Markus Hannikainen – McKeen's Hockey

Straitjackets – Columbus Blue Jackets 2018-19 Season Preview

Robert Howard — Sat, 15 Sep 2018 19:08:04 +0000

REVIEW/STATE OF PLAY - Columbus made the playoffs for the second straight season under John Tortorella, bowing out in the first round to the inevitable cup winners Washington losing 4 – 2 – pushing four games into overtime. The two most important items on the team’s plate is their franchise goalie Sergei Bobrovsky and offensive sparkplug in Panarin are both unrestricted free agents after this season.

Panarin had a brilliant season leading the team in scoring but has expressed his reluctance to sign long term in Columbus. Bobrovsky is a two-time Vezina winner and last season was a typical stellar performance, appeared in 65 games (4^th most in the NHL), fifth in NHL wins, 10^th in save percentage (0.921) and 9^th in GAA (2.42 for goalies with more than 30 games played. Both are elite performers, with a perennial Vezina nominee irreplaceable. Until signed or traded their status will haunt the team.

Seth Jones

CHANING OF THE GUARD – a compelling story and reason for optimism was a generational changing of the guard over the course of the season. Young prospects replaced the old guard as core competitors and were deployed in key situations. Their top seven scorers included defenseman Seth Jones, (23 years old – 24:36 TOI/GP – 57 points), Zachary Werenski (20 years old – 22:35 TOI/GP - 37 points), forwards Pierre Luc Dubois (20 years old – 16:38 TOI/GP – 48 points), Oliver Bjorkstrand (23 years old – 14:18 TOI/GP – 40 points) and Alexander Wennberg (23 years old – 18:08 TOI/GP – 35 points in 66 games). They replaced more familiar Blue Jackets from the last five years of Nick Foligno, Brandon Dubinsky and Jack Johnson.

Rounding out the top seven scorers are Artemi Panarin and Cam Atkinson. Atkinson struggled with injuries early on but was electric down the stretch when paired with Panarin and Dubois posting 14 goals and 25 points in his final 20 games. Dubois fired 19 points in his final 21 games while Panarin put up an astonishing 33 points in his final 20 games. As a result, the team record over the final quarter was 15-5-2, including a 10-game winning streak in a 13 -1 – 0 stretch. .

The emergence of Pierre-Luc Dubois as a number one center in his rookie season justified GM Kekkalainen decision to take him third overall in the 2016 draft. He particularly shone in the second half after getting adjusted to pace in the NHL. He added two goals and four point in the playoffs while playing 23:09 per game. Oliver Bjorkstrand and Alexander Wennberg are promising but had mixed seasons. Wennberg entered the season as a number one center, but injury and inconsistency were a challenge, fighting a groin issue much of the season. Bjorkstrand saw a mixed bag of line mates but as a shooter to Wennbergs passer they seem like a match. 24-year-old Josh Anderson is a promising young power forward who was firing at a pace to start the season with 10 goals in 17 games after missing pre-season. Offence slowed from there and is not a given to play in the top six this season.

Nick Foligno and Brandon Dubinsky had come to personify the Blue Jackets with their gritty two way play and soft hands on the right occasion. Dubinsky endured a terrible season with injury issues. A healthy scratch at times down the stretch the A was removed from his sweater. He had a healthy summer and is signed for another three years at 32 years of age at a cap hit of $5.85 million AAV.

Foligno is likewise signed up for the three years at $5.5 million and is coming of the worst season of his career. 30-years-old the Captain is proud and capable of providing a solid comeback. He saw his power play production drop from 21 points to four last season despite similar ice time. Dubinsky and Foligno are expensive pieces if they are third and fourth line producers. A rebound is in order or both contracts become albatrosses when it comes time to sign Panarin and Bobrovsky.

JONES A NORRIS THREAT - Seth Jones emerged as a potential Norris trophy threat finishing fourth this year in voting. A blazing finish with 21 points in 17 games down the stretch, a strong argument to be made he was the best defenseman in the NHL at the time. Paired with Zach Werenski for most of the season they are formidable top pairing defense. Werenski enters his third NHL season with a slight regression in points from a 47-point rookie season but owns a bright future.

Beyond those two there are some concerns about depth. Formers second overall pick Ryan Murray had another season shortened by injury and his development has been slowed by consistent missed time. He kills penalties and it is too soon to write him off but doubts are growing. He is an RFA after this season.

OUTLOOK - Assuming nothing earth shattering happens; the Blue Jackets will return with relatively few changes to their core. They have elite young stars that will get better. They will be competitive again and could surprise in the playoffs in front of the all-world goalie.

Columbus Blue Jackets Prospect System Overview

Ryan Wagman — Sat, 15 Sep 2018 19:06:01 +0000

With some teams, it is pretty easy to come up with a theme for the short essay that begins the journey through their prospect depth. It might be a fascination with players from a certain geographic region. A reliance on undrafted free agents to make up for picks traded away or failed. A love of size, or speed, or hockey IQ, or an overabundance of centers.

With the Blue Jackets, it was not so easy. There is no such easy to spot trend in their accumulation of prospects. It was widely thought after the team hired Jarmo Kekalainen as the first General Manager from Europe in NHL History would blanket his native Finland and give his organization a Suomi flavor.

That has not been the case. The Blue Jackets have drafted slightly more European than other teams, but nothing egregious and he has in fact largely avoided Finnish players, with only AHLer Markus Hannikainen, an undrafted free agent signed at 22 years of age, Veeti Vainio, a 2015 fifth round pick, and Veini Vehvilainen a netminder taken in the sixth round last year in his fourth season of draft eligibility, having Finnish roots. 2017 second rounder Alexandre Texier is currently playing in Finland, but he was drafted out of France, so that doesn’t really count.

Further, the Blue Jackets’ prospect pool is currently extremely uninspiring. To their credit, each of their top three prospects from last year’s list, Pierre-Luc Dubois, Oliver Bjorkstrand, and Sonny Milano, have graduated. But what is left lacks the impact potential that you want to see coming up.

Looking back at the team’s Finnish players, a trend hit me. While players are first eligible to be drafted or signed in their age 18 season (specifically, they need to turn 18 no later than September 15 of the year they are drafted), Columbus, more than most, acquires players who are later in their prospectdom.

In addition to the aforementioned Hannikainen and Vehvilainen, of the 35 prospects in the organization for whom Columbus was their first team, fully 16 of them were drafted or signed by the team in their age 19 season or later. If we throw in Kole Sherwood, who was signed as a free agent out of training camp as an 18 year old, essentially half of the system is players who were not deemed worthy of being drafted in their first year of eligibility.

The draft is when teams find (or try to) upside for future front lines. The Blue Jackets are no exception. Six of their top eight prospects were drafted by the team in this first year of eligibility. But instead of taking risks with similarly young, unpolished talent in the latter stages of the draft, the Blue Jackets have targeted (the trend is so heavy, they must be targeting) older players, who trade in potential upside and its inherent risk, with the safety that comes from knowing what the player will be as he is closer to his peak.

This approach can be helpful if the top half of your roster is established and settled and you are mostly concerned with filling out the bottom end. In the Blue Jackets’ case, with star Artemi Panarin already having expressed a desire to explore free agency after the 2018-19 season, they are more in need of upside to replenish the roster. This approach isn’t helping.

Liam Foudy

1 Liam Foudy, C (18^th overall, 2018. Last Year: IE) Until the second half of his draft season, Foudy was more athlete than hockey player. A depth player on usually strong London Knights, he took on a more prominent role after a series of veteran players were shipped out mid-season and to say he flourished would be an understatement. Foudy is a brilliant skater, one of the best in the 2018 draft class, and he may just be scratching the surface of what he can do with and to a puck. He will develop more as he spends more time playing in a top six role, and he is strong, if not heavy, but he has the ability to make a Morgan Frost type step up in his first post draft year. He already came on more than almost any 2018 draft prospect in the past six months.

2 Vitali Abramov, RW (65^th overall, 2016. Last Year: 4^th) The preeminent offensive threat in the QMJHL over the last three years, there will be no “Russian Factor” with Abramov. If there were, he would have returned to Russia last year after not making the Blue Jackets out of camp, instead returning to the Q to try to defend his scoring title. While he finished second, considering his time missed to participation in the WJC, he did alright. More agile than fast, he can carry the puck around defenders largely thanks to magical puck skills. Those hands also make him particularly deadly on breakaways. While he is on the small side, he plays with the swagger of a bigger person. He is probably best off spending some time in the AHL first, but his puck skills and offensive IQ give him star potential.

3 Alexandre Texier, C (45^th overall, 2017, Last Year: 10^th) The ultimate risk-reward pick when the Blue Jackets used a second rounder on him in 2017, Texier left his native France for Finland, passing on an opportunity to play in the QMJHL with Baie-Comeau. While the step up in competition from France to Liiga is large, Texier acquitted himself rather well, especially after taking into account that he did what he did as an 18 year old, finishing fourth in the league in points by an U19 player, behind only a trio of NHL first rounders. More important than the production, the year was an opportunity to gauge his skills against better players, and Texier again did well. His hands and vision especially stood out as potentially dynamic traits, while his skating, shooting ability and ability to process the game all still project as above average traits.

4 Vladislav Gavrikov, D (159^th overall, 2015. Last Year: 6^th) Vladislav Gavrikov is not strictly an offensive defenseman in the mold of a Werenski, or a Seth Jones, but that’s OK, as the Blue Jackets already have a couple of those guys. Instead, he is a big all-around defender who can do a bit of everything. He has a big, strong frame that he uses for impact, skates very well, and processes the game like a ten year pro. His offensive impact will be better than minimal, but not quite the feature of his game. He can skate with the puck, makes crisp, accurate passes and helps keep the puck moving in the right direction, without doing too much that leads directly to points. The Olympic Gold Medalist has one more year on his contract with Lokomotiv Yaroslavl of the KHL, but the Blue Jackets should already be preparing a locker for him.

Kirill Marchenko

5 Kirill Marchenko, LW (49^th overall, 2018. Last Year: IE) As we continue to step through the Columbus system, we will see that this organization has long had a fascination with big forwards (and defensemen) who combine size with athleticism. Marchenko is the latest f that type to find his way to the Blue Jackets. While he has not always displayed all of his tools so consistently in MHL play, he has been an international standout for Russia, showing above average projections almost across the board, especially if you expect him to play a more physically forceful game as he matures. His stick handling is particularly impressive and he can create highlight reel plays on his own. He is a long way from the NHL, but his offseason move to Russian powerhouse SKA-St. Petersburg (or their junior affiliate) is a sign of how he is thought of back home.

6 Kevin Stenlund, C (58^th overall, 2015. Last Year: 8^th) After the Blue Jackets signed Stenlund to and entry level deal on the heels of his playing a key role in HV71’s capturing of an SHL championship, he was returned on loan to the Swedish side to continue his development near the comforts of home. Although the numbers are not eye catching, trading some goals for assists, there is a lot to like in his game. He is a big, power center with a strong skating stride, advanced hockey IQ, a big shot and the ability to use his body for the good. His challenge upon coming over to play in the AHL is to bring all of the parts of his game to the ice more consistently as he tries to work his way into a potential middle six role.

7 Elvis Merzlikins, G (76^th overall, 2014. Last Year: 11^th) Sometimes, the waiting is the hardest part. Four years removed from being selected in the third round, Merzlikins keep racking up hardware thanks to his work stopping pucks. Unfortunately for Columbus, the hardware is the NLA Jacques Plante Trophy, and it is the second time in the past three years that the Latvian netminder was honored as the top goalie in Switzerland. He is excellent in his lateral movements, and has a tireless work-ethic, but needs to be more mindful of how far he pushes off, so he is able to recover his position. The World Championships regular has one more year on his contract with Lugano and he might be able to come to central Ohio in time for incumbent start Sergei Bobrovsky to leave.

8 Andrew Peeke, D (34^th overall, 2016. Last Year: 7^th) It is not easy to tell from his statistical record, but Peeke took some key steps in his development as a sophomore with Notre Dame last season. While he will never be an offensive powerhouse, he was more willing to get engaged in the offensive zone, as his quick feet and large frame allowed him to create some disruption without fear of getting back to his position in time. He is still very strong in his own end. He uses his strength well to keep opposing forwards away from his goalie and was a staple on the Penalty Kill for the Irish. He also played a notable role with Team USA at the WJC, showing that he could hang with the best in his age group. Expect Columbus to try to get him under contract after his junior season.

9 Kole Sherwood, RW (UDFA: Jul. 7, 2015. Last Year: 16^th) The first local player to play in the Columbus organization, Sherwood was a virtual unknown playing local Tier I hockey when he received an invite to a rookie camp in 2015. He had not been on the draft radar, but by the end of camp, he was clearly on the Blue Jackets’ radar by the end, earning himself and ELC and the new found prominence that provided. Three seasons later, he has seen his game steadily grow between stints with London and Kitchener of the OHL. Sherwood still has a long way to go before earning an NHL look, but he plays with solid pace, works to disrupt the opponents with an aggressive physical game, and has a very deadly shot from the middle on in.

10 Jonathan Davidsson, RW (170^th overall, 2017. Last Year: not ranked) In the introduction to this team’s system, we discussed the downsides of drafting overagers. Jonathan Davidsson is the upside. Drafted in his third year of eligibility, as he finally graduated from Swedish junior hockey to the men’s leagues, he had a very strong first full season in the SHL with Djurgardens. A strong skater with good puck skills and above average hockey intelligence, his acclimatization to the step up in competition was revelatory. His size will remain a stumbling block in his journey, and he can be a little contact-shy, but Columbus has already inked him to an ELC and will expect him to work on his physical game next year, which will be spent back with Djurgardens, on loan.

Markus Hannikainen

11 Markus Hannikainen, LW (UDFA: Apr. 20, 2015. Last Year: 17^th) After receiving small cups of coffee with the Blue Jackets in his first two seasons in North America, he seemingly made it last year, playing 33 of his 41 games in the NHL. Not enough to officially graduate from our lists, but that will come in the first month or so of the upcoming season. He is not a dynamic, or particularly skilled player, but he can protect the puck very well with his strong and large frame, moves it well enough, and is trustworthy in defensively dangerous situations. He may only be a fourth line winger with a short shelf life, but he is ready for that role now and that has some value.

12 Eric Robinson, LW (UDFA: Mar. 26, 2018. Last Year: IE) Buddy Robinson’s younger and littler brother, Eric Robinson captained a surprisingly competitive Princeton squad as a senior. He plays a hard, energetic two-way game, to which he supplements a strong shot. The New Jersey looks like a late bloomer, as he had not shown much offensive upside in his original draft eligible year in Tier 1, or after that in the USHL. His first three years with Princeton were also underwhelming, but he did steadily grow more imposing in the offensive end. Despite the improvements in his numbers, he lacks ay truly dynamic elements to his game, and his best chance at success will come from a power/IQ game, throwing his weight around and earning the trust of coaches to play defensive shifts.

13 Paul Bittner, LW (38^th overall, 2015. Last Year: not ranked) It has been a challenging few years for Paul Bittner since the Blue Jackets selected him in the second round of the 2015 draft. He has been bombarded by injuries, most notably a hip injury requiring surgery, limiting him to a combined 58 games in his first two post draft seasons. Further, his performance showed signs of degradation when he was able to suit up. With improved health, Bittner appeared in 52 games last year for Cleveland, and showed flashes of the power forward that Columbus drafted. He skates well for his size and flashes soft hands when he gets into an offensive situation. Still only 21, he has time to fully regain his teenaged luster, but he needs to built on what he hinted at last year.

14 Alex Broadhurst, C (Trade: Jun. 30, 2015 [Chicago]. Last Year: not ranked]) Once upon a time a seventh round pick of the Chicago Blackhawks, the former Green Bay Gambler and London Knight has now spent most of five seasons in the AHL and finally made his NHL debut last year, getting in a pair of late season games for Columbus, playing a touch over 20 minutes combined. Broadhurst is slight, but moves well, has a moderate amount of playmaking ability and has proven the ability to play on both special teams units in the AHL. He should be in line for additional NHL opportunities this year, potentially as the team’s 13^th forward.

Maxime Fortier

15 Maxime Fortier, RW (UDFA: Nov. 4, 2017. Last Year: IE) Despite two years of high end scoring for Halifax in the QMJHL, Fortier was consistently overlooked on draft day, largely due to his small frame and general lack of strength. Although not strong, he plays a fearless game. Although not big, so what? The game is changing. Clearly, the Blue Jackets realized that his ability to process the game gives him a chance to succeed, and offered him an ELC last November, after which he put up a third consecutive strong season, putting him third among all Quebec leaguers in points over the last three years. He has strong balance and is a fine skater. Most of his offensive prowess comes from good hands in tight and his aggressive offensive style. He will have to continue to prove himself, but time is on his side.

16 Veini Vehvilainen, G (173^rd overall, 2018. Last Year: IE) In today’s NHL, there is more acceptance for smaller skaters, but dwindling openness to netminders under 6-2” or so. Listed variously at 6-0”, or 6-1”, Vehvilainen felt that diminished attention span for around four years until he put together a run of play so dominating that a team finally said “OK”. In his third year in Liiga, all of which were good, he lost his father this year and then caught fire, leading Karpat to a title with a .933 save percentage throughout the postseason. His athleticism is above average for a goalie and he reads the game, but it is advanced technical skills which make him so hard to beat in Liiga. He will have to continue proving himself, but he is a worthwhile addition to this system.

17 Gabriel Carlsson, D (29^th overall, 2015. Last Year: 9^th) A few months after selecting stay-at-home blueliner Gabriel Carlsson in the late first round, the Blue Jackets hired a head coach who has adopted the motto that “safe is death.” Carlsson is the embodiment of that expression. His puck skills are, at best, basic. He can make a decent first pass. He is very large, although still lean, and gets to a decent top speed, although his reactions look sluggish, which may be more related to his ability to read and react than his feet. He does have an impressive physical game, using his body to lean on opponents and box them out, but his game is, on the whole, limited. He is safe in that he can fill a hole in the case of injury replacement, but more than that is throwing away good money after bad.

18 Calvin Thurkauf, C/LW (185^th overall, 2016. Last Year: 14^th) Another bigger than average power forward in the Columbus system, Thurkauf did not have a smooth landing in his first season as a pro, but had enough moments of success that all hope is not lost either. Not incredible fast, he skates well enough for his size, but it is not a real strength of his game. His future NHL hopes rest largely on his powerful wrist shot which can be deadly from middle distance and his ability to play a power game at the highest levels. The Swiss native will return to Cleveland for a sophomore campaign in the AHL where the objective will be to see him be more of an imposing presence in the offensive end.

19 Trey Fix-Wolansky, RW (204^th overall, 2018. Last Year: IE) Short and stout, I would like to suggest his nickname be “The Teapot”. Ignored after a solid first year of eligibility, his production last year with a horrid Edmonton team in the WHL made him impossible to overlook, no matter how rough his skating can seem. Fix-Wolansky is an offensive minded player, but responsible and hard working enough to play on the PK for his junior team. He is also more than willing to crash and bang in the pursuit of pucks. His propensity to shoot can make him a little predictable, but he has shown the ability to diversify his offensive game if he chooses. He is a sleeper to watch.

20 Veeti Vainio, D (141^st overall, 2015. Last Year: 15^th) Last year, in this space, we called Vainio an “injury prone speedster.” This year, all Vainio did was prove us right. Loaned from Liiga side KooKoo to second tier Kiekko-Vantaa, in his age 20 season, he was limited to 11 games all year for the Mestis squad, after appearing in only 12 years at multiple levels the year before and a relatively robust 43 games the year prior. He is a breathtaking skater when he is healthy enough to play and has a knack for creating with his puck movement, but has so, so much to figure out in the rest of his game. Listed at 6-2”, 181, he looks frailer than that. There are some things here to get excited about, but if he can’t play hockey, he certainly can’t play in the NHL.

Columbus – System Overview

Ryan Wagman — Fri, 15 Sep 2017 15:56:39 +0000

How important is it to have a strong, competitive AHL farm club? The Columbus Blue Jackets may be a great case study in answering that question. In 2015-16, in their ninth year of existence, the Lake Erie Monsters (since renamed as the Cleveland Monsters) finished second in the Central Division in the regular season and got hot in the playoffs, finishing the AHL season by raising the Calder Cup.

The Monsters lineup was a mix of AHL veterans like Michael Chaput, Trent Vogelhuber and Ryan Craig, with legitimate prospects including Sonny Milano, Oliver Bjorkstrand, Josh Anderson, Kerby Rychel, Zach Werenski, and Lukas Sedlak.

It may not be a fluke that four of the latter group of players all played prominent roles with Columbus this year, helping lead the Blue Jackets into the postseason for only the second time in their brief history. In addition to Anderson, Bjorkstrand, Werenski and Sedlak, part time netminder Joonas Korpisalo also spent much of the season in the NHL. Meanwhile Rychel and Dillon Heatherington were used in trades to bring in other players who played NHL roles.

An interesting comparison would be with the Milwaukee Admirals, Nashville’s farm club, who took the regular season division title over Lake Erie, but were swept in the first round by Grand Rapids (Detroit). The leading scorer of that team was Kevin Fiala, a former first rounder who seemed to cement himself as an NHLer last year. Part time goalie Juuse Saros also spent most of this past season in the NHL. Frederick Gaudreau and Pontus Aberg were a few more who made an NHL dent this year. A few others who spent the early part of 2015-16 in Milwaukee but had already moved on to the NHL well before the AHL playoffs had begun include Colton Sissons and Viktor Arvidsson. Other legit prospect who were part of the excellent regular season team but have still yet to get much NHL ice time include Vladislav Kamenev and Trevor Murphy.

Looking back to 2014-15, the Calder Cup was won by the Manchester Monarchs (LA), a franchise that immediately relocated to Ontario, California. The only key contributors from that club who became regular NHLers the next year were Colin Miller and Nick Shore.

Although the sample size looked at was very small, it is certainly not clear that AHL postseason success breeds immediate success in the NHL level. Werenski was a part of that Monsters squad out of convenience. He decided to leave Michigan after their season (his sophomore year) ended. Instead of moving up to Columbus, the Jackets convinced him to remain on the farm for the remainder of the schedule, as much to delay the start of his ELC as anything. He only appeared in seven regular season AHL games before exploding in the playoffs.

Sedlak can likely thank his burgeoning NHL career on that sparkling playoff run. A depth player for Lake Erie in the regular season, he become a go-to offensive demon in the playoffs. His regular season NHL production looks more like his AHL work did. Not that there is anything wrong with seeing your AHL club succeed, but having strong young talent at the AHL level is a good thing in and of itself. The team-wide AHL success is a nice bonus.

Pierre-Luc Dubois of the Cape Breton Screaming Eagles was selected by the Columbus Blue Jackets in the first round of the 2016 NHL Entry Draft in Buffalo, NY on Friday June 24, 2016. Photo by Aaron Bell/CHL Images

1 Pierre-Luc Dubois – Notably when he was first returned to the QMJHL as a roster cut, Dubois did not really pick up his pace until the WJC where he was a plus playmaker using his size and strength to positive impact in all zones. He was much more effective in the second half and the QMJHL playoffs. Very intelligent and versatile forward can play in a middle six role now, with potential for more down the road. Will get a much longer look at NHL camp this year.

2 Oliver Bjorkstrand – A high volume shooter, Bjorkstrand found it much easier to hit the back of the next in his second go round in the AHL, scoring nearly as much in 37 games as he did in 51 the year prior. He also showed the ability to provide offense at the NHL level, becoming a lineup regular by the end of the season. Owns great hands, and puts in the work to get to pucks and make something happen with them. Although he prefers sh

Oliver Bjorkstrand Photo by Jeanine Leech/Icon Sportswire)

ooting, he knows how to share. Very slight, will need to play with some heavier players to help create space.

3 Sonny Milano – A former first round pick, Milano began to produce offense at a top six rate in his second full AHL campaign. A masterful puck handler, he shows flashes of absolute brilliance, and at other times, is limited to simply having great composure and patience. Has very good vision and can be very creative in his puck maneuverings, whether his own handling or in passes to teammates. Also showed a lot of growth in his two-way game. Not far from the NHL.

4 Vitali Abramov – An offensive dynamo stolen in the third round in 2016, Abramov followed up his draft year by leading the QMJHL in scoring. A slippery finesse player, he has elite edge work and great top speed. His puck handling is delightful and he knows how to finish his own chances. Despite his size deficiency, he is reliable in his own end, and was regularly used to kill penalties with Gatineau. Too good for the Q, but not ready for the NHL.

5 Tyler Motte – The former Hobey Baker finalist was not ready for the NHL when the Chicago Blackhawks had him begin the season in the Show. Two games short of losing his prospect eligibility, they sent Motte back to the AHL. By years’ end, he was the best player for their Rockford affiliate. Acquired by Columbus in the Saad/Panarin trade, he plays a feisty, talented game not too dissimilar to that of Brendan Gallagher. That is the upside. Should be NHL ready this year.

6 Vladislav Gavrikov – A big, mobile, defensive zone specialist, Gavrikov is the best defensive prospect currently in the Blue Jackets’ system. Began to contribute more offensively as last season wore on, finishing with breakout performances in the KHL postseason and then the World Championships. Even if his offensive gains do not carry over, his hockey smarts and physicality both grade out as high end. Still an open question when he comes to North America.

7 Andrew Peeke – Big bodied defenseman had a strong freshman season with Notre Dame. Peeke has quick hands and a decent point shot. While he could be more aggressive with his stick, closing gaps and pressuring puck carriers before they can create danger, he is steady once the puck is in his zone, clogging lanes, clearing his crease and putting opponents on the ice with heavy hits. More a passer than a puck carrier, he has shutdown potential.

8 Kevin Stenlund – Seen as a bit of a surprise when he was taken in the second round in 2015, Stenlund was never highly considered by the Swedish powers that be, never being selected to represent the Tre Kronor in any internationally sanctioned tournament. While he scored well in junior hockey, he could not match that in the SHL until this year when he played a critical role for SHL champs HV71. A strong skater with a good shot, he profiles as a middle six forward.

9 Gabriel Carlsson – A plodding skater with a weak point shot, Carlsson literally does everything else very well to make up for those two deficiencies and still be a viable prospect. His decisions with the puck are generally right. He reads defensive zone coverage well, allowing him to support the offensive attack through solid puck movement. In his own zone, he does well at closing passing and shooting lanes. Will never be a scorer, but can contribute as a bottom pairing blueliner.

10 Alexandre Texier – An incredibly fast skater with intriguing puck skills, Texier made waves as a legitimate draft prospect not only from France, but playing in France. He has done well at every level he has ever played at, although the competition at those levels (French league, WJC Division 1A) pales in comparison to everyone else on all of the team lists. Off to play in Liiga next year, he will be tested. Will be most interesting to see how he acclimates to the pace of play.

11 Elvis Merzlikins – Now four years running as one of the top netminders in Switzerland’s top league, the Latvian Merzlikins is a very athletic goalie who loves to come out of the crease aggressively to challenge the shooter. Very quick from post to post, he does not let occasional lapses or bad goals get to him. In case, he reads the play quite well and bad goals are rare. He should be ready for the challenge of AHL play, but will be in Switzerland again this year.

12 Scott Harrington – Columbus’ seventh defenseman last season, Harrington spent the majority of his season in the press box. Originally drafted by Pittsburgh and traded to Toronto in the Phil Kessel deal, he became Columbus property in a trade for former first rounder Kerby Rychel. His puck play is on the iffy side, but he is a very good skater and takes care of things in his own end. A ready-now NHLer, but with a ceiling no higher than the third pairing.

13 Ryan Collins – Through his freshman and sophomore seasons with the Golden Gophers, Collins struggled mightily to live up to his billing as a second round draft pick. As a junior, his overall game started to come together. Always a solid skater for his plus size, he grew more comfortable playing the puck, while improving his decision making at both ends of the ice. He enters the pro game with the ability to be relied upon for tough situations and with reason to believe there is more offense in the tank.

14 Calvin Thurkauf – Big and physical, Thurkauf is also a strong skater for his size. Drafted in his second year of eligibility as a big forward with a good energy game, he took an increased offensive role with Kelowna last season, getting the room to work on his shot and puck handling skills. He prefers playing near the opposing crease and has the hands to score from in tight. Good performances in the WHL postseason as well as the WJC portend well for his AHL future.

15 Veeti Vainio – An injury prone speedster, Vainio is an excellent skater with great poise and confidence when he plays. He certainly has his red flags. In addition to his growing injury history, he can play soft and show a clear lack of intensity at times. The injuries – he was limited to nine regular season games last year and is out indefinitely now – have prevented him from working on those issues, but his speed cannot be taught.

16 Kole Sherwood – The first of five consecutive prospects brought to the organization as an undrafted free agent, Sherwood also has the distinction of being the first player from the Columbus area signed by the Blue Jackets. A good skater with a hard shot, he is an all-out workhorse whose offensive game has taken several steps forward since signing and moving to the OHL to develop, especially once he was given an offensive role with Flint. Ready for the AHL.

17 Markus Hannikainen – Signed as a 22 year old coming off a solid offensive showing in Liiga with JYP, Hannikainen is a good skater with hockey smarts and jam, although his offensive upside is ultimately limited. Physical without being a hard hitter, he also uses his body well to protect the puck. Plays a dogged style. His first few NHL cameos did not lead to much, but the Blue Jackets like him and gave him another two years to shoot for a full time NHL job.

18 Justin Scott – An average-sized forward with a big man’s game, Scott has surprisingly soft hands and touch. A reliable player in all three zones, he made a fairly smooth transition from an OHL career with Barrie to the AHL grind. A very heads-up player, he can bring energy and awareness to the game in all three zones. He profiles as an energy line winger, although his skating needs improvement, especially in his first few steps, to get there.

19 Sam Vigneault – A big center who gave up the final year of his collegiate eligibility at Clarkson, Vigneault plays a power forward game. Likes to take up space in front of the net and was immediately showcasing his strength against more experienced defenders in the AHL at the tail end of last season. Possesses high hockey IQ and good hands. Has bottom six upside with special teams possibilities as well. Not the most aggressive.

20 Matiss Kivlenieks – He is not the biggest, not the most athletic, nor the most technically proficient goaltender in the world. Not even in the organization. But Kivlenieks stops pucks. Always has. He had been committed to play for Minnesota State Mankato, but when Columbus offered him an ELC after leading Sioux City to the Clark Cup finals, the Latvian netminder turned pro. Demonstrated exquisite poise throughout his USHL run.

While the Blue Jackets system lacks an abundance of high end talent, it is chock full of players who are close to ready to contributing. Some like Bjorkstrand, Dubois and maybe Motte and/or Milano should play significant roles with the team this year. Others like Gavrikov and Merzlikins might be ready skills-wise, but are still paying in Europe. A few others like Collins and Carlsson are around one year of AHL development away from being ready. Added up, and it looks like the Blue Jackets surprising success last season was only the first in what should be the organization’s best yet run of contention.

Top Ten European Players Coming to the NHL in 2015

McKeen's Hockey — Sat, 11 Jul 2015 21:09:10 +0000

Last summer I wrote a piece called the Top Ten European Players Coming to the NHL and other than ranking Jiri Sekac to low and Petri Kontiola to high it worked out pretty well. In an attempt to improve on the first installment of this annual piece and help you identify some potential sleeper fantasy hockey players to target in upcoming drafts, here is my top ten list for the 2015-2016 season

1. Artemi Panarin, LW - Chicago Blackhawks

Age 23 5’11, 170 lbs Contract:$812,500Panarin is the clear number one player on this list after having a great season in the KHL and at the World championship where he scored ten points in ten games. He is a sure-fire top six option in Chicago this upcoming season and the trade of Patrick Sharp only cements that tremendous fantasy option. Panarin is only 23 years old and has signed a two year contract with a cap hit of $812,500 according to General Fanager which makes him extremely attractive in keeper leagues with a salary cap.

Projection: 50 points

2. Steve Moses, RW - Nashville Predators

Age 25 5’9” 172 lbs Contract:$1 million

The American born Moses was undrafted into the NHL but at age 25 has plenty of international experience and finished seventh overall in KHL scoring last season while producing two points in seven games for USA at the World Championship. Moses is another small player who has great sped and is a pure sniper. Moses will have his work cut out for himself if he is to earn a top six role with the Predators over proven NHL talent such as James Neal, Craig Smith and Taylor Beck on the right wing. Moses signed a one year one million dollar contract with the Predators and will become a UFA next summer so he represents a gamble as a boom or bust player. If he fails to crack the roster you will have wasted a draft pick, a roster spot and some cap room unless you can send him to waivers. If he produces he could see a significant jump in pay as a UFA next summer.

Projection: 30 points

3. Sergei Plotnikov, LW/RW – Pittsburgh Penguins

Age 25 6’2” 205 lbs Contract: $925,000

Plotnikov plays a very physical game which should help ease his transition to North American hockey, but his skating is a concern. He is not as prolific a scorer as Panarin but should find a home on the Penguins top nine making a career in front of the net and digging pucks out of the corners. His contract is only for one year but he is a RFA after that and at 25 represents a very good fantasy option in keeper leagues. In a league that scores peripheral stats like hits and penalty minutes I would bump him up over Moses.

Projection: 30 points

Re Plotnikov from 30 Thoughts .... I like That stop/start comment is important. pic.twitter.com/gkaoKXjTZK

— Gus Katsaros (@KatsHockey) July 9, 2015

4. Alex Burmistrov, RW Winnipeg Jets

Age 23 6’1” 180 lbs Contract: $1,550,000

Burmistrov was a first round (eighth overall) selection of the team from the Atlanta era. Burmistrov is a highly talented winger, a typical Russian sniper. The knock on him is his lack of any form of a physical element and poor defensive responsibility. In terms of fantasy hockey as long as he is scoring points he has value. The question is will he earn the Coaches confidence enough to see playing time relevant enough to produce?

Projection 30 points

5. Viktor Tikhonov, C Chicago Blackhawks

Age 27 6’2” 189 lbs Contract: $1,040,000

The Grandson of Legendary Russian star of the same namesake, this will be Tikhonovs’ second attempt in the NHL. The former first round pick of the Coyotes from 2008 should fit in on the Hawks third line behind countryman Artem Anisimov. Tikhonov is a versatile forward who is responsible defensively but there is some question to how high his offensive upside is.

Projection: 25 points

6. Sergei Kalinin, C/RW New Jersey Devils

Age 24 6’2” 190 lbs Contract: $925, 000

Kalinin perhaps has less offensive upside than his Russian counterparts ahead of him on this list but the Devils are desperate for some youth up front and despite suffering a scary head injury earlier in the season the Devils signed the Russian forward. He has NHL size and is a versatile player that represents a good depth two-way option for the Devils. His fantasy upside is questionable but he is worthy of a late round gamble for sure.

Projection: 25 points

7. Joonas Kamppainen C Boston Bruins

Age 27 6’2” 209 lbs Contract: $792,500

Kemppainen is already 27 years old and as such a veteran to pro hockey and should be NHL ready to assume a role on the Bruins bottom six as a role player. He has the size and all-around game to succeed in the NHL and has some offensive upside as well as evident in his nine point performance in eight games at the World Championship for Finland. His contract is a one year deal that sees him as a UFA at terms end.

Projection: 20 points

8. Evgeni Medvedev, D Philadelphia Flyers

Age 32 6’3” 187 lbs Contract: $3,000,000

Medvedev will join a very crowded Flyers blue line that consists of six under contract NHL defenders and top prospects such as Ivan Provorov, Samuel Morin, Robert Hagg, Travis Sanheim and Shane Gostisbehere who are all going to challenge for playing time. Medvedev will have no time to adjust to the smaller ice and North American game. He is a tall but slight defender who is very experienced and smooth skating two-way defender with a nice long active stick. Could be an excellent mentor for Provorov.

9. Markus Hannikainen, LW Columbus Blue Jackets

Age 22 6’1” 189 lbs Contract: $717,500

In the short term, Hannikainen projects to play on Lake Erie in the AHL as he adjusts to the smaller ice and North American game. In the long term, he has top six potential in the NHL. At this point, he is an investment in deep keeper leagues and any NHL action he sees this season should be considered a bonus.

Projection: 5 points

10. Andreas Martinsen, C/W Colorado Avalanche

Age 25 6’3” 220 lbs Contract: $742,500

Martinsen is a big physical forward who loves to drop the gloves and crash the net, old time hockey style. He should adjust to the North American style quickly and his skating skills are not a liability as well. While his fantasy value is primarily going to come from hits and penalty minute contributions, his five points in 12 playoff games in Germany offer some hope his skill set can pass at the NHL level. Expect Martinsen to play the majority of his games with San Antonio this season and hope he can fight his way onto the Avalanche roster.

Projection: 1 point

Honorable Mention: Derek Ryan (Carolina Hurricanes) led the SHL in scoring last season with 60 points and was named the league MVP. At 28 years old his potential is limited and he is what he is, a 5’10 170 lbs winger. Vojtech Mozik (New Jersey Devils)has some time to spend in Albany before he will pass several promising young defenders on the Devils defense depth chart, but the potential is there. Eetu Laurikainen (Edmonton Oilers) played junior hockey in the WHL but went undrafted in the NHL. Given the Oilers lack of depth in goal he is worth mentioning, but is a long term project.