The Columbus Blue Jackets are far from a finished product. They showed as much when they dipped out during the playoffs against the Tampa Bay Lightning. It is good news then that they have five players either on the way or have arrived that could be more than reinforcements.
The Athletic compiled a list of the top 155 players under the age of 23 in the NHL. The Blue Jackets had five players on the list, a good showing for a team that hasn't had many draft picks in recent years.
The five players check in at Nos. 18, 69, 103, 122, and 142 respectively. Pierre-Luc Dubois is number 18, Kirll Marchenko is 69, Alexandre Texier is 103, Liam Foudy is 122 and Emil Bemstrom is 142.
The Athletic's Corey Pronman was highly complimentary of the bunch but a couple of notes on the players especially stand out.
On Marchenko:
"His playmaking stood out to me more than ever this past season. Marchenko showed an ability to make plays with pace, find seams, and create a lot of chances versus good teams."
On Foudy:
"Foudy has an explosive stride and will be able to pressure NHL defensemen with his speed. I’ve grown to appreciate his offensive skills."
On Bemstrom:
"He can move pucks very well and create off the perimeter. His shot is his best weapon, with the ability to beat NHL goalies from mid-range. Bemstrom is a small player and physically he’ll be limited at the top level."
Pronman goes in-depth with a couple of paragraphs about each player and if you're interested in the league in general it gives you a sense of who is moving up in NHL circles and who is plateauing. For the Blue Jackets, you hope to see more players on the list in the near future as a couple of players will be graduating and getting past the age threshold shortly.
