Both of these guys could be early season call-ups for the Blue Jackets, should injuries mount.
14. (19) C Oiva Keskinen 6'0", 181 pounds. 7th round (#194 overall), 2023 NHL Draft. Projection: middle six two-way center. Stats: 15g, 20a, 35pts in 59gp for Tapparra (Finland). Signed to his ELC, he will play for the Cleveland Monsters this fall. How we ranked him: Curtis (17), Matt (15), Mike (14).
Why we ranked him here: Oiva has done nothing but improve since he was drafted by the Blue Jackets in the seventh round two years ago. This season, playing against men in Finland, he finished 5th on his team in scoring. He also starred for the Finns at the World Junior Championships, scoring 5 points in 8 games.
Keskinen is a very smart offensive player. He has that rare knack for controlling the pace of the game with the puck on his stick. He's a good passer and prefers to dish the puck out rather than shoot; but he has an underrated shot that can sneak up on goaltenders when he decides to weaponize it. In a lot of ways, he reminds me of former Blue Jacket Alex Wennberg. I'm really excited to see how he makes the adjustment to North America this fall.
13. (9) LW James Malatesta 5'9", 190 pounds. 5th round (#133 overall), 2021 NHL Draft. Projection: checking line winger. Stats: 8g, 6a, 14pts in 41gp for Cleveland (AHL). Will return to the Monsters this fall. How we ranked him: Curtis (12), Matt (16), Mike (13).
Why we ranked him here: James is one of my favorite prospects in the entire organization. Need a goal? He can score. Need a big hit? Call on Jimmy. Need someone to kill a penalty? Yeah, he does that too. He's the kind of player that you love to have on your team, but hate playing against. He'll draw the opposition into a bad penalty, and then celebrate in their face when he scores a goal on the power-play.
Unfortunately, Jimmy missed a big chunk of the season due to injury. And, that seemed to linger and bother him after he returned. He just wasn't the same player this year. Hopefully a reset gives him the fresh start he needs to get back on track. I expect him to compete hard at CBJ training camp this fall to re-establish his place in the organization.
The next two players fall just outside of our top-10, but they can change that with big seasons.