The NHL Draft is coming, and the Columbus Blue Jackets are taking...
Well, we don't know.
With the lowest draft pick in franchise history – 24th overall in the opening round – draft day will leave Jackets fans more like Cavs fans than Browns fans this year. Instead of the selection show being a highlight of the offseason, it will merely be another piece of the puzzle.
That's great for the franchise, of course, but it makes it tougher for fans to know who the Jackets might take. Last year, there was a finite set of players who were in the mix to don the union blue, with Pierre-Luc Dubois eventually being taken third overall.
This year, who the Jackets will end up with will depend as much on what happens above them as what the team scouting reports say. Twenty-three other teams will get their choice before Columbus, leaving a wildly diverging set of potential options for the team.
How diverging? Out of 11 mock drafts looked at by 1st Ohio Battery over the past few days, forecasters have picked nine different players as potential Blue Jackets selections.
In other words, this will be an interesting draft to follow, with a ton of potential Jackets on the table. With that in mind, we figured we'd do short breakdowns of each of those prospects the mock draft gurus think will be picked by the Blue Jackets just to get some draft talk going ahead of the June 23-24 spectacle. The full NHL Central Scouting rankings can be found here if you want to play around in the sand a little bit more.
Craig Button, TSN: C Robert Thomas, London (OHL)
They say: "He's a very effective player who's smart, has skill and can fit into different spots in your lineup." (Note: Button's mock was done in May; his final ranking of players has Thomas 46th overall and KHL center Klim Koston at 24)
Age; size: 17; 6-0, 188
2016-17 stats: 16-50-66 in 66 games
Central Scouting ranking: No. 22 North American skater
Chris Ryan, NJ.com: C Robert Thomas, London (OHL)
They say: "Thomas recorded one point per game with 16 goals and 50 assists in 66 games with the London Knights in the OHL and would give the Blue Jackets another young forward."
Mike Morreale, NHL.com: LW Jason Robertson, Kingston (OHL)
They say: "Robertson (6-2, 192) continually got better as the season progressed. He had 81 points (42 goals, 39 assists) in 68 games. He has great hockey sense, a great feel for the game and is an excellent finisher."
Age; size: 17; 6-2, 192
2016-17 stats: 42-39-81 in 68 games
Central Scouting ranking: No. 14 North American skater
Adam Kimelman, NHL.com: LW Jason Robertson, Kingston (OHL)
They say: "The Blue Jackets are looking for a goal-scorer, and Robertson (6-2, 192) had 42 goals in 68 games this season. His skating needs to improve, but his puck skills are top-notch and he can score from anywhere on the ice."
Guillaume Lepage, NHL.com: C Shane Bowers, Waterloo (USHL)
They say: "A player who excels in all three zones, Bowers has built a reputation as a tireless worker who can handle the rough stuff in the corners. With his strength (6-1, 183), Bowers protects the puck well and his vision has served him well in the offensive zone. He had 51 points (22 goals, 29 assists) in 60 games."
Age; size: 17; 6-1, 183
2016-17 stats: 22-29-51 in 60 games
Central Scouting ranking: No. 16 North American skater
Joe Haggerty, CSN New England: C Lias Andersson, HV71 (Sweden SHL)
They say: "Andersson finished as the No. 3 European skater in NHL.com’s draft rankings and packs plenty of punch in a stocky 5-11, 198-pound frame. His skating isn’t where it needs to be at this point, but he plays with a three-zone tenacity and maximum effort style that tells you he’s going to work to be up to snuff for the NHL. He’s very strong on the puck and tenacious and that’s exactly the kind of player that Columbus covets."
Age; size: 18; 5-11, 198
2016-17 stats: 9-10-19 in 42 games
Central Scouting ranking: No. 3 European skater
Pat Iversen, SB Nation: C Ryan Poehling, St. Cloud State (NCAA)
They say: "A big, two-way center in the mold of Brandon Dubinsky or even Pierre-Luc Dubois, who the Jackets drafted third overall last year. He lacks the top-end scoring talent of Dubois, though, and would fill a more secondary role in the top nine."
Age; size: 18; 6-2, 183
2016-17 stats: 7-6-13 in 35 games
Central Scouting ranking: No. 13 North American skater
Arthur Staple, Newsday: D Urho Vaakanainen, JYP Jyväskylä (Finland Liiga)
They say: "Good skater could be a good find for a team that's never drafted so low in the opening round."
Age; size: 18; 6-0, 185
2016-17 stats: 2-4-6 in 41 games
Central Scouting ranking: No. 8 European skater
Joe Pantorno, Metro: C Nick Suzuki, Owen Sound (OHL)
Age; size: 17; 5-11, 183
2016-17 stats: 45-51-96 in 65 games
Central Scouting ranking: No. 10 North American skater
MyNHLDraft.com: C Josh Norris, USA Under-18 Team (USNTDP/USHL)
Age; size: 18; 6-1, 192
2016-17 stats: 27-34-61 in 61 games with U-18 team; 12-14-26 in 25 games in USHL
Central Scouting ranking: No. 34 North American skater
Draftsite: LW Nikita Popugaev, Prince George (WHL)
Age; size: 18; 6-6, 217
2016-17 stats: 29-40-69 in 71 games
Central Scouting ranking: No. 28 North American skater
