Is GM Doug MacLean stuck in 1996? 8 reasons why I think so.

Inspired by a conversation I had with faithful Jacket Times commenter Brandon, I've gathered evidence supporting the fact that Blue Jackets General Manager Doug MacLean is stuck in 1996.

Brandon: i heard today from a buddy of mine that McConnell told MacLean to fire Gallant and that if he didn't he'd be firing two people.

Tyler: i believe it

the whole gallant situation is maclean's fault going back to when they fired king

they fired king and never did anything about it, then wonder why we stink four years later

Brandon: might help if we brought in some actual talent. it's like he's playing NHL 1996 and trying to grab the best players from that

Interesting point. 1996 Was a good year for MacLean. That year he was the GM of the Stanley Cup finalist Florida Panthers. With that kind of performance from his team, I can imagine why he'd want to live those days forever. Let's take a look at some of the decisions MacLean has made recently and see if he's still stuck in the 26 team version of the 1996 NHL.

1. Bryan Berard - In 1995, he was the #1 overall pick in the NHL Draft. By 1996, little about the NHL performance of the defenseman was known, and he was no doubt a hot commodity.
2. Anson Carter - Played his first games in the NHL in 1996 for the Washington Capitals
3. Dave King - In 1996 King just finished his third consecutive year coaching for the Calgary Flames. He reached the playoffs each season but always lost in the first round.
   
4. Sergei Fedorov - #91 had already played a number of successful seasons with the Red Wings, and their team looked really sharp. (They went on to win the Cup in '97 and '98) Sergei also posted over 100 points during the '95-'96 season.
   
5. Adam Foote - Foote was a top defenseman for the 1996 cup winning Colorado team. MacLean saw firsthand what Foote was capable of as his team stole the cup in game 7 4 (Thanks Truth) from the Panthers.
6. Ken Hitchcock - He was hired by the Dallas Stars in the middle of the 1995-1996 season. Even though they finished 15-23-5 that year, Hitch's Stars made the playoffs the next 5 consecutive seasons and included 2 finals appearances and one Stanley Cup victory.
7. Gerard Gallant - GG finished his last season as a player in 1996 and joined the Blue Jackets as an assistant in 2001 - his first NHL gig.
8. Doug's iPod has been known to contain tracks by Los Del Rio, the Quad City DJ's and The Tony Rich Project.

So there it is. Doug MacLean is spending too much time playing NHL '96 on his Sega Genesis. Maybe we should send him an up to date copy and a PS3. I don't like my team's GM to be living in an era where Michael Jordan is starring in Space Jam and Tupac Shakur is still alive.