Denton Mateychuk
When Denton Mateychuk was originally drafted by Columbus in 2022 with the 12th overall pick, he was seen as a bit of a raw player who had great offensive playmaking potential, but needed a lot of development on the defensive end.
There was even an expectation that he would likely require a couple of full seasons in the AHL before his defensive game was NHL-ready, but he completely blew that out of the water, and is a full-time NHLer after just 36 games with the Monsters.
In his first season, he played a rather cautious game, making the simple passes but showing a bit of reluctance to really attack deep into the offensive zone. While this ensured that he had plenty of time to position himself defensively, it limited the upside to his game.
This past season, it was a completely different story. He looked much more polished and confident, and was much more comfortable using his great skating ability to create high-quality offensive opportunities for the Jackets.
His skating ability was a great asset on the defensive end too, as he was able to quickly get back to defend rushes from opponents. In fact, he allowed the least high-danger scoring chances per 60 minutes (at even strength) out of all defenders on the team, according to MoneyPuck.
The only weakness of his game last year was the penalty kill. He can struggle to defend when backed up in his own zone, as his fast-paced skill is neutralized when he's forced to defend in front of the net.
Out of all defenders that played at least 50 minutes on the penalty kill, he allowed the most expected goals, shots, and high-danger scoring chances to opponents. For a team that has consistently struggled to defend when down a man, this is the main area of his game that needs improvement.
However, if he can maintain the same solid two-way game and maturity, he can help the defensive group put together another really solid top-four, as his chemistry with Ivan Provorov really stood out last year.
The exciting part is that he is still just 22 years old, and has plenty more time to develop and improve both sides of his game, but his offensive potential is really exciting.
Especially if the coaching staff finally gives him some time on the power play, I don't think that a 50-point season is out of the question. Yes, this article is about repeating success (and that would still be a solid outcome), but we shouldn't overlook his upside.
With that, these are the four players that will play a huge role in what is shaping up to be a really important season for the future of this organization, if they can just replicate their results from last year (and maybe even a little more).
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