which is a position that currently doesn’t exist within their organization. The Dispatch speculates that Blue Jackets president Mike Priest would then focus more on the business side of the organization while Davidson would fit between the ownership and GM Scott Howson.

Getting Davidson would be a big gain for Columbus and in a weird way, the lockout might work to his advantage. It would give him a chance to get a good feel for his new organization while the NHL is frozen rather than being forced to get his bearings on the fly.

Davidson has previously expressed optimism about the Blue Jackets’ organization despite their underwhelming history and the loss of Rick Nash over the summer.