Columbus Blue Jackets Select Tyler Peddle #224 Overall

The 2023 Draft seemed to be over for the Blue Jackets after making selection #194. GM Jarmo Kekalainen joined the live show and seemed to leave the building shortly after – but the team ultimately traded a 2024 seventh round pick to Vegas for the final pick in the draft. They quickly selected F Tyler Peddle from the QMJHL’s Drummondville Voltigeurs.

The first question you have to ask here: why did the Jackets trade a future pick for the final pick in the draft? Especially when you consider that they could have just invited Tyler Peddle to development and/or training camp as an undrafted free agent. The answer is probably pretty simple, and multi-faceted: they knew that Tyler would be motivated by being picked. Also, they probably had him a lot higher on their draft lists, and couldn’t believe he was still out there.

Tyler Peddle (LW), 6’1″, 205 pounds

Drummondville Voltigeurs (QMJHL)

7th round (#224 overall)

Playstyle comparisons: Alex Tuch, Brandon Hagel

NHL upside: Bottom-six winger

Professional ETA: 2025

Peddle was originally the second overall pick in the QMJHL draft, taken one slot behind Ethan Gauthier – who just went early in the second round of the NHL Draft. But after scoring 8 goals in the first 9 games of the season, Peddle hasn’t produced at a high enough level to put him high on the NHL prospect radar, so he fell all the way to the bottom of the draft.

That isn’t to say he’s a well off the board pick, either. He was rated somewhere in the third or fourth round, depending on who you ask. He has an NHL ready frame, is an above average skater and likes to play a tough physical game. To top all of that off, he has an excellent shot, that should carry over well to the pro game. The issue here is, he hasn’t yet put it all together on a consistent basis.

Part of that might be due to playing on a poor Drummondville team. He scored 24 goals in 61 games, good enough for second on the team; and added 17 assists for 41 points overall. Those numbers don’t jump off the page if you’re looking at them compared to other players taken in this draft – but, at just 17 years old, he was the third leading scorer on the team. And, he’s proven that he can produce at other levels, so it feels like his offense is maybe a little bit overlooked.

Ultimately, this felt like the Jackets taking a chance on a guy who may be looked at as a late bloomer in a few years. He’s certainly a project, but he’s been vocal about being motivated by his selection, and having a big, talented guy who is motivated to prove the world wrong, is never a bad thing. This is a low risk, high reward move by the Jackets. One thing I know for certain: we’re all rooting for Tyler Peddle.