Welcome back.

It’s time to kick off Daily Faceoff’s second annual NHL Prospect Pool Breakdown, looking at the best all 32 teams have to offer. We’re highlighting the top 10 prospects for every franchise, their biggest strengths and weaknesses and so much more.

The criteria for being labeled a “prospect” are simple: players generally have to have played in 50 or fewer NHL games or spent more time outside of the NHL than in it last year. Skaters over 23 years old are not included, with goaltenders needing to be 25 or under.

Today, we’re looking at the Columbus Blue Jackets.

At some point, the Columbus Blue Jackets are going to need to take massive steps forward if they’re going to be viewed more seriously.

And with new GM Don Waddell at the helm, it could happen soon. Not including the 2020 play-in tournament, the club has won one playoff series since their first season in 2000-01 – a shocking sweep of the Tampa Bay Lightning in 2019.

Since then, they’ve struggled mightily, having failed to hit the 30-win mark in each of their past two seasons. Sure, injuries have been a major issue for this franchise, but some missteps – on and off the ice – haven’t helped. Not to mention the lack of production from Jonny Gaudreau, someone the Blue Jackets poured everything into to help make them more competitive back in 2022.

Fortunately, Waddell has a great pipeline to work with. Adam Fantilli had a great rookie season before an injury shut him down, while Daniil Tarasov and Dmitry Voronkov became everyday contributors, too. That’s just scratching the surface of what the Blue Jackets have on the way, and if they can even hit on five of their top 10 prospects, they’ll be in incredible shape sooner rather than later.

There’s still room to grow – scoring depth can still be addressed, and there’s no clear No. 1 goaltender in waiting. But there are enough building blocks for fans of this franchise to be excited about.

Biggest Strengths

The Blue Jackets have a bit of everything on the blueline; puckmovers, two-way threats, good skaters, shutdown options and physicality. It’s rounded, and they’ve got options for both sides of the ice, too. David Jiricek and Denton Mateychuk are both high-end options, while Charlie Elick and Stanislav Svozil could both find spots somewhere in the lineup, too. And that’s after ignoring Andrew Strathmann, Samuel Knazko and Luke Ashton, among other notables.

Biggest Weakness

I do like Sergei Ivanov, and I think Jet Greaves could be a decent backup goaltender. But there isn’t a single goaltender in this organization, NHL or not, that I truly feel confident in. The Blue Jackets have some high-end wingers, a potential No. 1 centerman and a few top-four defenders at their disposal, but I’m not sure any of the goalies they have in waiting are real impact options. Ivanov, in particular, is a bit small and at least a few years away. If Elvis Merzlikins is not the answer in net, they could afford to offer a young asset to get the right guy. I just don’t think they have what they need right now.

Fast Facts:
NHL GM: Don Waddell
Dir. Amateur Scouting: Ville Siren
Dir. of Player Development: Rick Nash
AHL Affiliate: Cleveland Monsters
ECHL Affiliate: N/A

*Cayden Lindstrom (Steven Ellis/Daily Faceoff)*

TOP 10 PROSPECTS

1. Cayden Lindstrom, C, 18 (Medicine Hat, WHL)

Acquired: Drafted fourth overall, first round in 2024

A 1-2 punch with Adam Fantilli? Heck yeah. Lindstrom is a unique specimen, A back injury took him out of action for about three months, but I still think we’re looking at someone who can dominate enough physically in the NHL. He’s an absolute monster out there, and scouts love the potential for him to be a high-scoring wrecking ball, somewhat like a Nathan MacKinnon or Roope Hintz. Lindstrom’s combination of speed, size and skill makes him so fascinating. Assuming his back is truly good to go, which he says it is, I expect him to dominate the WHL next year before pushing to make the Blue Jackets in a prominent role the following season.

2. David Jiricek, RHD, 20 (Columbus Blue Jackets)

Acquired: Drafted sixth overall, first round in 2022

Jiricek primarily played in the NHL this year, registering 10 points in 43 games. But he also spent a significant chunk back in Cleveland, where he worked on improving his defensive play. At times, it felt like he was way too good for there, but maybe not fully ready to take on bigger responsibilities in the NHL. But we witnessed a young man with so much potential as one of the top defensive prospects in the game, and he just needs to iron it out. Given CBJ was far from a playoff team, I wish Pascal Vincent gave him more of a leash to make mistakes, but I know he was also fighting to keep his own job alive. I expect Jiricek to break out in a big way with a new coach in Columbus because his two-way game is tremendous and he makes things happen with the puck. I see him as a top-pairing defenseman in the future.

3. Denton Mateychuk, LHD, 20 (Cleveland, AHL)

Acquired: Drafted 12th overall, first round in 2022

*Denton Mateychuk (Steven Ellis/Daily Faceoff)*

What a year for Matechyuk. He started the year riding a point streak spanning more than 20 games before playing a big part with Canada’s World Junior team. He tailed off a bit later on in the season, but the Warriors captain had 17 goals and 75 points in 52 games – and another 11 goals and 30 points en route to a WHL title. Mateychuk will put up a good fight to make the Blue Jackets next year, but some seasoning with Cleveland seems like the best bet. You don’t find defensemen putting up 64+ points in the WHL three years in a row often, so I’m really excited to see what he does next year.

4. Gavin Brindley, RW, 19 (Columbus Blue Jackets)

Acquired: Drafted 34th overall, second round in 2023

Named Big Ten Player of the Year earlier this year, it’s hard not to call Brindley one of the biggest steals of the 2023 NHL Draft so far. After a solid 38-point freshman season, he finished 25 goals and 53 points in 40 games, including two points in the game that sent Michigan to the Frozen Four. Add in his incredible performance at the World Juniors with USA, and you can see someone has very little to prove at the college level right now. Brindley isn’t big, but he’s energetic and isn’t afraid to get rough along the boards to win any battle thrown at him. I hope Brindley reunites with his good buddy Adam Fantilli again because they were downright dangerous at Michigan two years ago.

5. Jordan Dumais, RW, 20 (Cleveland, AHL)

Acquired: Drafted 96th overall, third round in 2022

It was a difficult season for Dumais, to say the least. He had 47 points in 21 games, so he was on pace for one to absolutely demolish the scoring race. But a shoulder injury in the preseason, mixed in with another injury around the World Juniors and a late-season arrest kept him from having a remarkable season. Regardless, he’s easily one of the most productive forwards in the draft, and he’s set to turn pro with the Monsters this year. At 5-foot-9, he’s on the smaller side of things, but he makes up for it with his tremendous creativity and dual scoring/playmaking abilities. If Dumais can adjust to the game’s physical nature, he will be so much fun to watch.

6. Charlie Elick, RHD, 18 (Brandon, WHL)

Acquired: Drafted 36th overall, second round in 2024

*Charlie Elick (Steven Ellis/Daily Faceoff)*

Elick is a punishing, in-your-face defenseman – but he’ll do it all with a smile. Elick isn’t going to put up a ton of points on the board, but the mobile, 6-foot-3 blueliner is considered by many of the top WHL stars to be the toughest player to play against. His lack of offensive upside won’t help, but what he does best, he does better than most. Still, compared to some of the other defensemen in the system, I do feel like Elick has what it takes to be a long-term NHLer. While someone like Jiricek and Mateychuk will be relied on more for their two-way abilities, Elick will be known more for being a physical force out there, and you need guys like that.

7. Stanislav Svozil, LHD, 21 (Cleveland, AHL)

Acquired: Drafted 69th overall, third round in 2021

When watching Svozil set up Connor Bedard in Regina in 2022-23, it was easy to wonder what would happen when he wasn’t working with a truly elite talent. That was the case with Cleveland this year, and I was still quite impressed with what I saw. Svozil didn’t blow the doors off with 23 points in 57 games, but that’s still a solid number for a 21-year-old averaging 17-18 minutes a night in most games. He’s a hard-working defender who won’t beat you with pure size, but he likes to get physical and make you push yourself hard in order to take control. Svozil plays with a boatload of confidence and isn’t afraid of anyone out there, even if his playmaking decisions can suffer, at points. Still, I like what he brings to the table.

8. Luca Del Bel Belluz, C, 20 (Cleveland, AHL)

Acquired: Drafted 44th, second round in 2022

Del Bel Belluz turned out to be quite the scoring threat in the OHL, and he put up a solid 31 points in 58 games as a rookie with Cleveland. He even scored in his NHL debut this past season. With the puck, he’s a great shooter and a more-than-capable passer, while also showing a bit more muscle than I remember from his days in Mississauga or Sarnia. But I know some people have expressed concerns about how he’s often viewed as a passenger on whatever line he’s on; he can finish, sure, but he’s not driving the play. LDBB feels best on the power play, but players who get typecast in roles like that often struggle to become truly effective. It feels like he’s a boom-bust player, someone who might not be effective if he isn’t putting up a ton of points. But when he is, he’s tough to contain.

9. Luca Pinelli, C, 19 (Ottawa, OHL)

Acquired: Drafted 114th overall, fourth round in 2023

*Luca Pinelli (Terry Wilson/OHL Images)*

I really want Pinelli to become a serious NHL threat because he’s such a blast to watch. He can produce, having scored 48 goals and 82 points as the captain of the 67’s this past year. He’s not afraid to mix it up, either, which you love to see from a 5-foot-9 center. Pinelli has a nonstop motor and even plays well enough defensively, with my biggest concern, beyond his size, being his passing. If he can find ways to become more efficient and successful in finding the right players to pass to and perhaps even move to the wing, I think he’ll be fine. Pinelli won’t be a bruiser, and the speed/skill gap will begin to close once he turns pro, but he’s adaptable and smart enough to be useful.

10. William Whitelaw, C, 19 (University of Michigan, NCAA)

Acquired: Drafted 66th overall, third round in 2023

After a high-scoring season with the USHL’s Youngstown Phantoms in his draft year, Whitelaw had a quiet freshman year at Wisconsin with 10 goals and 17 points in 37 games. He has transferred to Michigan for 2024-25 and is expected to be a big part of the team’s high-flying core. From a style perspective, Whitelaw moves very quickly and has a bottom-six-level work ethic; he always wants to impress someone on every shift. Whitelaw wants the puck on his stick, and he’s got the skill and the talent to convert at higher level than his freshman season might suggest. But at just 5-foot-9, will he physically be able to make it work at the next level?

Other notables: Hunter McKown, C (21), Mikael Pyyhtia, C (22), Cameron Butler, RW (22), Max McCue, C (21), Oiva Keskinen, C (20), Tyler Peddle, LW (19), Kirill Dolzhenkov, RW (20), James Fisher, RW (20), Martin Rysavy, RW (21), Samuel Knazko, LHD (21), Ole Julian Bjorgvik-Holm, LHD (22), Luke Ashton, LHD (19), Tanner Henricks, RHD (17), Andrew Strathmann, LHD (19), Aidan Hreschuk, LHD (21), Corson Ceulemans, RHD (21), Nikolai Makarov, LHD (21), Guillaume Richard, LHD (21), Jet Greaves, G (23), Nolan Lalonde, G (20), Sergei Ivanov, G (20), Evan Gardner, G (18), Melvin Strahl, G (19)