Simulating the NHL draft, here are the picks we made for the Columbus Blue Jackets

This isn't a very strong draft, but there are some solid goaltenders available. We took two of them in the later rounds.

3rd round (#77 overall): G Måns Goos (SWE)

Believe it or not, I think the Jackets are setting themselves up fine in goal. This is another reason I didn't see a need to swing at Ravensbergen in the middle of the first round. But, with that said, adding depth to the position certainly won't hurt, and Måns Goos was still on the board here. There seems to be a bit of interest here, and for good reason. He's 6'5" and has projectable talent; though, like Ravensbergen, he's a long-term project. I honestly think he has similar upside.

Others in consideration: F David Lewandowski, D Haoxi "Simon" Wang

After the third round, this draft is really going to be all over the board. So, my strategy became targeting specific players based on organizational need. I did that with an eye towards what Don Waddell and the scouting staff seem to covet the most: getting bigger, especially on defense. With all of that in mind, here are the later round picks I made.

4th round (#109 overall): D Carson Cameron (OHL)

He's got the size, and he's a right shot with some offensive prowess. Carson Cameron is a former first round pick in the OHL draft, who has taken a little bit of time to find his game. But, he's not even 18 yet, and his game already shows growth with a lot of projectable upside. I have a gut feeling that his production could take off like Luca Marrelli's did this year. Could be a similar type of mid-round steal.

6th round (#173 overall): G Semyon Frolov (RUS)

The late rounds of the draft are all about taking chances and filling organizational needs. Who better to do both things than a 6'3" Russian goaltender who is ranked in the third round by a lot of services? Semyon Frolov dropped in this mock because, I'm guessing, the Russian factor? Who knows. But, even though he won't play in North America any time soon, there is huge potential here. Even after taking a goalie in the third round, Frolov was too good to pass up. Getting this guy in the sixth round could be a ridiculous win.

7th round (#205 overall): D Daniil Skvortsov (OHL)

At 6'4" and 215 pounds, Daniil Skvortsov could already play in the NHL from a body type perspective. He's very raw, which is why he won't be an early pick. But, he has a long reach and good mobility for a player his size. He's effective on the defensive side of the puck, and could project as a third pairing defender. Just don't expect him to ever put up big offensive numbers.

7th round (#218 overall): D Anthony Cristoforo (OHL)

Anthony Cristoforo would be at the complete other end of the spectrum from Skvortsov. He doesn't have the same size, nor the defensive prowess. Instead, he's a highly productive offensive defenseman who put up 12 goals and 61 points in 65 OHL games this season - a huge jump over his previous season. He's a second year eligible player who may not be picked at all. But, at this point in the draft, you have to dig pretty deep to find potential NHL talent.

In this mock, the Jackets came out of the draft with 5 more defense prospects, 1 forward, and 2 goaltenders. This would fill a lot of their organizational needs, especially if you're looking at where this team should be 3-4 years down the road.

Picking later in the first round isn't something we're used to in Columbus. So, we can't look at any of these picks as guys who are going to come in and help the team soon. Especially not in this year's draft. Instead, they should be looking at guys with projectable traits that they can develop into NHL players later on.

Coming away with Jackson Smith and Malcolm Spence would give them two future depth options that would be stepping into the NHL right as this team's competitive window opens. And, they would have two more cracks at the goalie whip in this outcome. Overall, I'd call this a draft weekend win.