Training camp is a couple of weeks away and certain players are going to make impressions while others will have to wait another year to make the Blue Jackets.
Columbus' latest influx of talent has come from within the organization as strong drafting has been the backbone, a focal point of the John Davidson/Jarmo Kekalainen administration. It is important to identify the up-and-comers and the players that may make an impact at the NHL level in the years ahead.
The 1st Ohio Battery staff has put together a list of prospects and we'll be ranking them from 20 all the way down to 1. None of the players on the list have played more than the rookie minimum of games.
20. Matiss Kivlenieks - Goaltender
Projecting Kivlenieks to the next level is hard. The number of goaltenders that go from the United States Hockey League (USHL) to the NHL is relatively small and the netminders that do make it normally go through the NCAA first. Players like Keith Kinkaid of New Jersey and Jimmy Howard of Detroit stick out as comparables.
Kivlenieks stayed in the USHL and was a dominating force in that time. He won multiple awards including player of the year and goaltender of the year in 2016-17, which led to him signing as a free agent with the Blue Jackets. So while his domination is impressive, the lack of historical context makes it tough to get a handle on how he'll fare in transitioning straight to the American Hockey League (AHL).
19. Veeti Vainio - Defenseman
Vainio was an under the radar selection by the Blue Jackets in 2015 when they made him a fifth-round pick. Not many defensemen scored at the rate he did at the junior league level; in fact, some of the numbers were comparable to players like Erik Karlsson.
Vainio has had a rough go of it lately and has dealt with injuries ever since he was drafted. He only played seven games during the 2016-17 season and is already battling an injury going into the 2017-18 campaign. While the smooth-skating defenseman still has a chance to make an impact, the clock is ticking and a decision a future contract is on the horizon.
18. Daniel Zaar - Forward
Almost aged out at this point, Zaar was never able to find a spot that allowed him to shine while with the Cleveland Monsters. He performed well during the team's run to the Calder Cup but never stuck out like Oliver Bjorkstrand, Josh Anderson or Lukas Sedlak did.
Still a high-volume shooter and a scorer to boot, Zaar isn't a bad ace to have in your back pocket. Now playing in the Swedish Hockey League (SHL), if he develops more of an all-around game, Zaar could head back to North America in the future.
17. Paul Bittner - Forward
Dogged in his draft year due to playing with stellar linemates, Bittner hasn't had a great time since being drafted. In his post-draft season, Bittner injured his hip and was unable to participate in the World Juniors. It cut his season with the Portland Winterhawks (WHL) short and landed him with the Monsters earlier than expected.
Not able to find consistency with the Monsters, Bittner has been in a no-mans land and hasn't developed like the organization has hoped. With only one professional season under his belt, Bittner, a second-round pick in 2015, has time to grow still but injuries may be too much to overcome.
16. Sam Vigneault - Forward
Vigneault is also right on the border of being a prospect due to his age, but he had a good year with Clarkson University and transitioned well to the AHL after signing with Columbus. He is a big body (listed at 6-foot-5) and has a scoring touch to go with it.
He likely tops out as a middle-six center in the AHL unless he scores at a higher rate. This season should be telling for him and may give a better idea of how his development is shaping up.
