Columbus Blue Jackets prospect watch: Tyler Peddle had an up and down year

Everyone was packing up their things and leaving the 2023 NHL Draft when the Blue Jackets made a last minute trade. They picked up the final selection of the draft and used it to select Drummondville Voltiguers forward Tyler Peddle.

It's hard to call Peddle this year's "Mr Irrelevant", because a team actually thought highly enough to trade for a pick to get him - but, if you must, that's what he was. He was the last player taken in the entire draft.

Don't let that fool you, however. Peddle was ranked by many outfits in the third or early fourth round. It seems like the Jackets found good value here in a 7th round pick swap.

Originally the second overall pick at the QMJHL's Entry Draft, Peddle fell in the NHL draft most likely because of his lack of scoring output last season.

Being picked so high means the expectations are really high for a player coming into junior hockey. He did make an immediate impact, scoring 17 goals and 35 points in 65 games as a rookie in the Quebec league.

But as a 17 year old in his second season, he didn't really show much improvement. He scored a modest 24 goals and 41 points in 64 games for the Voltiguers in his draft season. Numbers that don't really scream mid-round NHL draft pick.

This year, he went back to Drummondville and started off slowly, scoring 6 goals and 14 points in 37 games; before a mid-season trade to the Saint John Sea Dogs.

After the trade, his scoring pace accelerated quite a bit. He scored 11 goals and 18 points in 28 games with the Sea Dogs; bringing his total stat line to 17-15-32 (65GP) for the season.

At 6'1" and 205 pounds, Peddle brings a heavy shot that he can release from a variety of shooting angles. This is the calling card that made him a high pick in the QMJHL draft; and it's also what keeps him on the NHL radar.

But when you see a guy with this size and shooting ability struggling to score goals, there's a deeper lying issue here. He's not a terrific skater, and I wonder if he has the offensive IQ (timing) to become a high end goal scorer at the next level?

At this point, at his very peak, Peddle looks like a bottom-six guy who can bring size, physicality, and chip in some goals. But, he has a lot to learn and a long way to go to get there.

He'll be back with Saint John next season, where we'll be looking for improvement across the board.