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).

We ranked 28 total prospects for the Blue Jackets, with a total of eight honorable mentions. Here are the other three players who just missed the top-20 (we had a tie in our voting for #20).

(HM) C Tyler Angle 5’10”, 170 pounds. 7th round (#212 overall), 2019 NHL Draft. Projection: secondary scoring center (third/fourth line). Stats: 1g-2a-3pts, 12gp for Cleveland (AHL).

(HM) G Nolan Lalonde 6’1″, 185 pounds. Undrafted, signed as a free agent summer 2023. Projection: backup goaltender. Stats: 7-4-0 record, 3.22GAA, .868% save percentage, 14gp for Saginaw (OHL).

(HM) RW Cameron Butler 6’4″, 210 pounds. Undrafted, signed as a free agent summer 2023. Projection: bottom-line, physical winger. Stats: 1g-0a-1pt, 14gp for Cleveland (AHL).

The top-20 prospects for the Columbus Blue Jackets:

T-20. (HM) LW Tyler Peddle 6’1″, 205 pounds. 7th round (#224 overall), 2023 NHL Draft. Projection: bottom six physical/scoring winger. Stats: 6g-7a-13pts, 33gp for Drummondville (QMJHL). Why we ranked him here: Peddle has a wicked release, which he uses along with his size and physicality to play a strong offensive game. He doesn't project as a top-six scorer, but his game will translate well to the professional level.

T-20. (HM) D Nikolai Makarov 6’1″, 195 pounds. 5th round (#132 overall), 2021 NHL Draft. Projection: physical bottom-three defenseman. Stats: 0g-2a-2pts, 28gp for CSKA Moscow (KHL). Why we ranked him here: if Makarov does make the jump from Russia at some point, he could be a solid shutdown player in the Vladislav Gavrikov mold.

19. (HM) G Melvin Strahl 6’3″, 165 pounds. 5th round (#156 overall), 2023 NHL Draft. Projection: NHL goaltender. Stats: 8-10-0 record, 2.72GAA, .909% save percentage, 19gp for MoDo J20 (Sweden Junior). Why we ranked him here: He's a long-term project, but in a system that is weak on goaltending prospects, Strahl could be a hidden gem.

18. (HM) C Oiva Keskinen 6’0″, 180 pounds. 7th round (#194 overall), 2023 NHL Draft. Projection: middle six two-way center. Stats: 3g-12a-15pts, 29gp for Tapparra (Liiga, Finland). Why we ranked him here: Keskinen is producing well in a men's league, and was recently named to Finland's WJC U-20 team. He could be a rapid riser if his trajectory keeps up.

17. (HM) LW Kirill Dolzhenkov 6’6″, 235 pounds. 4th round (#109 overall), 2022 NHL Draft. Projection: middle six scoring winger. Stats: 3g-3a-6pts, 16gp for CSKA Moscow (KHL). Why we ranked him here: He's the biggest prospect in the system, hard to knock off the puck, and with some of the best hands of any CBJ prospect. He could have a Dmitri Voronkov kind of impact in a few years.

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.