The prospect pool isn’t what we thought it was
One of the main reasons why the push for the playoffs occurred is because the Blue Jackets had one of the best prospect pools in the NHL. Some fans even argued that it was the best.
There is ultimately one main reason why our expectations did not meet reality: the 2024 draft.
Without going too far into detail (we’ll save that for the prospect reports), it already looks like the Blue Jackets’ three picks in the first two rounds of that draft aren’t living up to expectations.
Let’s start with Cayden Lindstrom. After a dominant season in the WHL, a combination of a wrist and back injury cut his season short. However, the Blue Jackets must have really liked what they saw, and decided to pick him with their fourth overall pick anyway.
Now I’ll be honest, I didn’t mind the pick at the time. Yes, the back injury was concerning, but the skill and stunning development seemed to be there. However, as many of us know, it seems that either the injury or the jump to college hockey has been too much to overcome.
Only ten points in 31 games and a reduction in ice time to third-line minutes isn’t what you’re looking for out of a top-five draft pick. The jury is still out on Lindstrom, and I still think that there’s a chance he turns it around. But at the end of the day, it’s not a great sign.
Drafted for his defensive skill at 36th overall, Charlie Elick hasn’t developed particularly well either. After tallying 27 points in his draft year, he has posted seasons of 15 and 20 since.
He has been developing well defensively, and it still seems like he can become a strong penalty-killer in the NHL within a few years. However, offensive regression in his third and fourth seasons in junior hockey is at least slightly concerning. Even with great defense, there has to be a glimpse of something offensively to find NHL success.
Then comes Evan Gardner. Did you forget about him? I can’t really blame you if so. With all of the talk surrounding Russian goalie prospects Pyotr Andreyanov and Sergei Ivanov, Gardner has been the forgotten third wheel in the Blue Jackets’ goaltender prospect pool.
His .927 save percentage and 1.91 goals against average both led the WHL, and the Blue Jackets made a trade to snag him 60th overall, and it seemed like a steal at the time as he fell down draft boards due to his size (we’ve heard that one before).
Similar to Elick, Gardner has regressed statistically, posting .911 and .902 save percentages in each of the past two seasons. Although these numbers still aren’t horrible, regression of any sort isn’t what you expect from your second-rounder.
Although Gardner and Elick will play for the Cleveland Monsters in the AHL next year, it’s not the infusion of youth and depth that we thought it was when the Blue Jackets drafted these players.
And while there were other mistakes made in the draft process, those can be overlooked, as some prospects simply not panning out is just the way the cookie crumbles. However, if these three players all fail to reach expectations, it will be hard not to look back on this draft wondering what could have been.
With that being said, Columbus has also been left disappointed by a few prospects already in the AHL. Players like Corson Ceulemans, Stanislav Svozil, Jordan Dumais, and James Malatesta have all put up underwhelming stats since making the jump to pro hockey.
This becomes more obvious when you realize that the only first-time call-up to the Blue Jackets was Luca Pinelli, and he played just three games. Although players like Luca Del Bel Belluz and Mikael Pyyhtia have made steady strides, the aforementioned forwards that the team acquired are now blocking their path to a consistent roster spot.
Instead of continuing the success of developing young players through NHL playing time, the Blue Jackets pushed for experience and leadership, and now we find the team lacking those high-end scoring forwards that win games.
The team is now in the middle of the pack age-wise, and increasing the average player age by almost 1.5 years doesn’t exactly fit the theme of a team looking to capitalize on a rebuild.
Obviously it’s easy to look back at mistakes in hindsight, but after another season leaving so much to be desired, it’s hard not to wonder what could have happened if the Blue Jackets continued to let the young stars shine instead of jumping the gun a bit too early.
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