The Columbus Blue Jackets have fired coach Dean Evason and replaced him with Rick Bowness, the team announced on Monday. Evason was just halfway through his second season with the team, which makes this move surprising. Assistant coach Steve McCarthy was also let go.
After Evason helped the Blue Jackets exceed expectations last season, the front office was expecting even more this campaign, but that hasn’t materialized. Columbus is 19-19-7 and sits at the bottom of the Eastern Conference. In a statement, Blue Jackets general manager Don Waddell cited underachievement as the main reason for Evason’s dismissal.
“This season has been a frustrating one for all of us and the bottom line is we are not performing at a level that meets our expectations. We all share in that responsibility, including me, and while this was not a decision that was made lightly it is one that needed to be made at this time,” said Waddell. “Dean did a tremendous job last year under extremely difficult circumstances, and I thank him for that. I also want to thank Steve for his commitment to our club over the past five years.”
Prior to the start of the 2024-25 season, star forward Johnny Gaudreau died in an offseason accident. In the face of this tragedy, Evason led Columbus to a 40-33-9 record as the team finished just two points shy of the playoffs.
Following that performance, the Blue Jackets aimed for a playoff leap in 2025-26, despite the team not making significant roster moves in the offseason. Veteran center Sean Monahan has not been as effective, and some young players have stalled in their development. Adam Fantilli and Kent Johnson were anticipated to have big seasons, but both have regressed to some extent.
The Blue Jackets quickly moved to replace Evason, bringing in veteran Rick Bowness, who has over 40 years of coaching experience. Bowness has coached for 14 seasons in the NHL—holding either interim or full-time roles. In that time, Bowness has amassed a record of 310-408-48-37. In 2019-20, as interim coach for the Dallas Stars, Bowness led the team to the Stanley Cup Final before being elevated to the full-time position.
More recently, Bowness spent two seasons with the Winnipeg Jets from 2022-24. In his second season, he stepped away from the team twice as he and his wife dealt with health challenges. Bowness led the Jets to a 98-57-9 record and two first-round playoff exits.
Competitive East Raised Blue Jackets’ Urgency
The competitive nature of the Eastern Conference likely pressured the Blue Jackets into this decision. No team is below .500, and despite being last, Columbus is only seven points from a playoff spot. If the Blue Jackets get hot in the near future, their entire outlook could shift.
For that reason, no Eastern team is truly out of playoff contention, but what are the ultimate ambitions for Columbus? Even if they reached the playoffs, can this roster withstand a strong postseason run? Many doubt it. Columbus has one of the least impressive center collections in the league, and the forward group lacks scoring power. Zach Werenski leads the team with 47 points—10 more than any other player—and he is a defenseman.
The goaltending has been adequate thanks mainly to Jet Greaves, while backup Elvis Merzlikins has had another poor season with 9.35 goals allowed above average, according to Natural Stat Trick. When measured against teams like the Tampa Bay Lightning or Carolina Hurricanes, potential first-round playoff opponents, there is no real comparison.
Management in Columbus is clearly dissatisfied with the team’s performance, as evidenced by their commitment to acquiring winger Mason Marchment from the Seattle Kraken last month for second- and fourth-round picks. They did regain that draft capital by trading Yegor Chinakhov to the Pittsburgh Penguins. Clearly, Waddell wants more from this squad, yet it’s questionable whether that is realistic.
It’s possible that the belief within the organization was that Evason was not developing young talents such as Fantilli, Johnson, or Cole Sillinger effectively. This is a fair critique given the trio’s performance (21 goals and 39 assists) in 2025-26, but is hiring the 70-year-old Bowness the correct solution? He will have to engage those developing players if the Jackets hope to salvage their season.
Ultimately, Evason was a victim of his success in 2024-25 and the unusually competitive nature of the Eastern Conference in 2025-26. Perhaps Bowness can revitalize the Blue Jackets, but this decision seems curious and may only lead to further instability in Columbus as the organization brings in its sixth coach since 2021.
