What do past drafts tell us about the type of player the Columbus Blue Jackets will draft at number 18?
The Columbus Blue Jackets should land a decent prospect at the 18th overall pick in this year’s draft. Jarmo and company will surely be locked in on a forward at this spot as the organizational depth at defense is very impressive right now.
Let’s take a look back at recent drafts to see what type of player the Jackets can hope to land at the 18th spot. We’ll be looking at the 2011-2015 drafts as all of those players have at least had a reasonable amount of time to prove themselves.
2011 NHL Draft: Mark McNeill, Center, Chicago Blackhawks
This is worst case scenario for the Columbus Blue Jackets at pick #18. And it’s a pretty terrible scenario.
With the 18th overall pick the Chicago Blackhawks thought they were drafting an NHL ready, two-way centerman in Mark McNeill from the Prince Albert Raiders. They thought that the two way center would compliment Jonthan Toews and help the Blackhawks lift the Stanley Cup with a solid one, two punch down the middle.
McNeill was a 6-2, 210 pound center out of the Western Hockey League and looked like a perfect second line center. That also sounds exactly like what the Jackets would love to draft at number 18 overall this year.
But that wasn’t what the Blackhawks drafted. In fact they drafted the player who has played the third least NHL games out of any 1st round pick from 2011. McNeill has been an AHL journeyman since that time and although he still “could” breakout at age 25, it seems unlikely at this point.
McNeill is similar to Barrett Hayton from the Soo Greyhounds who is expected to go in the top 15 of this year’s draft but could theoretically fall to 18. Both are great two way centers who put up good, but not great numbers in the CHL. Both had impressive World Junior showings in their draft year as well. Hayton and McNeill are also both bigger players and seem like they are NHL ready physically.
Hayton does have a bit more skill while McNeill had a bit more size. I am in no way saying that the Jackets shouldn’t draft Hayton. If Hayton fell to 18 the Columbus Blue Jackets would most certainly draft him and I would be happy. But there is a risk in drafting a player like this at 18 with two way skill but not top end scoring talent.
McNeill was a valuable trade piece for the Blackhawks in 2016 and again, could still breakout. But if the Jackets end up with a McNeill type player at 18, it will be a massive disappointment.