Are the Columbus Blue Jackets going to stay with their picks at Nos. 6 and 12 or could they make a trade?
Soon the speculation will all be over as the NHL Draft from Montreal will get started on Thursday.
In our 'Names To Know' series, we checked out some of the first-round talents on display that could interest Columbus in the first round or later. Last week we looked at the defensemen the Blue Jackets could select and now we check in on the forwards that could spark interest.
Note: This was updated to include the most recent mock draft by Corey Pronman at The Athletic.
Matthew Savoie has been high on our own Dan Dukart's list all year and he'll be on a lot of teams' radars in the upcoming draft. The Canadian center led the WHL's Winnipeg Ice with 90 points (55 goals, 35 assists) in 65 games and then had a 12-point (six goals, six assists) playoff performance in 10 games. In Pronman's mock draft in The Athletic, he had Savoie off the board at No. 11 which certainly means one of the top centers in the draft could fall right to the Blue Jackets at No. 6 or No. 12. Savoie is Pronman's eighth-best prospect, and The Athletic's Scott Wheeler has him at No. 4. Pronman's lists Jaden Schwartz as the NHL player comparable to Savoie. Tankathon has Columbus selecting Savoie sixth.
I really like Conor Geekie. Like a lot. #2022NHLDraft pic.twitter.com/N6s4FoMlku
— Tony Ferrari (@theTonyFerrari) October 14, 2021
Conor Geekie is a center so check that box for the Blue Jackets. Geekie was teammates with Savoie with the Ice, where he scored 70 points (24 goals, 46 assists) in 63 games. He scored 11 points (three goals, eight assists) in 15 playoff games. In Pronman's mock, he has Geekie getting drafted at No. 14. Last week, he had him to the Blue Jackets at No. 12 and has Dylan Strome as Geekie's comp. He's Pronman's 23rd top prospect (Wheeler, 16th). Skating is an area that can improve but Geekie brings lots of other skills like size and running a power play. Geekie's brother, Morgan, is a center for the Seattle Kraken.
Ivan Miroshnichenko was diagnosed with Hodgkin’s lymphoma in January, so obviously his health comes first, and the good news is he has completed treatment and has been cleared to resume training. There was a point Miroshnichenko was considered the best Russian in the draft. Before having his season cut short, the left wing was playing for Omskie Krylia (VHL) scoring 16 points (10 goals, six assists) in 31 games and one game with Omskie Yastreby (MHL). Because of the health concerns that will likely keep him out of action for the upcoming season, he might be had later in the first round. Pronman has him going off the board at No. 31 and lists him as his 13th top prospect (Wheeler, 28th) with Gabriel Landeskog as the comp.
Cutter Gauthier if hes there, Id guess.
— Scott Wheeler (@scottcwheeler) June 30, 2022
Cutter Gauthier is a forward who has played left wing and had a few opportunities to shine last year. With the U.S. National U18 Team (USDP) he scored 65 points (34 goals, 31 assists) in 54 games and finished one off the goal lead. Then with the SNTDP Juniors (USHL), he scored 28 points (led the team with 19 goals and had nine assists) in 22 games. Gauthier was an alternate captain for the U.S. in the U18 World Championship, scoring nine points (three goals, six assists) in six games. Committed to playing for Boston College this upcoming season where he will play center, Pronman has Gauthier fifth in the mock draft, had him as his sixth-best prospect (Wheeler, 18th), and J.T. Miller as a player comp. My NHL Draft has the Blue Jackets taking Gauthier sixth.
Joakim Kemell plays right wing and could be in Blue Jackets GM Jarmo Kekalainen's plans. Playing for JYP (Liiga), he scored 23 points (15 goals, eight assists) in 39 games. In eight games for Finland at the U18 World Championship, Kemell was an alternate captain and led the Finns with eight points and six goals. Pronman has Kemell drafted at No. 7 in the mock and lists him as his seventh-best prospect (Wheeler, 7th). Viktor Arvidsson is the player comp.
Rutger McGroarty put on a great display for the U.S. during the U18 World Championship, putting up nine points and leading the Americans with eight goals in six games. In 2021-22, the center and captain played for the U.S. National U18 Team, scoring 69 points and leading the way with 35 goals to go with his 34 assists in 54 games. Playing for the USNTDP Juniors (USHL), he had 33 points (15 goals, 18 assists) in 25 games. Pronman has him going late in the first round at No. 21 and ranks him 18th (Wheeler, 15th). The NHL comp is Tyler Toffoli. McGroarty is committed to playing for the University of Michigan in 2022-23.
Frank Nazar, also a center, and also committed to play for the Wolverines next year, was teammates with McGroarty, scoring 70 points (28 goals, 42 assists) in 56 games on the U.S. National U18 Team. He scored 35 points (15 goals, 20 assists) in 24 games with USNTDP Juniors. Nazar put up nine points (three goals, six assists) in the U18 World Championship. Pronman has him drafted 19th, ranked 22nd (Wheeler, 11th), and Alex Kerfoot as his comp.
Jonthathan Lekkerimaki is a Swedish right winger that packs some scoring punch. He scored 35 points (20 goals, 15 assists) in 26 games with Djurgardens IF J20, and with Djurgardens IF in the SHL, he scored nine points (seven goals, two assists) in 26 games. His 15 points and 10 assists led the U18 World Championship, as he scored four points (one goal, three assists) in Sweden's gold medal win over the U.S. Lekkerimaki led Sweden with five goals. Pronman has him right in between the Blue Jackets' two first-round picks, going 9th, ranked 11th (Wheeler, 9th), and Jordan Eberle as the player comp.
The 2004 born Jiri Kulich is from the Czech Republic.
— Cape Breton Eagles (@CBEHockey) July 1, 2022
Standing 5'11, 178, he notched 14 points in 49 games playing in the top Czech pro league with HC Energie Karlovy Vary last season.
He was team captain for the Czechs and tournament MVP at the World Under 18s.
Jiri Kulich continues the theme of available centers in this year's draft. Out of the Czech Republic, Kulich played for HC Karlovy Vary U20 scoring four points in two games (two goals, two assists), five points (four goals, one assist) in the playoffs, and HC Energie Karlovy Vary scoring 14 points (nine goals, five assists) in 49 games, one assist in three playoff games. He shined for Czechia in the U18 World Championship, as the captain led the team with 11 points and led the tournament with nine goals in six games. Pronman has him drafted 16th, ranked 20th (Wheeler, 22nd), and compared to Ross Colton.
Juraj Slafkovsky breaks up the theme of centers. For now. The six-foot-four left winger from Slovakia played for TPS 20 and had 18 points (six goals, 12 assists) in 11 games, and TPS in Liiga where he had 10 points (five goals, five assists) in 31 games, and seven points (two goals, five assists) in 18 playoff games. He was strong in International play, co-leading the Olympics with seven points, led with seven goals, and won MVP as Slovakia won their first medal (Bronze). In the World Championship, Slafkovsky led Slovakia with nine points and six assists, scoring three goals. He led Slovakia in the Hlinka Gretzky Cup with six assists and he scored six goals in five games to finish second on the team with nine points. Pronman has Slafkovsky going first overall in the draft, ranks him first, (Wheeler, 5th), and compared to Rick Nash.
Marco Kasper is a center from Austria and played for Rogle BK J20 where he had 13 points (six goals, seven assists) in 12 games, three points (one goal, two assists) in one playoff game, and he played for Rogle BK scoring 11 points (seven goals, four assists) in 46 games, six points (three goals, three assists) in 13 playoff games. He scored two assists in the World Championship. Kasper captained Austria in the canceled world juniors and will play in the rescheduled tournament in August. Pronman has Kasper off the board at eight, ranked ninth (Wheeler, 24th), and compared to Sam Bennett.
Danila Yurov is interesting because of his situation in his native Russia. In the MHL, a top Russian junior league, Yurov played with Stalnye Lisy Magnitogorsk scoring 36 points (13 goals, 23 assists) in 36 games, and one goal in two playoff games. He wasn't given much opportunity with Metallurg Magnitogorsk in the KHL, where he didn't register a point in 21 games, and none in 19 playoff games. Pronman has him off the board with the 21st pick, ranked 10th (Wheeler, 12th), and compared to Troy Terry. Tankathon has Yurov to Columbus at No. 12.
Button on TSN talking NHL Draft:
— NHL Watcher (@NHL_Watcher) June 29, 2022
Best goal scorer: Cutter Gauthier
"Slickest" player: Logan Cooley
Wild card: Lane Hutson
Logan Cooley is an American-born center who will be off the board fast. He was another player that played with the U.S. National U18 Team where he scored 75 points (27 goals, 48 assists)—the second-most on the team—in 51 games. For the USNTDP Juniors, he scored 36 points (13 goals, 23 assists) in 24 games to finish one off the team lead. For the U.S. in the U18 World Championship, he was second on the team with 10 points (three goals, seven assists) in six games. Cooley is committed to playing for the University of Minnesota in 2022-23. Pronman has him drafted third, ranked third (Wheeler, 3rd), and compared to Brayden Point.
Brad Lambert spent his time in 2021-22 with JYP U20 for one game (one assist), JYP of Liiga scoring six points (two goals, four assists) in 24 games, and the Pelicans in Liiga play, scoring four points (two goals, two assists) in 25 games. In three playoff games, he did not register a point. Lambert is looking like a late-round pick, as Pronman has him 28th, ranked 15th (Wheeler, 8th), and compares him to Andre Burakovsky. Pronman's quote of the prospect raised a flag: "He’s full of potential, even though I’ve seen him take a lot of nights off."
Jimmy Snuggerud rounds out our list. The American forward played with the U.S. National U18 Team scoring 63 points (24 goals, 39 assists) in 59 games, USNTDP Juniors, scoring 26 points (six goals, 20 assists) in 26 games, and then the U.S. in the U18 World Championship, scoring seven points (three goals, four assists) in six games. Snuggerud is also committed to playing for the Golden Gophers next season and slots as a late first-round pick with Pronman having him go 22nd in the mock, and ranking him 29th (Wheeler, 26th), with the comparable to Tanner Pearson.
