1. (3) RW - Jesse Puljujarvi - 6'3,200 - Karpat, Liiga - Two way forward has great instincts in the offensive zone without sacrificing his defensive duties.
2. (34) LW - Brett Howden - 6'2,193 - Moose Jaw Warriors, WHL - Another power forward who has good playmaking ability in the offensive zone, but knows his responsibilities in his own zone as well.
3. (64) D - Jacob Moverare - 6'2,198 - HV 71 J20, SuperElit - Extremely smart and poised defender never panics in his own zone. Shows great IQ and control in defending. He has offensive upside that is limited by his skating right now. Improve the skating, and the sky is the limit.
6. (154) C - Vasili Glotov - 5'11,159 - St. Petersburg, MHL - Hard working pivot is exceptional offensively, coming off an impressive 1.3 PPG pace. He will need to add weight and strength to his game to translate to the North American style.
7. (184) RW - Daniel Kurovsky - 6'3,198 - HC Vitkovice U20, Czech U20 - Massive winger knows his role and gets to the dirty areas to put the puck in the net. He needs to work on his skating, but with his size and drive he is a solid late round prospect.
I came into this draft knowing that the Blue Jackets only had 5 picks and made a conscious decision to only take a goaltender if one fell hard. I also thought that following last years draft where the Jackets selected six defenders, and two in the first round, that the focus needed to be on offense, specifically center. Unfortunately, I couldn't pass on Puljujarvi, and I have Howden rated in the mid-20's and he fell to me in the second round. Couldn't go off my board just to focus on the center position. I think Moverare in the third round is great value. I have him in the early second on my board. Glotov is the wildcard at center. He put up impressive numbers in the MHL. If he grows to 6'0,200 he could carve out a career in the league. Kurovsky was a solid gamble in the last round. All in all, I would have liked to add a center earlier, but couldn't pass on the players I took.
3. (82) RW - Yegor Korshkov - 6'4,179 - Lokomotiv Yaroslavl, KHL - Massive winger showed the ability to completely dominate shifts at the World Junior Championship. He is a powerful skater with the ability to take the puck to the net.
4. (97) C/LW - Matt Filipe - 6'2,203 - Cedar Rapids Rough Riders, USHL - Power forward makes the game look easy. He is a solid skater and has an NHL ready shot.
5. (142) C - Igor Svyrev - 6'0,192 - Magnitogorsk, MHL - Playmaking center is an excellent passer and is good at creating offense.
6. (172) D - Chase Priskie - 6'0,192 - Quinnipiac, NCAA - Puckmoving defenseman picks his spots well on offense. He has a solid stick and anticipation skills in his own zone.
7. (202) D - Vojtech Zelenak - 6'5,214 - HC Sparta Praha U20, Czech U20 - Massive defender plays a mean physical style and doesn't panic under pressure. He skates well and has a big point shot.
It's very difficult to come away with a great haul when you only have five picks, and the first one is 82nd overall. I tried to have a balanced draft to add size and skill offensively, while taking a risk on a few defenders with high upside. I made a conscious decision pre-draft not to take a goaltender unless one fell to the point I couldn't resist based on the fact that the Rangers are high on Huska, and short on skater's in their system.
