The Blue Jackets got their man with pick #14 at the 2026 NHL Draft, selecting Finnish power forward Oscar Hemming. It's clear that they wanted to add some particular assets to the organization this summer, and this pick checks a lot of those boxes.
At one point, Hemming was considered by some to be a potential top-5 or 10 prospect in this summer's draft. However, a contractual dispute from his youth club in Finland prevented him from starting his season on time.
He had been slated to play for the OHL's Kitchener Rangers this season. That could have helped his draft stock immensely, as they went on to win the Memorial Cup. Playing in that long of a season and going through that kind of intense playoff hockey, would have put a lot of eyes on Oscar.
Unfortunately, he could not get clarification on that situation, so he pivoted and took the NCAA route. This season, he played for Boston College, where he scored 1 goal and 8 points in 19 games.
To get a feel for his ability though, you have to look past the numbers. Oscar was the youngest player in college hockey this year, and he wasn't able to start his season until mid-December.
In all honesty, his production should be a complete afterthought here. This is a kid who stepped onto an NCAA roster and saw his role increase as the season wore on. Playing with and against men as much as 5 and 6 years older, Oscar stepped in and found a way to be a difference maker.
That's all we should really focus on. He kept getting better, and that's a good sign.
Size and physicality dominate his game.
At 6'4" and nearly 200 pounds, Hemming carved out a role with BC by never passing up the opportunity to throw a hit. He's a throwback to those Finnish wingers of old, playing the game in straight lines and being an extreme pain in the rear to the opposition.
He's an excellent skater for his size, and his hockey IQ often puts him right into the mix on both sides of the puck. To top it off, he's an above average shooter; with a quick, accurate release that should translate well to the NHL.
There are some drawbacks to his game, but really it all just boils down to consistency. Those kinks can be worked out by playing more hockey, and in my opinion, there is no better place to develop than the NCAA right now.
Hemming can get into a couple of games every week, and spend plenty of time practicing and working out because he's not going to be playing the CHL's crazy schedule.
If all goes well, I can see Oscar becoming one of the top goal scorers in college hockey over the next couple of seasons-while also bullying opponents on both sides of the puck. The Blue Jackets will take a patient strategy here and allow him to round out his game before bringing him along.
That is the key to unlocking his full potential, which could land him a role on this team's second line at some point down the road. He will never likely be a big play driving winger, but he is a safe bet to at least be an energy guy that can chip in some secondary offense.
This was a smart pick by the Blue Jackets in the middle of the first round. In my opinion, Oscar Hemming immediately becomes the top prospect on either wing for this organization.
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