If you look back at the last two drafts, you probably wouldn’t find a team that had as many high positions in the first round as Columbus. In 2021 and 2022, the Bluecoats selected five fighters who were among the top 32 talents. How did they get to these high-ranking positions in the first place and how did they manage them?
It all started with two trades. In exchange for former captain Nick Foligno, for whom the Maple Leafs sacrificed the first round of the 2021 draft. Tampa Bay sacrificed the same for David Savard. And then we have the Seth Jones trade, which has already been discussed several times, for which Chicago had to exchange the twelfth position for the thirty-second in the 2021 draft and also throw in their first-round pick the following year.
Of course, Adam Boqvist also took the direction of Columbus, but now we are mainly concerned with boxes with positions on the talent selection. Well, we all know how it all turned out. Today, however, we will look at how the fox Jarmo Kekäläinen and his advisers handled the generous allotment.
The 2020/2021 season was a turning point for the Blue Jackets, as they lost their captain and two beloved backs. But unlike the departure of Artemij Panarin and Sergej Bobrovsky, adequate replacements came.
The team from Ohio picked at the talent auction three times! He had the fifth, twelfth and twenty-fifth positions available. Columbus naturally reached out to Kent Johnson first. The explanation was simple. There wasn’t a better center available than him at the time, and we all know how bad Ohio State is in that regard. Right choice? So far, he’s been showered with praise from all sides, and after a season spent at university, he’s established himself as a stable player in the lineup and regularly racks up points. Not to mention participating in the world championship in hockey, where he proudly represented Canada.
Another choice? Cole Sillinger. Although he only came in as the twelfth player, he has played the most duels in the NHL of all the hockey players whose names were announced at the 2021 talent auction. After his first training camp, when Brad Larsen looked for the slightest reason to send this scorpion to the farm to toughen up, he simply couldn’t find one.
That’s why he stayed with A from the beginning of the season, and after the end of the year, he was invited to the senior national team for his excellent work. So far this year, like the rest of the team, he hasn’t found himself in dizzying form, but he still pays for a huge talent. Plus, he was born in Columbus, so he has a connection to the team, which definitely could have played a big role in his selection.
In the end, after two attackers, the defensive ranks were also strengthened. From the twenty-fifth position, Blue Jackets scouts pointed to Corson Ceulemans. Parameters? 188 cm and ninety kilos of live weight. He’s currently playing at the University of Wisconsin, and if you look at his highlights, you’ll understand why. For now, the Bluecoats can only rub their hands at how quickly their talents are growing. Two have already found their stable place and the third is just blooming. Plus, everything happened so early.
And we haven’t even mentioned Stanislav Svozil, who, to the surprise of everyone and especially Columbus, remained untouched until the third round, where the Jackets stole him.
Well, let’s move on. It’s 2022, and while the Blackhawks are tearing their hair out, plans are being made in the Bluecoats camp to make even more of a bright future. The Jackets had the number six and twelve picks available. While sixth position was, as expected, used for the offensive Czech ace in the form of David Jiříček, so the twelfth name uttered surprised many.
The choice did not fall on the neglected center Frank Nazar, and not even on the Finn Joakim Kemmell. Jarmo simply created a sensation again and pointed at the defender Denton Mateychuk. But why not? Selection Yegor Činachov everyone was also surprised, and today NHL rinks are used regularly.
But back to the selected hockey players. David Jiříček, despite the armageddon in the Blue Jackets’ defense, jumps in mainly on the farm, where he regularly scores points and makes great progress. Denton Mateychuk is currently playing in the junior league of the WHL. He was even named team captain there.
We should also mention Jordan Dumais, who would perhaps catch the wind in his current form. He rules the QMJHL junior league with 48 points from 21 games. That’s an incredible balance. The next most productive player in the competition loses over ten points to this right wing. If he continues like this, as if he doesn’t let up all the time, Columbus scouting will not miss the metal. And he was selected only from the 96th place.
To summarize. The Blue Jackets will definitely have somewhere to go in the foreseeable future. They made very good moves going forward, even if some choices were very controversial according to analysts. But only time will tell. But so far, the underbelly in Columbus looks very promising.
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