The Blue Jackets have run into injury troubles of late, which seems to be an annual occurrence for this organization. With both Zach Werenski and Jake Christiansen banged up in the last game, the team recalled Denton Mateychuk yesterday. It's a well-earned opportunity for the top defense prospect in the system.
After a decorated junior career that saw him average more than a point-per-game from the blue line, Denton made a seamless transition to the American Hockey League this year. As of Monday morning, he's leading the entire league in scoring by defensemen with 9 goals and 25 points in 27 games played.
His recall comes a little sooner than I expected. Not because he doesn't deserve it, but I've long assumed that the plan here would be to keep him in the AHL for an entire season, without the distraction or concern of playing in the NHL. Development is key with young defensemen, after all.
But the team can simply no longer continue to ignore his stellar play. Mateychuk has been terrific on both sides of the puck for the Monsters, quickly becoming a big minute muncher in all situations. The fact of the matter is, he's played his way into the NHL, even if just for an audition. That's a good problem to have.
It won't take long for him to stand out...
If history is any indication, he will have the trust of the Blue Jackets' coaching staff in no time. Denton uses his elite edgework to control the gaps extremely well on both sides of the puck. Whether it's turning away from pressure and finding space to make a pass, or defending an attack from the opposition; I think he'll be reliable right away.
The only thing that may hold back his immediate contributions is his size. He's not small, but he's not a big guy either - especially from a defenseman standpoint. Listed at 5'11" and 192 pounds, I do worry about his ability to physically match the rigors of an 82-game NHL schedule.
With that said, he's done a great job keeping himself injury free throughout his career so far. A lot of this depends on his skating, which he wisely uses to avoid taking too much punishment. In that regard, he'll remind us of an Artemi Panarin or the late Johnny Gaudreau. I think his passing will impress us right away, as well. I'm excited to see how he plays in his first NHL recall.