Todd Richards doesn’t seem shocked that he was fired by the Columbus Blue Jackets, at least based on what he relayed to the Columbus Dispatch’s Shawn Mitchell.
To his credit, those same comments lacked the bitterness you might expect after someone gets the pink slip.
(Sadly, no Taylor Swift lyrics, though. Richards couldn’t throw the Internet a bone and explain that Band-aids are no good for bullet holes? C’mon.)
When Richards looks back at the seven-game start, it’s clear he realizes that the team fell short of expectations. He seems pretty proud of his overall body of work, however.
“Your job as a coach is to maximize potential, and with the way we were playing, obviously that wasn’t happening,” Richards said.
Richards disappointed, but proud of tenure: "There were lots of people involved, but 2 me it was almost like resurrecting a franchise." #CBJ
— Shawn Mitchell (@shecky218) October 21, 2015
If there were two things that people critiqued the most about Columbus during its early collapse, it would be the Blue Jackets’ defense and goaltending, particularly that of expensive netminder Sergei Bobrovsky.
Management may be looking to find an answer on the blueline, yet Richards seems to imply that the group is still strong.
Richards still high on #CBJ blue line, was not disappointed that it was not upgraded. Also has no regrets about sticking with Bobrovsky.
— Shawn Mitchell (@shecky218) October 21, 2015
Ultimately, gauging Richards’ tenure may come down to perspective, yet it’s tough to ignore the fact that he’s only made it to the playoffs once in his years with Minnesota and Columbus.
Then again, he’s not burning bridges, and a guy who stands as a “favorite neighbor” might just get another shot.