Everything Blue Jackets fans should know going into the NHL draft

Buckle up, Blue Jackets fans. The offseason fun is about to begin.
It all kicks off with the 2022 NHL Draft, which will see the first round take place Thursday night in Montreal with rounds two through seven finishing things up Friday.

The next week might be even busier, though, with the Jackets holding their annual prospects development camp at OhioHealth Chiller North. Add in the start of NHL free agency on Wednesday, July 13, and the reality that most of the big offseason trades take place in this span of time and we'll know a lot more about the team Columbus will ice -- and the Blue Jackets' future -- when the next two weeks or so are concluded.
The first big part of the puzzle is the draft, which the Blue Jackets go into with two first-round picks at Nos. 6 and 12 overall. Columbus also has picks in the second round (44th overall), third round (96th overall), fourth round (109th overall) and seventh round (203rd overall).
After picking three times in the first round a year ago -- picks that netted Kent Johnson (fifth), Cole Sillinger (12th) and Corson Ceulemans (25th) -- the Blue Jackets can continue adding young talent with their choices Thursday night. Or Columbus could make a trade with that high-level ammunition, should the right deal be on the table for general manager Jarmo Kekalainen and his crew.
READ MORE: Draft party Thursday night at PiNS Easton | 6 and 12 have yielded NHL stars | Draft home
However it all works out, Columbus has a great opportunity to keep adding to its cadre of young talent, with an eye on building a championship team. The Blue Jackets could add another high-level young center after drafting Johnson and Sillinger a year ago, find another high-scoring winger or keep bolstering a group of young, talented defensemen that has been rebuilt over the past two years.
How will it all shake out? If you're a Blue Jackets fan, here's what to know about the NHL draft before it kicks off Thursday evening.

Our top 16

Last week, we combined 13 different draft rankings to come up with a consensus poll of the top players available, per NHL draft/prospects reporters. Here's how it came out (
click here for stats and notes about each player
as well as the rest of the first-round profiles).
1. C Shane Wright | 6-0¼, 191 | Kingston (OHL)
2. C Logan Cooley | 5-10¼, 174 | U.S. National Team Development Program
3. LW Juraj Slafkovsky | 6-3½, 218 | TPS (Finland)
4. RHD Simon Nemec | 6-0, 190 | HK Nitra (Slovakia)
5. RHD David Jiricek | 6-3, 189 | HC Plzen (Czech Republic)
6. C Matthew Savoie | 5-9, 175 | Winnipeg (WHL)
7. RW Joakim Kemell | 5-10¾, 171 | JYP (Finland)
8. RW Jonathan Lekkerimaki | 5-10½, 165 | Djurgardens IF (Sweden)
9 (tie). LW/C Cutter Gauthier | 6-2¼, 189 | U.S. National Team Development Program
9 (tie). C Frank Nazar | 5-9¾, 175 | U.S. National Team Development Program
11. RW Danila Yurov | 6-1, 178 | Metallurg Magnitogorsk (KHL)
12. LHD Kevin Korchinski | 6-2¼, 185 | Seattle (WHL)
13. LHD Pavel Mintyukov | 6-1¼, 197 | Saginaw (OHL)
14. LHD Denton Mateychuk | 5-10¾, 188 | Moose Jaw (WHL)
15. C Brad Lambert | 6-0½, 175 | Pelicans (Finland)
16. C Marco Kasper | 6-1, 183 | Rogle BK (Sweden)

The general vibe

For much of the season, the consensus was that Wright -- just the sixth player ever to be granted early into the top levels of Canadian junior hockey -- would go No. 1, but the current chatter is that Slafkovsky may have closed that gap and could go with the top pick to Montreal after dominant showings at the Winter Olympics and World Championships this year. Some also see Cooley, the top American on the board, as top-pick potential, while Nemec and Jiricek are thought to be the best blueliners available. That could very well be the top five off the board before the Blue Jackets pick at six, but such names as Gauthier and Kasper seem to have significant buzz behind them as the draft nears. Two things we do know -- this could be a very unpredictable draft at the top, but a very good player should be available when the Jackets walk up to the podium with the No. 6 pick.

3 potential picks at 6

1. Cutter Gauthier:
   Many mock drafts have the big forward going to the Blue Jackets
   ; the big question might be if he lasts this long. Listed by Central Scouting as a wing but someone who many observers believe can play center at the NHL level, Gauthier has an excellent shot and isn't afraid to play a physical game. If he's available, he makes sense as a CBJ pick, but the chatter is he's moving up boards as teams make their final evaluations.
   2. David Jiricek: If Gauthier moves up, someone has to move down, and that might be Jiricek. The Czech defenseman missed a good chunk of his season with a knee injury suffered at the World Juniors, and he might not have the offensive upside of someone like Nemec when teams are looking at blueliners at the top of the draft. He's a commanding presence and a right-shot defenseman, and he would be good value here if he makes it to six.
   3. Joakim Kemell: If the Blue Jackets go for a wing, this Finn makes a lot of sense. He's coming off a very strong season in Finland's Liiga, leading all rookies with 15 goals in a defensive-minded league, and was among the top testing players at the NHL combine. He projects as an explosive scorer at the NHL level.

5 potential picks at 12

1. Marco Kasper: If Kasper is available at 12, Columbus might run to the podium to take the Austrian pivot. Though Kasper checked in just 16th in the consensus poll, there's a growing vibe in mock drafts that the two-way standout might end up a top-10 pick. Some scouts have fallen in love with the competitive, responsible center; offensive upside might be the question, but many think he'll produce just fine.
   2. Connor Geekie: Staying at center, Geekie -- who slotted 17th in our consensus poll ranking -- could be the big pivot the Blue Jackets are looking for if Gauthier is off the board when they select at six. The 6-3¼ forward and brother of Seattle forward Morgan Geekie is a big body down the middle and can also score, as evidenced by a 70-point season this past year with Winnipeg of the WHL.
   3. Kevin Korchinski: Staying with the size angle, Korchinski could be the move if the Jackets take a forward with the sixth pick. Many think he's the third-best defenseman available, and he is coming off a season when he placed fourth among all WHL defensemen with 65 points, including 61 assists.
   4. Denton Mateychuk: Also on the defensive side is Mateychuk, who graded out in the same ballpark as Korchinski in the consensus poll. He's not quite as big, but the Jackets do love defensive prospects with offensive upside, and Mateychuk provides that with 64 points in 65 games with Moose Jaw of the WHL a year ago.
   5. Brad Lambert: For our last choice here, let's go with most polarizing player in the draft. Lambert is thought to be the best skater available and has looked great at two different World Juniors tournaments; on the other hand, he found it hard to score in Finland's Liiga the past two years and his draft stock has taken a hit as he was once thought to be a top-five pick. If you're looking to take a shot on skill here, Lambert could be the guy.

Storylines to follow

Goalie market: The Blue Jackets go into 2022-23 with four goalies under contract in Elvis Merzlikins, Joonas Korpisalo, top prospect Daniil Tarasov and recently signed 21-year-old Jet Greaves. Given how long it takes for goalie prospects to develop, it might make sense for Columbus to add a netminder in the draft, but none are projected as high picks. Tyler Brennan (Prince George, WHL) is listed as the top North American goalie by NHL Central Scouting, while Finnish netminder Topias Leinonen leads the European list, but it could be the late second or early third round before a goalie goes off the board per pre-draft rankings.
Slovakia steps up:This could be a banner draft for the nation of Slovakia, which has three potential first-round picks in forwards Juraj Slafkovsky and Filip Mesar as well as defenseman Simon Nemec. A Slovakia-born player hasn't gone in the first round since Columbus took Marko Dano in 2013, and a once-proud hockey nation that had multiple players taken in the first round of five of nine drafts from 1997-2005 hasn't had more than one player taken in the first round since that streak ended. Slafkovsky could be the top Slovak ever drafted, as well, as former CBJ forward Marian Gaborik went third overall to Minnesota in 2000. A Slovakia team that featured 2020 third-round CBJ draft pick Samuel Knazko earned its first-ever Olympics medal this February.
Red, White and Blue Jackets? Yet again, the U.S. National Team Development Program will be well represented at the draft. Eight USNTDP alums -- center Logan Cooley (second in our consensus rankings), center Frank Nazar (tie for ninth), center/wing Cutter Gauthier (tied for ninth), wing Rutger McGroarty (20th), wing Isaac Howard (22nd), wing Jimmy Snuggerud (24th), defenseman Lane Hutson (31st) and defenseman Seamus Casey (32nd) landed in the first round of our consensus rankings, while defenseman Ryan Chesley was also receiving votes.
Another top team: Sweden's answer to the USNTDP might be the Djurgardens system, as the 16-time Swedish champion was relegated from the SHL this year but does boast a bevy of young talent in its system. Wing Jonathan Lekkerimaki (eighth in our consensus rankings), wing Liam Ohgren (18th), center Noah Ostlund (26th) and defenseman Calle Odelius (29th) all wore the Djurgardens jersey this past year. You'll hear that name a lot Thursday evening.
Get well soon: One player whose draft status will be worth following is Ivan Miroschnichenko, who placed 21st in our consensus rankings. The Avangard Omsk winger who has drawn comparisons to Alex Ovechkin for his booming shot and electric play would almost certainly be higher had he not been diagnosed with Hodgkin's lymphoma this year and missed most of the season. Miroschnichenko has been cleared to return to training, but the uncertainty around both his illness and Russian prospects in general this draft will make him one of the toughest prospects to project this year.
The Buckeye State: Two potential draftees were born in the state of Ohio, and their names will be familiar to astute observers. First off is Ohio State-bound defenseman Tyler Duke from the USNTDP, as the Strongsville native and brother of 2021 draft pick Dylan Duke (Tampa Bay) should go in the middle rounds. Then there's defenseman David Spacek, who was born in Columbus when his father Jaroslav skated for the Blue Jackets. The younger Spacek spent this past season playing for Sherbrooke of the QMJHL and projects as a low-round choice.