5/11/19 | Davidson, when reached by Brian Hedger of The Columbus Dispatch, said that ““Right now, I’m working for the Blue Jackets and that’s where it sits.”
5/10/19 | Pierre LeBrun cites a “rival team” suggesting that the Rangers reached out to Columbus on Wednesday but neither the Rangers or Blue Jackets would confirm that.
5/7/19 | Larry Brooks writes that Davidson is believed to have a clause in his contract that would allow him to leave Columbus if offered the Presidency of the Rangers. (NY Post)
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Brooks says that the Rangers are expected to make a request to speak to Davidson “in short order” and that it should not be long” before he returns to the Rangers. (NY Post)
Davidson said today that the opening with the Rangers is the “last thing” on his mind right now and that he hasn’t spent “15 seconds on it.” (The Athletic)
4/27/19 | While a guest on the ESPN On Ice Podcast, Blue Jackets President John Davidson said the following in response to the speculation he may join the Rangers as their next President.
Davidson said, “I can’t even, you said the word, it’s speculation. Obviously Glen has stepped down from that position, Glen Sather is a great friend of mine, we played together back in St. Louis in 1973, I see him in Western Canada in the mountains in the summer, we are friends and I have not talked to anybody with the Rangers, I’m busy with the Columbus Blue Jackets. There is nothing and until there is something there is nothing. I don’t even worry about it or think about it, we’ve got our hands full. To see the Blue Jackets get to where they are starting to get to is pretty gratifying for us when you come in here and they are in last place and it was pretty similar to St. Louis when I was there, probably in a worse situation, and they have had some pretty good runs and have a good team this season. I like our team and we’ve worked hard to build this. That is basically where I am, there is no more to it than that.”
Larry Brooks wrote last week that the Rangers have not been active in their search for a new President and that the belief is that Davidson is really the only candidate. (NY Post)
Rick Carpiniello wrote in The Athletic that it’s not 100% that Davidson will return to the Rangers “but it’s close” and that one interview with James Dolan could make it a done deal.
Adam Rotter: John Davidson has to answer the question of whether he wants to keep building the Blue Jackets or take the, likely, only chance he will get to lead the Rangers. It’s a tough question but one that could be easier for JD to answer if Columbus ends up winning the Stanley Cup.
If JD chooses to remain with Columbus the Rangers will likely consider many different internal options. They could promote Jeff Gorton to be President and GM, like Glen Sather was, and add another couple of people around him. In that scenario you could see Brad Richards and/or Brian Leetch and/or Adam Graves and/or Jed Ortmeyer assuming more/different in the front office and Jim Schoenfeld remaining as SVP. Schoenfeld could be another candidate to replace Sather and may be the perfect bridge as President for a few years before Gorton taking on that role and Chris Drury becoming GM.