What We Learned: It always had to happen

That was fast.

The thing about the Mike Babcock situation with the Columbus Blue Jackets — the controversy, the investigation, the denials, the assurances, and now the resignation — is that it never mattered what he did or didn't do in this particular situation.

Because if it hadn't been this situation, in which he resigned following a deep-dive investigation into his coaching practices before he's run a single practice, it would have been something two months from now. Maybe when the Blue Jackets hit a five-game skid, or maybe if Adam Fantilli was pushed down to the third line for not backchecking, or how he handled a 1-on-1 meeting with a veteran he wanted more out of.

The end result of Babcock coaching the Columbus Blue Jackets, or any other NHL team, was always going to be the same: him o