The Blue Jackets signed two Monsters to NHL-level contracts this summer. Who are they?

Cole Clayton

Boy, wasn't it fun to watch "Cowboy" Cole Clayton play for the Monsters last season?

One of the great moments late in the season for Cleveland had to be Tony Brown's
call of Clayton's fight against Ryan Hofer on Country Night against the Hershey Bears in March. (He also gave me some information for this article, thanks Tony!)

A native of Strathmore, Alberta; Cole spent time on the family farm with his two brothers, Chayse and Cyle, where he felt he learned the rewards of hard work and teamwork. Alberta is known for its rodeo culture, and like many Albertans, Clayton participated in one himself! With all of this combined (plus some alliteration), Cole earned the nickname "Cowboy" in his circles, and it's stuck ever since.

Cole faced some challenges in his early hockey career. In 2016, he was cut from the WHL's Medicine Hat Tigers (the same team from which the Blue Jackets recently drafted Cayden Lindstrom), which derailed his development curve.

While he didn't become a regular with the Tigers until 2017, he immediately became a standout performer when he did. "Cowboy" put up a 17-70-87 line with 125 PIM and was a +30 over 210 games in Medicine Hat; this included an impressive (albeit shortened) 2020-2021 campaign where he slashed 9-21-30 in just 23 games.

Clayton went undrafted during his eligible years for the NHL Entry Drafts and was a free agent following the 2020-2021 WHL campaign. A few weeks after the Tigers' final game, he signed a minor league deal with the Blue Jackets' AHL affiliate: the Cleveland Monsters.

Clayton became an immediate hit with the fans in Cleveland due to his hard work, team-first mentality, and attachment to developing his style around showing his skill in the defensive zone. In three seasons with Cleveland, Clayton has put up an 11-35-46 line in 161 games while also mustering 104 PIM and a -13 during his time on the ice.

Clayton is a hard-nosed defensive defenseman who has size and knows how to use it. He's also shown a bit of an enforcer side to his game (check out his Hockey Fights highlights here), which helps him serve as a spark plug when needed. He is focusing on rounding out the offensive side of his game, but as he is still only 24, he has plenty of time to do so.

I expect Clayton to remain a regular in Cleveland this season, but if the Jackets have a long-term injury problem at Defense, his name will likely be among the first call-ups. I'm intrigued if his size and skillset will mesh with Dean Evason's complimentary system in the NHL, but time will only tell if he gets the opportunity.