The Blue Jackets fared well in the prospects tournament held in Buffalo, New York, this week. They finished with a 2-1-0 record in three games. Led by top prospects such as Denton Mateychuk, Gavin Brindley, and Luca del bel Belluz; the Jackets sent a team rounded out with a lot of physicality in their free agent invitees this year.
Aside from the truculence however, two players stood out for reasons other than pugilism. Goaltender Jacob Oster was stellar in his game on Monday; while center Pano Fimis was a bit of a revelation, quickly earning the trust of the coaching staff and leading the team in goals (3) at the tournament.
Oster spent last season with the Oshawa Generals of the Ontario Hockey League. He led the league with 35 wins, en route to being named OHL goaltender of the year. He played in a whopping 60 games, posting a .905% save percentage and 2.82 goals against average - both good for top-5 league-wide.
He was ranked as a potential late round selection for the 2022 NHL Draft, but has been passed over in each of the last three years. It's possible that the Blue Jackets could indeed give him a contract offer - they obviously liked what they saw. Oster has one more year of junior eligibility, so it wouldn't change anything for the Blue Jackets or Cleveland Monsters this year.
At 6'3", he has a good frame for a goaltender, and the hope here is that he's just a late bloomer. Also of note: Oster is a cousin of Brady and Matthew Tkachuk. Certainly, there's bound to be some mental toughness here.
Pano Fimis is a really interesting player, and I'm surprised that no NHL team has taken on his rights thus far. The 5'11", 183 pound center has some pretty strong accolades in his career, but the junior level has been ... tumultuous, at best. As Mark Scheig points out:
Pano Fimis has two today and three goals in three games for #CBJ in Buffalo. His story is pretty remarkable.
— Mark Scheig (@mark_scheig) September 16, 2024
Between Niagara and Erie, he's had nine (9) head coaches in his junior career. Couldn't imagine that much turnover in such short order.
As a player, this is a guy with NHL skill. Fimis is a former GTHL U16 player of the year, which is no small feat. Players who have won that award include Connor McDavid and Shane Wright, amongst others. Every other player listed with that specific award, has gone on to become an NHL draft pick.
His rocky OHL career is probably the main reason Fimis is a free agent. He was the second overall pick in his Priority Selection draft, which came during the COVID year. In fact, he was taken 16 picks ahead of Adam Fantilli. There was a lot of hype around Pano, but I would argue that he's mostly held up his end of things. He just hasn't had any kind of consistency around him.
In four OHL seasons (177 games), he has 55 goals and 167 points. At the prospects tournament, I thought he stood out in each game. He's a shifty skater with really good hands and a knack for being in the right place at the right time. As a right-hand shooting center, he's basically exactly what the Blue Jackets need to add into their system.
Fimis was ranked somewhere in the second or third round of the 2022 Draft himself, but has gone unclaimed so far. His play at the prospects tournament certainly earned him an invite to main camp. Now, it's on him to earn a pro contract. I think he can do it.
Like Oster, Fimis has one more year of junior eligibility. But, it would not surprise me to see him play this season in the American Hockey League, either. He would be a solid add for the Cleveland Monsters, and a nice addition to the system overall.