The NHL Draft is just a few weeks away, and anticipation about who the Columbus Blue Jackets are going to pick with the 6th and 12th overall selections is growing by the day.
Whether or not general manager Jarmo Kekalainen drafts the next All-Star or a player who barely makes a blip in the NHL is something we won’t know for many years. Something we do know though, is the hits and misses from past drafts.
Time for a pop quiz: Can you name these ten players drafted by the Columbus Blue Jackets?
PLAYER ONE
Let’s start off easy. This 6th rounder from the 2008 draft is second in franchise history in both goals and points, and is all but a lock to call Columbus home again when his playing days are done. Who is it?
PLAYER TWO
No goalie drafted by the Columbus Blue Jackets has more *assists* than this man, who picked up 12 in his career. After a little more than four seasons, this player moved on from the organization via trade. He last played in the NHL in the 2017-18 season, when he made 12 of his 457 career starts. Who is it?
PLAYER THREE
This 2003 draft pick was the first Blue Jacket other than Rick Nash to score 100 career goals in the NHL, but only 76 of them came in a Columbus sweater. Who is it?
PLAYER FOUR
Zach Werenski leads the 2015 Columbus draftees in goals, assists, and points. Another defenseman, one taken with their last pick of the draft, ranks second in all of those figures from the same class. Who is it?
PLAYER FIVE
This player ranks 11th all-time in points, getting 201 while a member of the Blue Jackets. Born in 1994, he was one of three first-round draft picks in the 2013 draft. Who is it?
PLAYER SIX
This 6th round draft pick from the 2017 NHL Draft scored his first NHL goal this season — and yes, he did it with Columbus. He’s one of two 6th-rounders from that draft class to score an NHL goal to date. He’s 5’11”, 180lbs, and knows the area pretty well. Who is it?
PLAYER SEVEN
Of the 20 players drafted in 2004 and 2005 by Columbus, only one of them registered more than 100 career NHL points. This defenseman, taken in round three of the 2005 draft, actually picked up 254 points in his career — a number that may not be done yet, as he’s still actively in the NHL. Who is it?
PLAYER EIGHT
No player drafted by the Blue Jackets has more penalty minutes than this 7th round pick from 2006. Who is it?
PLAYER NINE
No first round picks in the 2011 draft for Columbus, but they did pick up Boone Jenner in the second round. He’s got 144 goals. He’s not the only forward drafted that year to score at least a dozen NHL goals, though. There was a 6th rounder had 15 goals and 12 assists in his three-year NHL career — all with Columbus. Who is it?
PLAYER TEN
The Blue Jackets didn’t have a lot of early picks in their first-ever draft. After they selected Rusty Klesla fourth overall in round one, they only had one other pick (Ben Knopp, in round three) before round five. But in that round, with the 133rd pick overall, they took a 28-year-old defenseman. He scored four goals and added a dozen assists in his “rookie” season with Columbus, and it was his only season with the team. Who is it?
ANSWERS:
1. Cam Atkinson
2. Steve Mason
3. Nikolai Zherdev
4. Markus Nutivarra
5. Alex Wennberg
6. Powell native Carson Meyer
7. Kris Russell
8. Derek Dorsett
9. Lukas Sedlak
10. Petteri Nummelin
