The Blue Jackets announced the roster that they will take to Detroit this weekend, where they will participate in the annual prospects tournament. Their roster is lacking most of the big name prospects at the top of the organizational rankings, but it is loaded with grit and experience.
The highest ranked prospect from our own rankings to attend the tournament this year is defenseman Guillaume Richard, who we ranked 7th. He's not the highest drafted player attending, however.
That honor goes to our #13-ranked prospect, defenseman Charlie Elick, who was taken 36th overall at the 2024 NHL Draft. In all, the Blue Jackets are sending 10 drafted players to the tournament, including two from the most recent draft.
Those three include two forwards (Filip Novak, 7th round, Alessandro Di Iorio, 3rd round) and a goaltender (Parker Snell, 5th round). Just one 2025 draft pick will head to camp, and that's 5th rounder Owen Griffin.
Aside from those players, this is a very experienced roster. Of the 23 players headed to Detroit, there are 11 players age 20 and under (5 of them are only 18); and just one 21-year old. The other 13 players are 22 or older, including one 25-year-old (forward Josh Eernisse).
The most notable forwards are intriguing.
Up front, expect to see a top line involving one or both of Luca Pinelli and Jordan Dumais on the wings. At center, Jack Williams is the most obvious option, but I would also not be surprised to see Oiva Keskinen get a look here. He will play in Cleveland for the first time this season, but he has a lot of pro experience overseas-and some high end skill.
We will also be very interested to see Di Iorio and Novak in their first action in the Union Blue. These guys are longer-term prospects, and it will be fun to see where their development stands early in their first post-draft years.
Also notable is Owen Griffin, who had a massive season last year in the OHL. He rose to #17 on our rankings this summer, and could be another middle round steal by the Blue Jackets at the draft. Finally, you might recognize free agent invitee Vladimir Provorov's name. He is, in fact, Ivan's brother.
On defense and in goal, there are some important players to watch.
The really intriguing pieces are on defense and in goal. Evan Gardner is a very important prospect for the organization, and I'm curious to see how he looks this fall. He will be one of the two full-time goaltenders in Cleveland this year, and the Monsters are going to need him to be on his game early.
On defense, you know we're loving the idea of a Guillaume Richard - Luca Marrelli pairing. Hopefully the team reads this and makes our wishes come true. We are also interested in a potential shutdown pairing of Caleb MacDonald and Charlie Elick.
Finally, Boston Buckberger returns to the prospects tournament for the Jackets, where he has been a standout player in the past. Now that he's under contract, he could be a sneaky player to watch this fall, because he's talented and experienced.
In all, it can be difficult to get too excited for this tournament, as the organization's top prospects are all playing in the NCAA or overseas. So, they won't be attending. Still, it's hockey, and it means we are getting closer to the regular season. Lets hope the Blue Jackets prospects kick things off in style.
Add us as a preferred source on Google