Written off by many as a lost prospect, Cleveland Monsters defenseman Corson Ceulemans finally established himself as a reliable AHL player last season. But despite marked improvement, he's still a long way from the NHL, and time may be running out.
The top prospects list was compiled by a collective ranking from all of the writers at Union and Blue: Matthew Duffey, Mike Stump, Weston Motz, Struan McNevan, and Curtis Deem. We only include players 24 years and under, with fewer than 25 NHL games. Stats are from the previous season, in the league where each player spent the most time. Projections are based on top-end upside.
Top prospect #12: D Corson Ceulemans
How we ranked him: Curtis (15), Matthew (12), Mike (12), Weston (17), Struan (13). Corson was ranked as an honorable mention on last year's list.
Ceulemans was originally drafted by the Blue Jackets in the first round (#25 overall) of the 2021 NHL Draft. This was the pick they acquired from trading captain Nick Foligno to the Toronto Maple Leafs, so it will always be one that we look back upon-for better or worse.
So far, that's been "for worse". In his COVID-shortened draft season, Corson showed huge potential by scoring 4 goals and 11 points in 8 games for the AJHL's Brooks Bandits (tier 2 junior). Where he really stood out was with Team Canada at the U18s, where he scored 1 goal and 8 points in 6 games playing against the top piers in his age group.
After being selected, he spent two years with the Wisconsin Badgers (NCAA), leaving us with a lot of hope in his potential by scoring 15 goals and 45 points in 67 games. By the time he turned pro at the end of the 2022-23 season, we thought he would be on the fast track to the NHL.
Unfortunately, the adjustment to pro hockey was very difficult for Corson. Injuries and inconsistency have been the only consistent things in his game, especially over his first two full seasons in Cleveland. By last summer, he had fallen completely off of our list of top prospects, which is not ideal for a player taken in the first round of the draft.
However this year, he was finally able to piece together a mostly healthy campaign. He got into 64 games for the Monsters, scoring 8 goals and 24 points, adding 43 penalty minutes and a -14 rating. This has vaulted him back onto our list, making him the biggest riser in our rankings.
A big part of that rise is his first round acumen. As a right-shot defenseman, he's a fantastic skating puck mover who fills a big need for the Blue Jackets. He has tremendous upside, if they can unlock it. They could use his services as soon as he's ready.
The issue is, that 24 point/-14 rating doesn't exactly scream NHL ready. He took big strides this year, but he still has a long ways to go-especially on the defensive side of the puck.
To this point, Corson hasn't figured out how to put all of his tools together and become a consistent two-way player. After signing a one-year contract extension with the organization, he may be getting his last opportunity to do that here.
Pros: Size, skating, puck skill
Cons: defensive game, lack of consistency
Projection: bottom pairing puck-moving defenseman
Defensemen often take longer to develop, so Ceulemans isn't a lost cause yet. But, it's worth pointing out that he was taken in the same draft and round as Kent Johnson and Cole Sillinger; who have combined for 641 games with the Blue Jackets to this point.
At 23 years old, he hasn't been nearly good enough to force his way into the NHL. The Blue Jackets have younger players coming along that seem poised to lap him, so now is the time for Corson to put it all together, if he wants to prove he's part of the solution here. This next season is critical for him.
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