2022 Top Prospects: Christmas Edition

6. (12, +6) RW Jordan Dumais, Halifax Mooseheads (QMJHL), 3rd round (#96 overall), 2022 NHL Draft

If Jordan Dumais were 2 inches taller, he would have been a top-5 pick at the 2022 Draft. He’s that good. Currently he sits second in scoring in the entire CHL with 61 points (24 goals) in 28 games, behind super prospect Connor Bedard. Dumais is a cerebral player who sits in the weeds and then comes out of nowhere to strike – able to finish off plays with his vision and passing, or a quick shot into the net. He probably won’t make the team next fall, and he is far too good for junior hockey at this point. It will be fascinating to see what happens here.

5. (5, no change) D Denton Mateychuk, Moose Jaw Warriors (WHL), 1st round (#12 overall), 2022 NHL Draft

Mateychuk’s 6 goals and 31 points through 25 WHL games gives the Blue Jackets two players in the top-10 scoring race amongst WHL defenders. An elite skater with terrific edge work, Mateychuk is a one man breakout, able to control the puck, pivot, turn, and leave a forechecker in the dust. He’s a high end passer who has a knack for timing plays in transition or the offensive zone, and continues to produce at around a point-per-game in a very tough junior league. He’s still probably a few years out, but he’s going to be a good one.

4. (4, no change) D Corson Ceulemans, Wisconsin Badgers (NCAA), 1st round (#25 overall), 2021 NHL Draft

If Corson Ceulemans were the top defense prospect in the system, I would say we’re in good shape. He’s a high end skater with a big shot, who is equally effective and competitive on both sides of the puck. While he does have the occasional glaring mistake in his game, the positive returns have exceeded any negatives to this point. He has 5 goals and 12 points in 15 games for the Badgers, improving his production rates in a big way over his freshman season – where he led the team in scoring.

3. (6, +3) G Daniil Tarasov, Cleveland Monsters (AHL), 3rd round (#86 overall), 2017 NHL Draft

Tarasov moves up the list for one primary reason: he’s been the best goaltender in the system this year. Anywhere in the system; including the NHL, where he has a .913 save percentage – far better than anyone else who has tended the CBJ crease this season. Rebound control remains a concern, but he’s improved drastically in his positioning and athleticism; he looks noticeably quicker in the crease and has done a nice job reading the play as it comes at him. Not only do I think he’s the goaltender of the future, I think he’s the goaltender for the now.

2. (2, no change) RW Kirill Marchenko, Columbus Blue Jackets (NHL), 2nd round (#49 overall), 2018 NHL Draft

While the season did not start as we expected for Marchenko, he did exactly what he needed to do after being sent down to the AHL: he dominated. After scoring 8 goals and 19 points through 16 games, he was recalled by the Blue Jackets earlier this month. He hasn’t looked out of place one bit, scoring 3 goals in 9 NHL games, in spite of limited ice time. With NHL size, he combines a terrific shot and good all-around offensive instincts to generate scoring chances whenever he’s on the ice. I think he’s here to stay.

1 (3, +2). D David Jiricek, Cleveland Monsters (AHL), 1st round (#6 overall), 2022 NHL Draft

You simply cannot overlook what Jiricek has done since coming to North America this fall. Despite being one of the youngest players in the league, he sits tied for 7th in scoring amongst all defensemen in the league with 5 goals and 20 points through 19 games. He’s tied for fourth amongst all rookies in scoring as well … despite playing at least three fewer games than every other rookie ahead of him. And he’s only 19…

He got into 2 NHL games and did look to be a bit over his head, but the fact that he’s progressing so quickly in one of the top pro leagues in the world, is very encouraging. He’s big, he can skate, throw the hit, has the big shot, and makes the correct play most of the time. One thing that we’re going to love about him: he has an infectious personality, which is going to make him a fan favorite for sure.

In summary…

The Jackets have done a nice job finding talent in the last few drafts, a trend that should continue with another (likely) high pick in the upcoming draft. It’s fair to say that everyone inside the top 10-or-12 of this list will probably be an NHL player. And, several of the players further down are trending in a positive direction.

This season may be painful, but the future does look really bright for this team.