The holiday season is upon us, and with the NHL season well under way, it's time to revisit our list of the top prospects for the Columbus Blue Jackets.
The spoils of the NHL Draft have begun to arrive in Columbus, with three players from our summer list already graduating to the NHL ranks (Adam Fantilli, David Jiricek, and Dmitri Voronkov). They were prospects #1, 2, and 9 on our summer list. Two players are departing the list due to aging out (#11, Daniil Tarasov, and #14, Trey Fix-Wolansky). All of this movement means we have some pretty big changes to the list overall.
The Top Prospect List Rules:
Players must be under 24 years old.
Fewer than 25 NHL games played.
Previous rankings are in parenthesis (HM = honorable mention).
Stats displayed are from the current season, in their most used league.
Projections are based on high end upside. Obviously, not everyone will reach their peak potential.
Honorable Mentions (in no particular order - previous rankings in parenthesis):
(HM) RW James Fisher 6’2″, 185 pounds. 7th round (#203 overall), 2022 NHL Draft. Projection: physical bottom-six winger. Stats: 13g-4a-17pts, 28gp for Penticton (BCHL) - Northeastern University commit.
(HM) LW Martin Rysavy 6’3″, 220 pounds. 7th round (#197 overall), 2021 NHL Draft. Projection: physical bottom-six winger. Stats: 11g-9a-20pts, 29gp for Moose Jaw (WHL) *Is signed to an entry-level contract by the Blue Jackets.
(HM) D Aidan Hreschuk 5’11”, 190 pounds. Acquired from Carolina for Max Domi – originally selected 3rd round (#94 overall), 2021 NHL Draft. Projection: bottom pairing two-way defenseman. Stats: 0g-5a-5pts, 17gp for Boston College (NCAA).
(HM) D Ole Bjorgvik-Holm 6’3″, 195 pounds. 5th round (#145 overall), 2020 NHL Draft. Projection: bottom pairing shutdown defenseman. Stats: 3g-16a-19pts, 21gp for Cincinnati (ECHL).