Blue Jackets prospect watch, William Whitelaw has his sights set on the Hobey Baker Award

After the Blue Jackets traded away their top scoring winger this offseason (or should I say this preseason?), the team is looking for a winger to be able to step up in his place and be a top scoring forward.

Kent Johnson has risen to the occasion so far, but after him it gets a bit murky. Matthew Knies hasn't done enough since the first game of the season to solidify his spot on the first line, and others like Valeri Nichushkin haven't stood out either.

Unfortunately, there isn't a winger in the system with top-line offensive upside. Well, there wasn't.

William Whitelaw is in the top tier after a dominant series

The Western Michigan Broncos faced off against the Long Island Sharks on Thursday and Friday, and scored a total of 17 goals in those two games.

A huge part of that offensive explosion was William Whitelaw, who had four goals, all of which came in the first game, as well as three assists.

This was the first hat trick of his collegiate career, and he added another for good measure. The third of those goals came after he released to open ice just outside of the slot and buried a one-timer.

After those two games, Whitelaw now has seven goals and 14 points in seven games, which ranks him third and second in all of college hockey, respectively.

He also has a +11 rating, which can probably be attributed to the team's success, but it's still worth mentioning as it's the fifth-highest mark as well.

Whitelaw broke out with Western Michigan last season, nearly doubling his goal and point totals from his previous season with the Michigan Wolverines, in which he was mostly in a bottom-six role.

He was originally drafted in the third round by Columbus in 2023 after a solid season with the Youngstown Phantoms, and after a little bit of patience, it looks like that pick is paying off.

He has that offensive upside that the Blue Jackets are craving, and I can't imagine he would take too long to develop in the AHL, assuming he joins the Cleveland Monsters next season, which we could even get a taste of after his college season wraps up.

His fantastic shot drives most of his offense, but he has solid speed, puck skills, and vision that all contribute to a well-rounded offensive game.

He's also solid defensively though, and even buried a shorthanded goal with a nasty move against his former team just over a week ago.

He'll have to keep up his solid play and continue to produce against more competitive teams, but as of now he is firmly in the conversation for the Hobey Baker Memorial Award, which is given to the top collegiate hockey player.

Regardless, he's undoubtedly on a solid track to be a contributor in Columbus sooner than later, and might just be able to provide a solid spark to this offense down the road.

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