Day two resulted in seven draft picks for the Columbus Blue Jackets. Picks in the fifth through seventh rounds could yield some great skaters.
The Columbus Blue Jackets came into the draft with only five draft picks. The Jackets did not own a first or second round picks due to earlier deals.
They ended up with seven total draft picks that should yield at least two or three future NHLers, including a few from the late round picks. Jarmo has proven in the past that he can find diamonds amongst the rough better than almost any general manager in the NHL.
The Jackets have found some great talent in the late rounds including Markus Nutivaara, Calvin Thurkauf, and Vladislov Gavrikov, all in the 7th round. So who of the late round picks will blossom for the Jackets from the 2017 Draft?
Related Story: CBJ Picks 45, 86, and 117
5th Round Pick 145: Kale Howarth, Trail (BCHL)
The Jackets take a surprising player in the 5th round in left winger Kale Howarth. Kale is a massive player. Standing at 6’5″, Kale is an imposing forward that is still raw. He currently plays in the British Columbia Hockey League, a Junior A league in Canada, a step below the CHL.
.@NHLNetwork's scoop on the latest #CBJ selection: pic.twitter.com/ue9u91A8Ne
— Columbus Blue Jackets (@BlueJacketsNHL) June 24, 2017
Kale will play for another season in Trail, for one of the best team names ever, the Smoke Eaters. After that, he will attend the University of Connecticut in 2018-2019.
Howarth has a way to go until he can come close to competing in even the AHL, let alone the NHL. And the baffling part of this is that Kale isn’t 17, or 18. He is 20-years-old. He was the only player selected from the BCHL and I wouldn’t be rushing out to by a Howarth CBJ Adidas jersey anytime soon.
6th Round Pick 170: Jonathan Davidsson, Djurgardens (SHL)
This pick was apart of the blockbuster deal that the Jackets made with Chicago for Artemi Panarin.
Related Story: Jackets Trade for Artemi Panarin on Draft Day
Columbus Blue Jackets decided to go with another overage player in the winger from Sweden. Jonathan Davidsson is 20-years-old as well but played at a much higher level than Howarth.
Davidsson netted 12 points in 44 games against men though. Unlike Howarth, Davidsson was playing in one of the most elite leagues in the world.
This is another pick that I am not high on and disappointing considering it came in the trade with Chicago. It was a nice add in the trade that I feel the front office missed on. Here’s to hopefully being wrong twice an a row.
6th Round Pick 179: Carson Meyer, Miami (NCAA)
Columbus hockey fans should find this name fimilar. Powell, Ohio native Carson Meyer joins the Blue Jackets organization as the winger will continue to play hockey in Ohio.
Columbus Blue Jackets
The winger is currently at Miami in Oxford and will continue to play there next season. Last year in 32 games he scored 26 points. Pretty impressive as the RedHawks play in the toughest conference in the NCAA.
Columbus has pumped out some pretty impressive young skaters in the last few seasons including 1st round pick Jack Roslovic and Boston’s Sean Kuraly who impressed in the playoffs. Let’s hope Meyer can continue the recent success of central Ohio skaters.
7th Round Pick 210: Robbie Stucker, St. Thomas Academy (USHS)
The final pick of the 2017 NHL Entry Draft was a high school skater in Robbie Stucker. Stucker of the final four picks was the only “young” player the Jackets drafted.
Stucker comes out of a powerhouse in U.S. High School hockey. The 18-year-old defenseman will play in the USHL with the Chicago Steel for the 2017-2018 season. His plan currently is to attend Colorado College following his time with the Steel.