Columbus Blue Jackets Top Prospects: Chrismas Edition

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).

There are some pretty good prospects in this range - lots of guys with NHL potential:

16. (19) D Guillaume Richard 6’2″, 175 pounds. 4th round (#101 overall), 2021 NHL Draft. Projection: bottom-three two-way defenseman. Stats: 1g-7a-8pts, 16gp for Providence College (NCAA). Why we ranked him here: Richard is a solid all-around player, who could be a good depth defenseman and penalty killer in the NHL.

15. (18) D Andrew Strathmann 5’11”, 190 pounds. 4th round (#98 overall), 2023 NHL Draft. Projection: bottom-four puck moving defenseman. Stats: 5g-13a-17pts, 18gp for Youngstown (USHL). *University of North Dakota commit. Why we ranked him here: Though somewhat undersized, Strathmann is a sturdy two-way defenseman, who is currently captaining his team and leading the way at both ends of the ice.

14. (15) D Samuel Knazko 6’1″, 190 pounds. 3rd round (#78 overall), 2020 NHL Draft. Projection: bottom-four puck moving defenseman. Stats: 0g-2a-2pts, 11gp for Cleveland (AHL). Why we ranked him here: Knazko is a polarizing prospect, one whose skill and experience should have him ranked higher. He shows a lot of skill, but hasn't yet separated himself from the younger players in the system, so it's hard to gauge his NHL potential. He needs to stand out, and soon.

13. (HM) G Jet Greaves 6’0″, 179 pounds. Undrafted, signed as a free agent summer 2021. Projection: backup goaltender. Stats: 12-3-0, 2.80GAA, .913% save percentage, 15gp for Cleveland (AHL). Why we ranked him here: Jet has struggled a little bit at lower levels, but this year he's been better behind a stronger team. When called upon in the NHL, he's been eye opening. I still don't think he'll be an every day starter, but he does look like he has NHL potential.

12. (13) C Hunter McKown 6’1″, 205 pounds. Undrafted, signed as a free agent spring 2023. Projection: middle six two-way center. Stats: 3g-7a-10pts, 22gp for Cleveland (AHL). Why we ranked him here: McKown was thrust right into the NHL last season, and definitely struggled with the big club. But he's adjusting nicely with the Monsters, and once he finds his game, I do think he'll be a bottom-six NHL center.

11. (16) LW Mikael Pyyhtia 6’0″, 160 pounds. 4th round (#114 overall), 2020 NHL Draft. Projection: middle six scoring winger. Stats: 3g-11a-14pts, 25gp for Cleveland (AHL). Why we ranked him here: Pyyhtia has a terrific shot and has shown a penchant for playing alongside talented players. Part of this is due to his overall two-way game, which continues to improve.

Every prospect inside this top-10 shows legitimate NHL potential. Some will take longer than others, however.

10. (17) G Sergei Ivanov 5’11”, 165 pounds. 5th round (#138 overall), 2022 NHL Draft. Projection: starting goaltender. Stats: 4-6-0 record, 2.36GAA, .935% save percentage, 16gp for Vladivostok (KHL). Why we ranked him here: Ivanov is playing - and starring in goal - in one of the top men's leagues in the world. He's one of the biggest risers on our list because he just keeps stopping pucks, regardless the competition. The only two things that keep him from rising further: his size, and the fact that he's playing in Russia, with no clue as to when or if he comes over.

9. (20) C Luca Pinelli 5’9″, 170 pounds. 4th round (#114) overall, 2023 NHL Draft. Projection: middle six two-way center. Stats: 23g-10a-33pts, 31gp for Ottawa (OHL). Why we ranked him here: Speaking of biggest risers, Pinelli earns that honor on this ranking, jumping 11 spots. He's almost equaled his goal output from last season in less than half the number of games played. Still a raw talent, but when you see a guy putting up numbers like this, it's hard to overlook him.

8. (12) RW William Whitelaw 5’9″, 175 pounds. 3rd round (#66 overall), 2023 NHL Draft. Projection: second line scoring winger. Stats: 6g-5a-11pts, 17gp for Wisconsin (NCAA). Why we ranked him here: Whitelaw has made a quick adjustment from the USHL to the collegiate level, where he's been a strong goal scoring threat already. He was also one of the last cuts from team USA's World Junior Championships roster.

7. (10) LW James Malatesta 5’9″, 190 pounds. 5th round (#133 overall), 2021 NHL Draft. Projection: middle six sniper/pest. Stats: 7g-4a-11pts, 21gp for Cleveland (AHL). Why we ranked him here: A slow start to the professional ranks for James Malatesta has seemingly dissipated - he has 8 points in his last 8 games. But even if the offensive output isn't big, I love his ability to crawl under the opposition's skin and cause havoc.

6. (8)  D Corson Ceulemans 6’2″, 200 pounds. 1st round (#25 overall), 2021 NHL Draft. Projection: second pairing two-way defenseman. Stats: 1g-3a-3pts, 17gp for Cleveland (AHL) Why we ranked him here: Ceulemans may not be scoring at a high pace, but his two-way game and mobility make him an intriguing prospect on defense.

GM Jarmo Kekalainen has done a terrific job filling this team's prospect cupboard. This top-5 is still really good, even with the graduation of some important pieces.

5. (7) C Luca del bel Belluz 6’0″, 180 pounds. 2nd round (#44 overall), 2022 NHL Draft. Projection: middle six scoring center. Stats: 4g-9a-13pts, 18gp for Cleveland (AHL). Why we ranked him here: Luca has made a quick transition to the American Hockey League, scoring at a near point-per-game pace and only getting better as the young season continues on. He needs to stay there this year and keep developing his all-around game, but he may be the best true center prospect in the organization, with Fantilli graduating from the list. I love his potential as a future middle-six center for the Blue Jackets.

4. (6) D Stanislav Svozil 6’0″, 180 pounds. 3rd round (#69 overall), 2021 NHL Draft. Projection: second pairing two-way defenseman. Stats: 1g-8a-9pts, 19gp for Cleveland (AHL). Why we ranked him here: Need a goal? Need a shot blocked? Big hit to spark the team? Stan can do it all, and he has done so consistently at every level since being drafted. He even picked up an assist for the Blue Jackets in the spring. He'll be a fan favorite for the Blue Jackets in no time.

3. (5) C Gavin Brindley 5’9″, 170 pounds. 2nd round (#34 overall), 2023 NHL Draft. Projection: middle-six two-way forward. Stats: 10g-8a-18pts, 18gp for Michigan (NCAA). Why we ranked him here: Though undersized, Brindley plays the game physical and at a breakneck pace. He has high end goal scoring potential, and does not take a single shift off - regardless the scenario. Brindley also made team USA for the World Juniors; his stock is only rising.

2. (4) RW Jordan Dumais 5’9″, 175 pounds. 3rd round (#96 overall), 2022 NHL Draft. Projection: top-six scoring winger. Stats: 16g-31a-47pts, 21gp for Halifax (QMJHL). Why we ranked him here: Dumais is the most prolific scorer anywhere in the Blue Jacket organization/system. In 85 regular season games over the last two seasons, he has 70 goals and 187 points. The reigning QMJHL MVP is right back at it this fall, leading the league in points-per-game by more than a half point. Will play in a significant (top line) role for team Canada at the World Juniors.

1. (3) D Denton Mateychuk 5’11”, 190 pounds. 1st round (#12 overall), 2022 NHL Draft. Projection: top-four puck-moving defenseman. Stats: 6g-29a-35pts, 24gp for Moose Jaw (WHL). Why we ranked him here: Denton Mateychuk saw his season-opening 23 game point streak snapped in the final game before heading off to team Canada's WJC U-20 invitee camp. A 23 game points streak in junior may not seem all that impressive - except for the fact that Denton is a defenseman. We've called him a one-man breakout before; that holds true, and he's producing at a much higher pace this year. Also playing in a significant role for team Canada at the World Juniors. This guy is the real deal.