Columbus Blue Jackets Top Prospects
A look at the Columbus Blue Jackets top prospects heading into the 2015-16 season. The write ups for the Blue Jackets prospects are from mid-season, updating the progress of some of the Blue Jackets top prospects.
Zach Werenski: Defenseman - 6'2" / 209 lbs
Drafted: 8th overall to the Columbus Blue Jackets in 2015
Werenski is a gifted puck-moving defenseman with great vision and the ability to make stretch passes to the forwards around him.
Werenski has spent this season playing with the University of Michigan, posting 16 points (6 goals, 10 assists) in 19 games. He was invited to play for Team USA at the World Junior Championships and helped USA win a bronze medal while posting 9 points (2 goals, 7 assists) in 7 games.
Werenski will most likely finish out the year at Michigan and could be on Columbus' roster by the beginning of the 2016-17 season. His skills should keep him as a top pairing defenseman for the Blue Jackets for years to come.
Kerby Rychel: Left Wing - 6'1" / 214 lbs
Drafted: 19th overall to the Columbus Blue Jackets in 2013
Rychel is a power forward with good speed and a great set of hands. Rychel plays bigger than his size suggests and can be an intimidating force on the ice.
He has spent time with the Blue Jackets and the Lake Erie Monsters (AHL) this season. He's yet to register a goal in 20 career NHL games and Columbus will need him to provide more offensive spark after the departure of Ryan Johansen.
He's produced at a steady pace in the AHL, posting 20 points (5 goals, 15 assists) in 21 games, but that offense has yet to translate to the NHL.
Rychel is still young and has time to develop more of an offensive game. His skill set projects him as a top-6 forward.
Oliver Bjorkstrand: Right Wing - 6'0" /176 lbs
Drafted: 89th overall to the Columbus Blue Jackets in 2013
Bjorkstrand has had a rough 2015-16 season, due to injuries and a slow start.
The injury, although unclear what exactly what the issue actually was, sidelined him for an extended period of time and stalled his production. However, when Bjorkstand has played, his production has been decent, posting 11 points (5 goals, 6 assists) in 24 games.
Bjorkstand can bounce back when healthy and his past reflects that. When healthy, he's an elite offensive weapon and showed that his last season in junior for the Portland Winterhawks where he produced 118 points in 59 games.
Bjorkstrand could be with the Blue Jackets by the 2016-17 season, where he could slot in as a second or third line winger.
Write-up by Justin Lape, on Twitter @LankyLape
2015 Draft
1 8 Zach Werenski (D) - U. of Michigan (Big-10)
1 29 Gabriel Carlsson (D) - Linkopings Jrs. (Sweden)
2 38 Paul Bittner (L) - Portland Winterhawks (WHL)
2 58 Kevin Stenlund (C) - HV71 Jrs (Sweden)
3 69 Keegan Kolesar (R) - Seattle Thunderbirds (WHL)
5 129 Sam Ruopp (D) - Prince George Cougars (WHL)
5 141 Veeti Vainio (D) - Blues Jrs. (Finland)
6 159 Vladislav Gavrikov (D) - Yaroslavl Lokomotiv (KHL)
7 189 Markus Nutivaara (D) - Karpat (SM-liiga)
2014 Draft
1 16 Sonny Milano (L) - U.S. National Under-18 Team (USHL)
2 47 Ryan Collins (D) - U.S. National Under-18 Team (USHL)
3 76 Elvis Merzlikins (G) - Lugano (Swiss-A)
3 77 Blake Siebenaler (D) - Niagara IceDogs (OHL)
4 107 Julien Pelletier (L) - Cape Breton Screaming Eagles (QMJHL)
5 137 Tyler Bird (R) - Kimball Union (N.H. H.S.)
7 197 Olivier Leblanc (D) - Saint John Sea Dogs (QMJHL)
2013 Draft
1 14 Alexander Wennberg (C) - Djurgardens IF Stockholm (Swe-1)
1 19 Kerby Rychel (L) - Windsor Spitfires (OHL)
1 27 Marko Dano (C) - Bratislava Slovan (KHL)
2 50 Dillon Heatherington (D) - Swift Current Broncos (WHL)
3 89 Oliver Bjorkstrand (R) - Portland Winterhawks (WHL)
4 105 Nick Moutrey (R) - Saginaw Spirit (OHL)
6 165 Markus Soberg (R) - Frolunda Jrs. (Sweden)
7 195 Peter Quenneville (R) - Dubuque Fighting Saints (USHL)
Columbus Blue Jackets Top Prospects
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| Rk | My NHL Trade Rumors | The Hockey News | Corey Pronman ESPN | Hockey Prospectus | Hockey's Future | Dobber Prospects | NHL.com |
| 1 | O. Bjorkstrand | Z. Werenski | Z. Werenski | Z. Werenski | Z. Werenski | O. Bjorkstrand | S. Milano |
| 2 | Z. Werenski | S. Milano | O. Bjorkstrand | O. Bjorkstrand | K. Rychel | S. Milano | O. Bjorkstrand |
| 3 | K. Rychel | G. Carlsson | S. Milano | S. Milano | S. Milano | K. Rychel | K. Rychel |
| 4 | S. Milano | K. Rychel | K. Rychel | K. Rychel | O. Bjorkstrand | Z. Werenski | J. Anderson |
| 5 | W. Karlsson | O. Bjorkstrand | P. Bittner | W. Karlsson | G. Carlsson | A. Forsberg | Z. Werenski |
| 6 | J. Anderson | P. Bittner | J. Anderson | P. Bittner | D. Heatherington | P. Bittner | |
| 7 | D. Heatherington | W. Karlsson | D. Heatherington | G. Carlsson | A. Forsberg | W. Karlsson | |
| 8 | G. Carlsson | A. Forsberg | A. Forsberg | D. Kukan | M. Paliotta | D. Heatherington | |
| 9 | P. Bittner | J. Anderson | W. Karlsson | A. Forsberg | R. Collins | M. Paliotta | |
| 10 | O. Dansk | J. Korpisalo | T.J. Tynan | B. Siebenaler | W. Karlsson | D. Zaar | |
