David Jiricek (Steven Ellis / The Hockey News)
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In an effort to qualify for the 2019 playoffs, the Columbus Blue Jackets and general manager Jarmo Kekäläinen pushed their chips hard.
They decided to keep free agents Artemi Panrin and Sergei Bobrovsky on hold, then added Matt Duchene, Ryan Dzingel and Adam McQuaid. The additions helped them upset the Tampa Bay Lightning in the first round before losing in the second round.
The shock victory would be the last playoff series Tampa Bay would lose until the Cup Finals three years later. The problem with the all-in was that that year they left the locker empty and their prospect pipeline was disappointing beyond the young players on the team.
Although some pundits believe Jarmo Kekäläinen screwed up everything to win a run and the future was in jeopardy, just three years later, the Blue Jackets look like their NHL club will be vying for a playoff spot in the metropolitan division and their pool of potential customers. has been rebuilt. They have exceptional young talent up front and back, from Cole Sillinger and Kent Johnson to David Jiricek and Denton Mateychuk. They also have a top goalkeeper prospect in Daniil Tarasov.
The depth of their entire prospect pool is also superb. Stanislav Svozil, Aidan Hreschuk and Corson Ceulemans are quality defensemen who could play NHL games. Kirill Marchenko and Liam Foudy are knocking on the door for NHL jobs while Tyler Angle and Trey Fix-Wolansky are making their way to the AHL.
For a team that only went all-in a few years ago and whose future was in discussion, it looks like a team with a few young stars on the roster and a pipeline full of talent on the way. Jarmo Kekäläinen, the “wild man” of the 2019 trade deadline, has done an impressive job managing this team and ensuring they do so within the windows they have, while continuing to build for the future. future as well.
2022 NHL Class Draft
Round 1 (6 in total) – David Jiricek, D, Plzen HC [Czech]
Ronde 1 (12 au total) – Denton Mateychuk, D, Moose Jaw Warriors [WHL]
Round 2 (44 au total) – Luca Del Bel Belluz, C, Mississauga Steelheads [OHL]
Round 3 (96 overall) – Jordan Dumais, R, Halifax Mooseheads [QMJHL]
Tour 4 (109 au total) – Kirill Dolzhenkov, R, Krasnaya Armiya [MHL]
Round 5 (138 in total) – Sergei Ivanov, G, SKA 1946 Saint Petersburg (MHL)
Ronde 7 (203 au total) – James Fisher, R, Belmont Hill (USHS-Mass)
The Blue Jackets entered the draft with two first rounds and made the most of it. With the sixth overall pick, the Blue Jackets selected Czech defender David Jiricek, a defender with two-way abilities and all the raw tools needed to be a top-notch defender. Jiricek is capable of delivering a booming slap to the offensive edge of the ice and delivering a booming shot to the defensive edge of the ice.
Moose Jaw Warriors defenseman Denton Mateychuk was then ranked 12th overall. Mateychuk is an undernourished defender who has a knack for attacking play. Highly creative and incredibly skilled, Mateychuk can make a difference on the offensive side of the ice with his mobility and skill with the puck. He’s an impressive passer who can play as a powerplay quarterback, but his defensive game will need to round out as he develops.
Taken in the second round, Del Bel Belluz is an attacking creator, a skilled passer and an accurate shooter. His skating will take work, but his ability to unleash his one-shot bomb and move the puck with precision across the ice as a point guard makes him an intriguing prospect. Jordan Dumais, the CHL’s top draft-eligible prospect, was in the third round for the Blue Jackets. Dumais is an attacking dynamo who uses his vision and passing ability to separate opponents, as well as a knack for taking advantage of the pockets of space he has given him when he sees them retreat. He’s underpowered and plays on the perimeter, but his talent is legit.
Kirill Dolzhenkov is a massive winger with decent shooting ability and impressive puck ability. However, there is still a long way to go as a skater before he is considered a legitimate prospect at the NHL level. Sergei Ivanov was considered one of the best goalkeepers in the draft class before the year and scored stellar numbers in the Russian Junior League in one of the best teams on the circuit. Both are worthy of gambling in the final part of the project.
Forces
With the best of their crop of forwards already on their way or on their way to the NHL this year, defensive depth is the obvious selling point in their pipeline at the moment. The group is highlighted by their two first-round picks, but the talent doesn’t stop there.
Svozil is a two-way defenseman who closes in quickly in the neutral zone and doesn’t give his opponents enough time to pick up speed in the middle of the ice. His offensive game is still in the works, but he seemed more and more at home as the year went on in the WHL last season, showing skill and finesse to go along with his physical traits. Samuel Kňažko is another European prospect who came to the WHL last year. Kňažko is an accurate passer who can spot his teammates in great positions anywhere on the ice.
Corson Ceulemans and Aidan Hreschuk started their NCAA careers well. Ceulemans was an offensive force with seven goals and 15 assists in 34 freshman games for the University of Wisconsin. It has all the tools you could ask for and college is the perfect place to perfect them. Hreschuk is a two-way defender who can do a bit of everything. He can interrupt opponent’s transition play and is also a skilled disc mover.
Weaknesses
Columbus’ pipeline is brimming with talent from top to bottom. The only area where they could use stellar energy in their pool is in the middle. Cole Sillinger proved himself with the club last year at 18, which makes this criticism almost unfair, but he no longer qualifies as a prospect for this exercise. Sometimes Kent Johnson is called a center, but most assume he will establish himself as one of the top six left wingers, where he played for the past two years in college. Adding another top center to the draft is always a good thing.
Next Man: LW Kent Johnson
Making his debut at the end of last season, Johnson has the potential to be an absolute force as a dynamic director. He has video game-level recording skills, with hands that could dangle in a phone booth. His passing ability and vision in the offensive zone are special in that he can draw in and manipulate defenders to open enough lane to thread the needle on a teammate in excellent scoring position.
Johnson is quick and nimble, but his top speed isn’t as impressive as some might expect from a player with his skill set. He’s at his best in space, weaving and swaying through traffic. He has a good shot but will need to get stronger to add some pop if he is to become a legit scoring threat at the next level. That said, if Johnson gets close to the goalkeeper, he can absolutely embarrass him with a tricky move. There’s so much to enjoy from this hugely entertaining perspective.
Perspective Depth Chart Notes
AG : Kent Johnson, James Malatesta, Mikael Pyyhtiä
C : Luca Del Belluz, Liam Foudy, Tyler Angle
AD: Kirill Marchenko, Trey-Fix Wolansky, Jordan Dumais
LD: Denton Mateychuk, Stanislav Svozil, Aidan Hreschuk, Samuel Kňažko
DR : David Jiricek, Corson Ceulemans, Nick Blankenburg
G: Daniil Tarasov, Sergey Ivanov
For a deeper dive into the prospect pool with player rankings, check out Yearbook and Future Watch editions of the Hockey News print edition!
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