The 2022 NHL Draft is just 16 days away.
Two weeks ago, I looked at the Blue Jackets' history of drafting in the lottery. Now it's time to see how many diamonds in the rough they've found. Here are the notable players the Jackets have selected outside the first round. Here are the best players, based on their time with the club, the Jackets have chosen outside the first round. The list of players is in chronological, so if certain players aren't as high on the list as you'd expect, it's because they were drafted more recently.
Marc Methot, Defenseman (2003 Draft, Round #6, Pick #168)
- Stats with CBJ: Regular Season: 6 years, 275GP, 7-44--51, 18:48 ATOI. Playoffs: 1 year, 4GP, 0-0--0, 16:15 ATOI.
- Also: He was traded to the Ottawa Senators for future Columbus captain Nick Foligno in July 2012.
Kris Russell, Defenseman (2005 Draft, Round #3, Pick #67)
- Stats with CBJ: Regular Season: 5 years, 288GP, 18-61--79, 16:59 ATOI. Playoffs: 1 year, 4GP, 1-1--2, 16:40 ATOI.
- Also: He was traded to the St. Louis Blues for Nikita Nikitin in November 2011.
Jared Boll, Forward (2005 Draft, Round #4, Pick #101)
- Stats with CBJ: Regular Season, 9 years, 518GP, 27-35--62, 7:48 ATOI. Playoffs: 2 years, 3GP, 0-0--0, 6:09 ATOI.
- Also: He was an alternate captain for three seasons.
Steve Mason, Goaltender (2006 Draft, Round #3, Pick #69)
- Stats with CBJ: Regular Season: 5 years, 232GP, 224GS, 96-99-27, .903SV%, 2.90GAA. Playoffs: 1 year, 4GP, 4GS, 0-4, .878SV%, 4.26GAA.
- Also: In 2009, he won the Calder Trophy, was named to the NHL All-Rookie 1st Team and NHL All-Star 2nd Team, and finished fourth in Hart Trophy voting and second in Vezina Trophy voting. He is the youngest goaltender in franchise history to record a win and a shutout.
Matt Calvert, Forward (2008 Draft, Round #5, Pick #127)
- Stats with CBJ: Regular Season: 8 years, 416GP, 72-77--149, 14:07 ATOI. Playoffs: 3 years, 16GP, 6-4--10, 16:37 ATOI.
- Also: Scored at least 10 goals in four different seasons as a Jacket
Cam Atkinson, Forward (2008 Draft, Round #6, Pick #157)
- Stats with CBJ: Regular Season: 10 years, 627GP, 213-189--402, 17:41 ATOI. Playoffs: 5 years, 35GP, 10-16--26, 20:43 ATOI.
- Also: Has the most hat-tricks in franchise history with 6, and shares the franchise record for most goals in a season with 41.
David Savard, Defenseman (2009 Draft, Round #4, Pick #94)
- Stats with CBJ: Regular Season: 10 years, 597GP, 41-125--126, 20:26 ATOI. Playoffs: 5 years, 37GP, 1-10--11, 23:38 ATOI.
- Also: The 2021 first-round pick they acquired from Tampa Bay when trading Savard was sent to Chicago in the Seth Jones trade in July 2021.
Boone Jenner, Forward (2011 Draft, Round #2, Pick #37)
- Stats with CBJ: Regular Season: 9 years, 589GP, 144-140--284, 16:59 ATOI. Playoffs: 5 years, 37GP, 8-7--15, 18:51 ATOI.
- Also: The seventh captain in franchise history.
Joonas Korpisalo, Goaltender (2012 Draft, Round #3, Pick #62)
- Stats with CBJ: Regular Season: 7 years, 182GP, 164GS, 76-67-21, .902SV%, 3.04GAA. Playoffs: 1 year, 9GP, 9GS, 3-5, .941SV%, 1.90GAA.
- Also: He holds the franchise record for most saves in a playoff game with 85 and the franchise record for save percentage in a single playoff at 94.1%.
Josh Anderson, Forward (2012 Draft, Round #4, Pick #95)
- Stats with CBJ: Regular Season: 6 years, 267GP, 65-50--115, 15:21 ATOI. Playoffs: 3 years, 21GP, 3-5--8, 15:52 ATOI.
- Also: Traded to the Montreal Canadiens for a 2020 third-round pick and Max Domi in October 2020.
Oliver Bjorkstrand, Forward (2013 Draft, Round #3, Pick #89)
- Stats with CBJ: Regular Season: 7 years, 382GP, 111-123--234, 15:39 ATOI. Playoffs: 4 years, 31GP, 6-6--12, 15:24 ATOI.
- Also: He has scored at least 20 goals in three different seasons.
Elvis Merzlikins, Goaltender (2014 Draft, Round #3, Pick #76)
- Stats with CBJ: Regular Season: 120GP, 110GS, 48-44-20, .913SV%, 2.88GAA. Playoffs: 2GP, 1GS, 1-1, .946%, 1.96GAA.
- Also: Finished fifth in both Calder Trophy and Vezina Trophy voting in 2019-20.
Vladislav Gavrikov, Defenseman (2015 Draft, Round #6, Pick #159)
- Stats with CBJ: Regular Season: 3 years, 204GP, 12-51--63, 20:23 ATOI. Playoffs: 2 years, 12GP, 1-2--3, 22:03 ATOI.
- Also: He was second on the team in points by a defenseman in 2021-22 with 33.
Markus Nutivaara, Defenseman (2015 Draft, Round #7, Pick #189)
- Stats with CBJ: Regular Season: 4 years, 244GP, 17-43--60, 15:48 ATOI. Playoffs: 4 years, 12GP, 1-1--2, 16:04 ATOI.
- Also: He was traded to the Florida Panthers for Cliff Pu in October 2020.
Andrew Peeke, Defenseman (2016 Draft, Round #2, Pick #34)
- Stats with CBJ: Regular Season: 3 years, 115GP, 3-18--21, 19:36 ATOI. Playoffs: N/A
- Also: One of two Jackets in 2021-22 to play all 82 regular-season games.
Alexandre Texier, Forward (2017 Draft, Round #2, Pick #45)
- Stats with CBJ: Regular Season: 4 years, 123GP, 22-27--49, 14:31 ATOI. Playoffs: 2 years, 18GP, 2-5--7, 17:14 ATOI.
- Also: One of three active NHL players to be born in France.
Emil Bemstrom, Forward (2017 Draft, Round #4, Pick #117)
- Stats with CBJ: Regular Season: 3 years, 117GP, 19-17--36, 11:45 ATOI. Playoffs: 1 year, 5GP, 0-0--0, 9:09 ATOI.
- Also: He shares the franchise record for most goals in a period with three.
Over the franchise's history, they've succeeded in finding quality players outside of the first round. I've written about how success at the top of the draft leads to on-ice success, but without success after the first round, it is difficult to build a winning team in today's NHL.
