Columbus Blue Jackets prospects

[Theo Von]

I've never posted on this board but I've read thru a lot of posts and there are some extremely knowledgeable posters on here when it comes to prospects. With the Jackets being overseen by a draft-specialist as GM, Jarmo Kekalainen... the team went from being ranked as the 24th best prospect pool in 2012, to the 2nd best prospect pool behind the Ducks last season... this season HF ranks them 6th.

With not that many posters posting under the 'prospects' thread on the CBJ board, I want to gain some knowledge on our prospects on the main board. Curious as to how you all perceive the prospect pool of the Jackets. Many some in-depth analysis on some of the players, first-hand, in-person experience of watching them or not... all replies are appreciated! Thanks!

----------------------------------------------------------------------------

According to Hockey's Future: CBJ's top 10 prospects.


1. Sonny Milano
2. Kerby Rychel
3. Oliver Bjorkstrand
4. Anton Forsberg
5. Josh Anderson
6. Marko Dano
7. Mike Reilly
8. Joonas Korpisalo
9. Dillon Heatherington
10. Ryan Collins

(Wennberg is excluded as a prospect due to how many games he has played this season. I'd still be curious as to your opinion(s) on him, though!)

--------------------------------------------------------------------------

Goaltenders: Anton Forsberg, Elvis Merzlikins, Joonas Korpisalo, Oscar Dansk.

Center: Sonny Milano, Marko Dano, William Karlsson, TJ Tynan, Michael Chaput, Peter Quenneville, Lukas Sedlak.

Left-Wing: Kerby Rychel, Julien Pelletier, Markus Soberg.

Right-Wing: Oliver Bjorkstrand, Daniel Zaar, Josh Anderson, Seth Ambroz, Nick Moutrey, Tyler Bird.

Defensemen: Mike Reilly, Dillon Heatherington, Ryan Collins, Austin Madaisky, Thomas Larkin, Blake Siebenaler, Will Weber, Oliver LeBlanc.

Thanks for all the insight!

Click to read more...

 

[AntonRodin*]

Average.

 

[Roo Mad Bro]

I really wanted Milano and Siebenaler last draft.

 

[Hello Johnny]

Average.

Hobey Baker candidate ranked #7 on here. Definitely above average. The depth is quite good and William Karlsson apparently isn't even in our top 10.

 

[BoHorvat 53]

Very deep with top-end talent such as Bjorkstrand

 

[spintheblackcircle]

Top 5 for sure.

 

[Theo Von]

It's important to note that the rankings from above were done before the Karlsson trade. Ryan Kennedy, prospect expert of Hockey News, has stated that Karlsson would be ranked 4th behind Bjorkstrand.

 

[RyanOhReally]

Top 5 in the league, especially after this years draft

 

[alphafox]

Forwards. We have a few prospects with elite ceilings i.e. offensive players that can drive and create offense. (Milano and Bjorkstrand) In addition we have quite a few top six or complimentary top line pieces (Rychel a.k.a. Hartnell reincarnated, Dano, Wennberg, Karlsson, Josh Anderson). Botttom line is that our forward prospects probably rank in the top 3 in the league, and depending upon how we draft could go to number one.

Defense: Mike Reilly is really our only guy with and elite ceiling, and it doesn't help that he is likely going to give us the finger instead of signing. Behind Reilly we have a group of defense first middle pairing guys that will "help you win", in Heatherington and Collins. The rest of the D prospects either cap out in the AHL or as bottom pairing NHLers most likely. Our D is really the weakness of our system, and I expect a lot of additions to it at the draft this year.

Goalies: Forsberg has been incredible in the AHL this year, and while his spot duty at the NHL level has been less than stellar his overall work in his rookie year on NA ice has been spectacular. Dansk has disappointed, but hopefully he can come back if given a bit of stability. Both Korpisalo and Merzlinins have been solid playing big minutes for their clubs in europe. Overall a pretty solid group of tenders with Forsberg looking like he will be an NHL goalie sooner rather than later. Given that we have Bob and Forsberg I expect Goalies will be our lowest priority this year at the draft.

Overall I think we sit fourth behind Buffalo, the Islanders, and Calgary.

 

[R S]

Strong, even if none of those guys can be seen as real "cornerstone", franchise type players.

 

[Mit Yarrum]

Top 10 for sure.

 

[threeVo]

Hobey Baker candidate ranked #7 on here. Definitely above average. The depth is quite good and William Karlsson apparently isn't even in our top 10.

Lacks high end talent, and the mentioned could become a UFA so...

 

[SLAPSHOT723]

Kerby Rychel is going to be such an awesome player.

 

[Zaddy]

I like it a lot. They've drafted very smart and it shows. They already have a lot of young guys on the roster too in Murray, Wennberg, Johansen and Jenner. Just solid drafting. Big fan. Rychel is going to be a beast.

 

[CraigsList]

It's a top 10 prospect pool that I think can really solidify a top 5 spot after this draft.

 

[WannabeFinn]

top 10 pretty easily I think, top 5 after this upcoming draft

 

[Icebreakers]

How in the world is Josh Anderson over Reilly and Dano...

 

[Ezpz]

Hobey Baker candidate ranked #7 on here. Definitely above average. The depth is quite good and William Karlsson apparently isn't even in our top 10.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hobey_Baker_Award
Not exactly a list of standouts.

 

[Bonin21]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hobey_Baker_Award
Not exactly a list of standouts.

Generally they give it to older players that have an impact on college hockey more than the best players leaving for the pros that year. Gaudreau became a college hockey legend in three years. Eichel will win it this year because he will go down as one of the best to ever play college hockey.

Halfway through the season I didn't think Reilly would be in the discussion because of his defensive limitations. They are still there, but he is on another level on the offensive zone (albeit in a weak conference). I'm actually starting to believe his offensive skills could be world class and not just great at the college level. I don't think he'll be a final three Hobey finalist, though.

 

[CBJx614]

top 10 pretty easily I think, top 5 after this upcoming draft

3 2nds and a top 8 1st should definitely add top the overall talent pool

 

[sanitysrequiem]

Columbus Forward Prospects - Something Has to Give?

Columbus seems to have tonnes of solid forward prospects. None of them project to be a superstar but nearly all of them are in that kind of top 6 / top 3 tweener kind of talents.

How are they going to fit all their forward prospects and give them all enough of an opportunity to blossom? Will there be a lot of trades coming up? Which prospects do you see as sticking in their top 6 long-term.

Currently (counting the young established players) you have

Ryan Johansen
Boone Jenner
Cam Atkinson
Anisimov
Dubinsky
Foligno

And then for prospects you have

Alex Wennberg
Marko Dano
William Karlsson
Oliver Bjorkstrand
Kerby Rychel
Sonny Milano



I really don't know how you can make room for so much talent. I feel like Johansen, Jenner and Foligno will be locks in the top 6 for the next 5 years or so. But Dubinsky Anisimov and Atkinson are pretty good players too.

Out of the prospects, who will win out an offensive / 2nd line role? Who do you think will be traded? Or will the others take on a bottom 6 role?

 

[Jacko95]

As you said other than Johansen there is nobody really on the way to become a superstar. You can easily fill up three lines with the kind of players you listed (yes they can all play on a third line as well), which would just leave two guys, that would not fit into this top9. Chances are high that at least one will bust or goes bananas faster than expected. Which would leave us at one too much. You can easily trade a 40p guy for futures if you need. There is always a market for such guys.

This situation is really not all that uncommon. NAshville has it on a regular basis with defenders, Tampa has it with offense right now. CHI sometimes trades prospects/ players because they have too many NHL guys as well. Also Arizona has always had more defenders than they could fit.

 

[thrillhous]

Don't forget Milano, who I like the most out of their prospects.

I see Karlsson, Wennberg and Rychel settling into bottom 6 roles while Dano, Bjorkstrand, Milano are more top 6 or bust kind of guys, with probably only one of them settling in long term there, largely determined by learning to be defensively responsible. I might be wrong about Dano though, maybe he's better defensively than I think, I don't know.

And I should add, with Wennberg he could be a second line player but I think his effectiveness in a 2-way role will make it more likely that he settles into a third line position.

 

[Gar Glow]

Seems like they like Wennberg quite a bit. From an outaide perspective I feel he was rushed this year. He appears to of played quite a but this year without much production. With that being said, his game when he was in Sweeden was pretty projectable. I feel like he is being groomed to be their long term 2nd lone center. I really like Dano and Bjorkstrand as well. I expect Anisimov to be shopped and I think Atkinson is still expendable with the wing prospects they have.

 

[CBJWerenski8]

Wennberg is almost a lock to be here next year, and Dano isn't far behind. They're going to take their time with Bjorkstrand, Rychel, and Milano. Doubt they see regular NHL icetime until after next season. By then, Anisimov, Bourque, Boll, Calvert, Atkinson, etc could all be gone. I think they'll have William Karlsson in the lineup somewhere next year but thats just me. It's a luxury to have.