John Davidson: Rangers to Blues to Blue Jackets - Career Insights & Playoff Talk

Columbus Blue Jackets Senior Advisor John Davidson joins Neil Smith and Vic Morren to discuss the young core emerging (Adam Fantilli, Marchenko, Mateychuk, Kent Johnson all popping at same time), Johnny Gaudreau's tragic legacy galvanizing team identity, Sean Monahan's underrated leadership, and why Columbus is positioned for genuine optimism despite missing playoffs. Hear JD's heartfelt tribute to Sam Rosen's 40-year Rangers career and charity work raising tens of millions, the white-knuckle 1994 police car ride to Canyon of Heroes with million people and zero arrests, Rangers implosion analysis with best players falling backward simultaneously, Mike Sullivan's unrelenting coaching impact, Will Cuylle smart business from Lias Andersson trade, Alexei Kovalev Mike Keenan shift story, Rangers not built for playoffs playing east-west, and comprehensive playoff predictions. Plus Doug Armstrong planting trees quote, Gabriel Landeskog's remarkable Masterton Trophy comeback from cartilage transplant, Connor Hellebuyck inexplicable struggles, goaltending lineage from Giacomin through Shesterkin, Lundqvist's first practice impact, and why NHL playoffs are completely unpredictable making them fantastic theater.

IN THIS EPISODE:

[00:00] - Welcome: From Blue to Blueshirt to Blue Jacket with John Davidson

[01:00] - Three Things: UBS Financial Services, playoff updates

[02:00] - JD back on NHL Wraparound: 1994 special with Glen Healy cathartic

[03:00] - Jogging memory: very special time, makes your day

[04:00] - Paul Maurice: trade deadline podcast, called away for Toffoli trade mid-show

[05:00] - Happy for Paul: looked out of gas Winnipeg, revived in Florida

[06:00] - Life expectancy with coach in certain city: runs out, doesn't mean bad coach

[07:00] - St. Louis Blues: JD president years ago, Doug Armstrong hire by Larry Pleau

[08:00] - Doug's edge: nice man, understands business, no fear making decisions

[09:00] - 2019 Cup: 10 of 20 players JD brought in when with Blues

[10:00] - Doug quote: "Somebody plants trees, somebody else enjoys shade"

[11:00] - Draft and develop takes time: 2-3-4 years battle, everybody loses minds

[12:00] - Columbus same thing: team coming, gonna be good, well coached

[13:00] - Young players JD drafted: Marchenko, Fantilli, Mateychuk, Kent Johnson

[14:00] - All popping primarily at same time: self-satisfaction seeing them succeed

[15:00] - Montreal nosing out Columbus: frustrating not getting there

[16:00] - Week or two prior: weren't scoring, weren't very good

[17:00] - Analyzing after disappointment: Columbus in good position, good shape

[18:00] - Scoring talent: two or three areas need shoring up, Don Waddell working

[19:00] - Genuine room for optimism: Fabbro picked up waivers, fit with Werenski

[20:00] - Werenski best season: top three defenseman in game for sure

[21:00] - Sean Monahan: tutored Fantilli, underrated very good hockey player

[22:00] - Jeff Gorton: when Monahan healthy, we were much better hockey club

[23:00] - Missing Monahan with wrist: when in, leadership with young players

[24:00] - Boone Jenner leadership group: fought through tragedy and adversity

[25:00] - Washington series: skill versus grit and grime, would've given very good battle

[26:00] - Not a chance they would've intimidated us: toughness when needed

[27:00] - 2024-25 behind, Johnny Gaudreau tragedy: spinning forward to next year

[28:00] - Not taking anybody by surprise: how work this forward into mindset?

[29:00] - Young players know they're pretty good NHL players now

[30:00] - Understand how much stronger they have to get: summer to work on it

[31:00] - Instead of shocking feeling after Gaudreau tragedy: team galvanized

[32:00] - Johnny's wife spends time in Columbus: team rallies around her, very special

[33:00] - Next year players older: know what to expect from coaching staff

[34:00] - Won't be predicted last in league: earned expectations, good pressure

[35:00] - Tre joined halfway through: top four defenseman already, just a kid

[36:00] - Better goaltending: Jet Greaves in Cleveland couple years, doesn't stop puck

[37:00] - Air of excitement: expectations good pressure, team earned it

[38:00] - JD in St. Louis twice: goaltender, team president

[39:00] - Columbus twice: same role both times, exit to Rangers back

[40:00] - Neil's 11 years together: Rangers season absolutely remarkable

[41:00] - President's Trophy to completely imploding missing playoffs

[42:00] - Majority of best players: all fell backwards at same time

[43:00] - Figure out why that happened: spent time trying to go through that

[44:00] - Mike Sullivan head coach: gonna help, gets it, deals with top heap players

[45:00] - EF Hutton: when he speaks people listen, will be very helpful

[46:00] - Strong summer: Sullivan's presence, smart, unrelenting

[47:00] - Players throughout league have off years: they had a lot of off years

[48:00] - Self-reflection strong summer: Sullivan will make world of difference

[49:00] - JD shouldn't say for sure: smoke means fire, lot of talk

[50:00] - Got to know each other Four Nations: relationship there

[51:00] - Chris Kreider important decision: staple of organization, terrible year

[52:00] - Banged up number of different ways: best players fell back

[53:00] - Knowing number of them: compete, will battle back, make noise

[54:00] - Rangers style: east-west, side to side, not built for playoffs

[55:00] - Need North-South: Laviolette tried, Peter Laviolette as well

[56:00] - Will Cuylle: north south player, plays hard, can score

[57:00] - Lias Andersson didn't work: Jeff Gorton traded for 60th pick

[58:00] - Smart business: first round pick to Will Cuylle, hindsight first rounder

[59:00] - Two or three more Will Cuylle's: complement Panarin type player

[01:00:00] - Alex Ovechkin lived with it: frustrated but skill, holy did he frustrate

[01:01:00] - Alexei Kovalev: Mike Keenan made him stay out, extending shifts

[01:02:00] - No whistles: came back three or four times, Kovalev thought doing well

[01:03:00] - Sam Rosen stories: working all those years together

[01:04:00] - Off ice charity work: New York area, Jersey, Long Island, all over

[01:05:00] - Days off or off season: runs auctions, raises funds

[01:06:00] - Tens of millions of dollars over 40 years: helped people who needed it

[01:07:00] - New York institution: not play-by-play, what he's done to help people

[01:08:00] - Never says no, never gets tired: just does it and loves it

[01:09:00] - Always got time for people: subway, restaurant, anywhere

[01:10:00] - Ranger fans everywhere: Key West Florida, recognized multiple times

[01:11:00] - True friend, family friend: kids grew up together, not just working relationship

[01:12:00] - Years of play-by-play: really good, helped understand game

[01:13:00] - Taught us the game: Sam was leader, true pro, big hearted human being

[01:14:00] - Sam always late: early years, good later on

[01:15:00] - Fighting debates: Sam hated it despite calling boxing

[01:16:00] - Sam came around: understanding sometimes players had to take care of business

[01:17:00] - Had fun: dinners on road, talk hockey, always good mood, always energy

[01:18:00] - Broadcasters build relationships: John Cooper Tampa Bay, Rick Tocchet Vancouver

[01:19:00] - Sam recognized rightly so all season: you could see it was real

[01:20:00] - Sam's Night at Garden: Tocchet with jersey, gift card, wine

[01:21:00] - Where's he putting all the stuff? Drink all wine couple years

[01:22:00] - 1994 Canyon of Heroes ride: JD steamed, not happy

[01:23:00] - Wanted to be where stuff happening: not studio at Madison Square Garden

[01:24:00] - Miserable: Sam always good mood, working along

[01:25:00] - Two New York's finest: pack your stuff, you're going downtown

[01:26:00] - White knuckle wide open eyes: slam turning, sirens, hit back and forth

[01:27:00] - Yellow Submarine: looked out, all you saw were faces

[01:28:00] - Million people down there: not one arrest in New York, not one

[01:29:00] - After game, at parade: other cities bomb and break, not one in New York

[01:30:00] - Special: sat back, watched, soaked it in, only in New York

[01:31:00] - One cup 16 teams eight great series: compelling in unique ways

[01:32:00] - Goalie injuries captivating: banged up, backup has to come in

[01:33:00] - Montreal, Carolina, Washington: resiliency of teams to battle back

[01:34:00] - Jersey without best player: amazing how many teams have injuries

[01:35:00] - Plan to have best players back start of playoffs: certainly helpful

[01:36:00] - Loved watching every day: can't make it all way through night

[01:37:00] - Montreal-Washington: reminds me of old time series

[01:38:00] - Tom Wilson hunter: out there hunting, lived that with Columbus teams

[01:39:00] - Alexander Wennberg hit: almost killed him

[01:40:00] - Montreal not backing down: David Savard blocking Ovechkin shots power play

[01:41:00] - Special to watch: good games, battles, love controversy in playoffs

[01:42:00] - League knows it's coming: when controversy, means intense

[01:43:00] - Players and coaches giving everything they have: only first round, fabulous

[01:44:00] - Rangers goaltending blessed: Giacomin, JD, Vanbiesbrouck, Richter, Lundqvist, Shesterkin

[01:45:00] - Sam broadcasted 40 years: never big question there, pretty good

[01:46:00] -...