Weekly Roundup: Blue Jackets Say Goodbye To Three Assistants, Monsters Begin Playoff Push, And Draft Lottery Possibilities

By Ed Francis on April 25, 2026 at 11:20 am
News and notes from the week that was: the Blue Jackets announce three coaching departures, the Cleveland Monsters begin their playoff push, and Columbus' draft lottery possibilities.
NHL.com
0 Comments

No one likes the offseason.

Especially when it starts when half the league is still playing.

Alas, that's where the Columbus Blue Jackets find themselves for the sixth consecutive season.

Just because the action on the ice has stopped at Nationwide Arena doesn't mean it's crickets for the organization, though.

Here's this week's news and notes from around the Blue Jackets:

Blue Jackets Part Ways With Haviland, Ford, And Augustitus

Friday, the team announced that assistant coaches Mike Haviland and Scott Ford, as well as video coach Aron Augustitus, would not return to the club next season. This move wasn't a huge surprise, as all three assistants' contracts were up at the end of the season and now-permanent head coach Rick Bowness had hinted at wanted to bring his own coaching staff on board.

“Following our end of season meetings, Rick and I determined that changes to our coaching staff would be in the best interest of our club moving forward,” said President of Hockey Operations and General Manager Don Waddell. “We are very appreciative of the time and hard work that Mike, Scott and Aron have done during their time with the Blue Jackets and wish them well in their future endeavors."

Haviland and Ford were brought on shortly after the hiring of Dean Evason before the 2024-25 season, while Augustitus had been with the Blue Jackets since 2018 and just finished his first season as the team's video coach.

As for who steps into those roles — as well as that of former assistant coach Steve McCarthy, who was fired in January alongside Evason — Waddell said the club "will begin the process of reviewing candidates to join our staff in the very near future.”

Vogelhuber On His Way Up?

One name to keep an eye for an assistant role is Trent Vogelhuber, according to Aaron Portzline of The Athletic.

The 37-year-old Dublin, Ohio native has been the head coach of the American Hockey League's Cleveland Monsters since the 2022-23 season. After missing the playoffs in year one (though finishing above .500), the Blue Jackets AHL affiliate has made it to the postseason in three consecutive seasons. In his four seasons as head coach, Vogelhuber has guided the Monsters to a 145-108-21-14 record.

Regarded in many circles as someone with potential to be an NHL head coach one day, Vogelhuber's next step in that endeavor could come by being Bowness' right-hand man behind the Blue Jackets bench as soon as this fall.

Vogelhuber has known the Columbus organization for a long, long time: the club made him their last pick of the 2007 NHL Entry Draft.

Speaking Of The Monsters...

Cleveland's third straight postseason appearance started off with a bang Friday night, with the Monsters scoring three times in the first period against the Blue Jackets former affiliate, the Syracuse Crunch. The game tightened up after that, but the Monsters hung on for a 3-2 win, taking a 1-0 lead in the best-of-five series.

Justin Pearson, Will Butcher, and Corson Ceulemans had the goals for the Monsters, while goaltender Zach Sawchenko stopped 29 of 31 shots for the win in net. 

Draft Lottery Possibilities

The Blue Jackets aren't officially locked into the #14 pick in the NHL Draft, but odds certainly point that way.

Columbus has a 94.7% chance of picking 14th when the 2026 NHL Draft Lottery takes place on Tuesday, May 5. Other possibilities:

  • If they "win" the lottery — which they have a 3.2% chance to do — they'll move up to 4th. A team can't move up more than ten spots, so 4th is as high as the Blue Jackets can get.
     
  • If a team behind them (the Detroit Red Wings or Washington Capitals) wins the lottery, that will bump the Blue Jackets back to 15th. There is a 2.1% chance that happens. 
     
  • Also technically possible: 5th, 6th, and 16th — though the odds are so microscopic, they register as less than a 0.1% chance. 

The lottery will be broadcast live on ESPN. The NHL Draft begins Friday, June 26th and concludes Saturday, June 27th, and will take place in Buffalo, New York.

 

0 Comments