Draft Preview

With the NHL draft less than one week away, I thought it would be a good time to take a look at the likely candidates the CBJ will be looking at drafting.

For the first time in the teams history, the Columbus Blue Jackets will pick out of the top ten at number sixteen. The latest the club had ever previously drafted was eighth in '01 and '04. Here is a look at recent number sixteen picks:

2008: Joe Colborne - BOS

2007: Colton Gillies - MIN

2006: Ty Wishart - SJS

2005: Alex Bourret - ATL

2004: Petteri Nokelainen - NYI

2003: Steve Bernier - SJS

2002: Jakub Klepis - OTT

2001: R.J. Umberger - VAN

2000: Marcel Hossa - MTL

1999: David Tanabe - CAR

1998: Eric Chouinard - MTL

As you can see, the number sixteen pick has not faired well over the past ten years. The only notable name in the group is current Blue Jacket and former Buckeye R.J. Umberger. The Jackets will be looking for better fortune coming out of the spot in 2009.

The Blue Jackets have had a history of using their first round pick to select highly skilled forwards such as Rick Nash, Derrick Brassard, Jakub Voracek, and Nikita Filatov. In fact, each one of their first round picks since 2002 has been a forward. Now that the team is loaded with talented wingers, some expect the club to select a defenseman in the first round.

Possible defenders the team may have interest in include Ryan Ellis, Simon Despres, Oliver Ekman-Larsson, and David Rundblad. Here is what SI and had to say about the guys:

Eyan Ellis, D, Windsor Spitfires

Some have concerns about his size (5-10, 175), others his defensive reads. But every team would love to employ Ellis and his offensive savvy on their blueline. He'll be an elite power play quarterback.

Simon Despres, D, Saint John Sea Dogs

The first overall pick in the 2007 QMJHL priority draft, Despres has seen his hype muted while playing behind a stacked blueline in Saint John. That may change as the season wears on. Scouts love his pro size (6-3, 208), skating, responsible defensive play and hints of an emerging offensive game.

David Rundblad, D, Skelleftea (Sweden)

He's struggled with the adjustment to the men's league, but showed enough in juniors to suggest that he'll be a solid top-four option. His appearance at the WJC could have a tremendous impact on his selection.

According to Hockeysfuture.com

Oliver Ekman-Larson, D (Sweden)

A late riser on draft boards, Ekman-Larsson is a dynamic, offensively-minded defenseman. Known as a mobile skater capable of crisp tape-to-tape passes, the 17-year-old also plays with maturity beyond his years.

Another option for the Jackets would be to trade the pick. Some experts predict that the Jackets will try to trade their pick for a later first round pick and an additional second round pick. We saw this two years ago when the jackets traded down to the eighth slot and still were able to get the guy they wanted, Jakub Voracek. If the team thinks they can move down and still get one of the guys they are interested in, don't be surprised to see them do so.

The Off-Season

With the off-season in full effect for the Columbus Blue Jackets, it's time to start looking at draft prospects. The Jackets will draft 16th in this June's draft, which is the latest the team has drafted in its ten year existence. (The latest the club had ever drafted perviously was eighth in '01 and '04).

At first glance, this appears to be a very deep draft. Guys that would go in the top ten in a normal year, may fall to the second half of the first round because of the plethora of talent. This bodes well for the Jackets since they will be picking outside the top ten for the first time ever.

Here are the Jackets previous first round picks

2000 - 4th, Rusty Klesla, D
2001 - 8th, Pascal Leclaire, G *
2002 - 1st, Rick Nash, W (traded up)
2003 - 4th, Nik Zherdev, W *
2004 - 8th, Alexandre Picard, W (traded down)
2005 - 6th, Gilbert Brule, C *
2006 - 6th, Derek Brassard, C
2007 - 7th, Jakub Voracek, W
2008 - 6th, Nkita Filatov, C/W

* No longer with the club.

Now looking ahead to this year, here is The Hockey News' list of prospects 10-18:

10 - David Runblad (CAN), C
"He sees the ice well both offensively and defensively and he moves the puck well"

11 - Dmitri Kukikov (RUS), D
"Kukilov has proved to be a dynamic offensive defensemen. He scored more than a point per game during the season and was averaging two per game early on in the playoffs". Also there is no worry about him wanting to return to Russia.

12 - Simon Despres (CAN), D
"On the positive side of the ledger, Despres is a good skater for a big man and plays a steady game. And while he leaves scouts wanting more, he may deliver on his promise."

13 - O. Ekman-Larsson (SWE), D
"His skating and his offensive instincts are just out of this world."

14 - Scott Glennie (CAN), C
"He has great hockey sense. He competes hard and has good offensive instincts."

15 - Jacob Josefson (SWE), C
"He didn't get a chance to show too much at the WJC, but he has made strides. He's a smart offensive Swedish player and pretty good at both ends of the ice."

16 - Zack Kassian (CAN), RW
"A lot of observers are throwing Milan Lucic's name around when they speak of Zach Kassian, right down to the fact Kassian's point and penalty minute totals this season are almost identical to Lucic's in his draft year."

17 - Ryan Ellis (CAN), D
"He looks like he'd be able to play the game sitting in a rocking chair. He's so calm that he almost looks bored out there. He always has the puck and nobody is able to get it away from him."

18 - John Moore (USA), D
"His skill level is off the charts in the USHL, but it's his skating ability that will give him the best chance to play in the NHL."

Three big area's the CBJ will need to address this offseason include the power play, the center position, and getting a scoring defenseman.

The Jackets power play ranked dead last in the league lsat year so that will obviously be an area of need going into next season. Expect the team to look for a proven forward who has the ability to create chances and throw the puck at the net on the pp. Acording to Light the Lamp, some possible UFAs (unrestricted free agents) the Jackets could be interested in include Beauchemin, Spacek, Leopold, Aucoin, Zubov, Oduya, or Ohlund.

Another concern heading into next season is the center position. With only Vermette and Brassard guaranteed back next year, the Jackets will most likely need to find a reliable centerman to run the 3rd or 4th line.

Also on the wish list is a scoring defenseman who can get pucks to the net and create opportunities from the point, especially on the pp.

Expect most of these areas to be addressed through UFAs but it is possible we could see some draft day trades again like we did last year in attempt to fill the holes.

Until then, enjoy watching the conference finals!

- T17M

References: The Hockey News, Light the Lamp.