In one of the overlooked, for obvious reasons, feel-good storylines out of the Columbus Blue Jackets’ 2026 NHL Entry Draft picks, the Jackets selected forward Evan Jardine in the fourth round, with pick 121 overall.
Jardine has spent the past few days since that pick in several interviews describing just how far over the moon he is about being selected by the franchise. The now-former Youngstown Phantom and soon-to-be Ohio State Buckeye had this to say when asked if he ever plans to leave Ohio again after his selection by the Union Blue
"If I don’t have to, no. I love the state. I've been there for the last three years, and I hope I never have to leave it after this."Evan Jardine
High praise for a native-born Michigander.
Evan Jardine and Ohio: A love story #ushl pic.twitter.com/ZBE3zx3WXJ
— USHL (@USHL) June 27, 2026
Setting aside his feel-good story for a moment, however, what kind of prospect is Evan Jardine?
Jardine is a 6’0”, 185 lbs. forward that primarily plays on the wing as a left-shot. In his second and final season in Youngstown, he put up 27-34-61 line in 53 games with a +12 rating and 70 penalty minutes. He also posted a 1-2-3 line in 4 playoff games with the Phantoms.
In terms of his style of play, I think Jardine’s descriptor of himself matches the scouting reports perfectly
"I think I'm a high offensive player. I think I can see things that no one else can, really high IQ, but I could also play in the defensive zone down a goal or I could play on the offensive zone trying to score a goal. I think I like to hone in the details of both those zones, and yeah, just like scoring goals and setting up goals."Evan Jardine
Jardine has been described as scouts as primarily being a playmaking winger. He lacks huge size, Dobber Prospects describes him as oozing a "cerebral presence on the puck" and that he has one of the best passing/distributing games out of any forward in this year's draft.
Personally, Jardine's draft profile reminds me a bit of another former Jacket in terms of his stature and gameplay style: Ray Whitney. I'm not saying Jardine's ceiling is the same, most scouting sources project Evan as a bottom-six forward in the NHL, at best, just that his projection and style of play remind me of "The Wizard."
Jardine is already committed to play here in Columbus with The Ohio State Buckeyes for the upcoming season, and that is likely where he'll remain for at least the next few upcoming seasons. He'll be a prospect I keep a close eye on with his story and intriguing profile moving forward.
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