Columbus Blue Jackets 2023 NHL Draft Roundup and Early Grades

In a flash, the much anticipated 2023 NHL Draft has come and gone. The Blue Jackets wound up making a total of eight picks in two days at Nashville, coming away with a very nice crop of highly skilled players. In a few years we may look back at these two days as key turning points for this franchise.

It all started last night, with Anaheim causing ripples by making Swedish forward Leo Carlsson the second overall pick in the draft. This was a dream scenario for the 5th line – almost all of us were salivating at the idea of having Adam Fantilli fall into our laps at third overall, and the moment the Anaheim selection was made, we knew our fate.

Sure enough, the Jackets marched to the stage and took the uber-talented center from the University of Michigan, effectively giving the Blue Jackets the best prospect they’ve ever had. This pick changes the timeline for the team a little bit in my opinion – Fantilli should step right into the NHL next season, and with this roster, he’s slated to play in a prominent role on one of the top two lines.

Make no mistake, this guy’s going to be a difference maker right out of the gate. Whichever combination of wingers the Jackets use to flank him, he’ll be productive and may have an inside shot at the Calder trophy next season. But aside from Fantilli, the Jackets were able to find terrific value with all of their remaining picks as well.

Round 1 (#3 overall): C Adam Fantilli, University of Michigan Wolverines (NCAA) – Grade: A+

2 (#34): C Gavin Brindley, University of Michigan Wolverines (NCAA) – Grade: A

3 (#66): F William Whitelaw, Youngstown Phantoms (USHL – committed to Wisconsin, NCAA) Grade: B+

4 (#98): D Andrew Strathmann, Youngstown Phantoms (USHL – committed to North Dakota, NCAA) Grade: B+

4 (#114): F Luca Pinelli, Ottawa 67s (OHL) Grade: A

5 (#156): G Melvin Strahl, MoDo (Sweden) Grade: C

7 (#194): F Oiva Keskinen, Tappara (Finland) Grade: C

7 (#224, acquired from Vegas for a 2024 7th round pick): LW Tyler Peddle, Drummondville Voltigeurs (QMJHL) Grade: B

The Jackets didn’t add a ton of size after the first round of this draft, but man did they add skill. Brindley, Whitelaw, and Pinelli are all under 5’10”; but all three of them are high octane, energetic players who can put up big numbers in bunches. Strathmann is a sub-6’0″ defender who plays with a little bit of bite and can quarterback the power-play. Strahl, Keskinen and Peddle bring depth and some different attributes to the organization – including some much needed goaltending depth.

We’ll have featured articles on each of these players in the coming days, with more in depth analysis on their games. Right away however, I think this draft is the third consecutive one where the Jackets came away with more than one or two potential NHL players. The prospect pool here is now easily the best this team has ever had – in fact, I would argue that with Fantilli and Jiricek alone, they have two of the top 5 or 6 prospects in the world. The future is looking really bright.