The Blue Jackets were unable to make sweeping changes to their defense this summer. They will run things back with seven guys who were here last season, with the hope that they can improve as a unit. One player who could make a huge difference if he breaks out in a bigger role is sophomore Denton Mateychuk.
It did not take Denton long to prove too good for the American Hockey League. After a long run to a WHL championship and Memorial Cup berth in 2023-24, he earned an entire trophy cabinet of honors to cap a remarkable junior hockey career. Once his season was finished, he got into 4 playoff games with the Cleveland Monsters, scoring 3 assists.
Last fall, he began his first pro season back in Cleveland. He only lasted 27 games. With 9 goals and 25 points, he was named an AHL All-Star just three months into his pro career - but that was a game that he wouldn't get to play in. The Blue Jackets recalled him just before Christmas, and he was just too good to ever send back down.
While his offensive numbers didn't pop as an NHL rookie, I don't think I can overstate how important he was to the Blue Jackets. Denton got into 45 games, scoring 4 goals and 13 points, while carrying a +4 rating and adding 20 penalty minutes with an average time on ice of 18:02 per game. He was named to the NHL All-Rookie team because he quickly became a stalwart in Columbus.
Coming out of junior as a high scoring defenseman can make for a tough transition, but what really stood out was the maturity he brought in his all-around game. With the puck on his stick, Denton was as advertised: a slippery, smooth skating puck mover, capable of creating his own space and getting the puck out of his own end. Without the puck, he surprised us because he was just as good. He closed his gaps quickly and efficiently, and found ways to create turnovers. Putting this all together in the simplest terms: he was a transitional beast.
Now, it wasn't always perfect. He had some ill-timed penalties, which were especially noticeable late in the year as the games got more physical. His size worked against him, and he was prone to losing the odd net front battle. These are things that he will need to improve upon in short order.
However, even with those shortcomings, I don't think it's a stretch to say that Denton was comfortably one of the four best defensemen to suit up for the Blue Jackets last season. No defenseman who played more than half of the season started more of their shifts in the defensive zone than Mateychuk (57.4%). Clearly, he earned the trust of the coaching staff early on.
He finished 10th on the team in takeaways, despite playing in at least 21 fewer games than every other player inside the top-10. It's worth noting that the team defense was a different unit entirely once he joined the roster in December. He was seemingly the missing link, and it wasn't until he was in Columbus that the team really started to make a late playoff push.
This took some digging, but it was worth it:
— Aaron Portzline (@Aportzline) July 4, 2025
When Zach Werenski, Dante Fabbro, Ivan Provorov and Denton Mateychuk were all in the lineup, #CBJ was 26-13-2 and allowed 2.95 goals-per-game.
And when one or more didn't dress? 14-20-7, 3.56 goals against.https://t.co/gD7Z8bBlrO
If he can avoid the dreaded sophomore slump, the Blue Jackets should be a much better team with a more experienced Denton Mateychuk on their roster for a full season. At every step along the way, he's proven to be more mature than his peers, so I think it's possible that he could be an even better defenseman for the club in his second year.
One bold prediction: Denton will score 40+ points for the Blue Jackets this season.
He really looks like a breakout candidate for the Blue Jackets this year. We only expect one rookie to make the opening night roster (goaltender Jet Greaves). This is now a more experienced lineup overall, with some added support down the middle that should help this team generate more puck possession.
Denton has shown us all along that when he has the puck on his stick, he's a dangerous offensive player. He was able to learn a lot in his first year pro, and he understands the pace of the NHL game now and what it will take to do the things he does best. He's likely going to play top-4 minutes and see time on the power-play. For these reasons, 40 points is hardly out of reach for a kid who can skate and move the puck like this.