CBJ Prospect Overview 2nd try

Following the advice of the great Darkbluejacket I thought I would break this up a little bit. So here it is again, enjoy!

Another season, another year without the playoffs for the Blue Jackets, now attention turns to what’s normally the biggest moment of the Jacket’s offseason THE DRAFT. Now I know this offseason it’s a distant second to the ongoing coaching search. Anyway the point of this blog is to give CBJ fans a look at what’s coming down the pipeline for the Jackets.

The position of strength is Defense. The Blue Jackets defensive prospects feature 2 top defenseman award winners for their respective leagues and a lot of big boys. Of the players listed in the system on the team’s website that I would consider a prospect only 3 are listed under 6’0. The D is only going to get better with the team expected to select a defenseman with the 4th overall pick in this year’s draft. The team’s top defensive prospect and who most people would consider the team’s top prospect is John Moore (6’2” 195) of the Kitchener Rangers (OHL). Moore finished the regular season as the Rangers top scoring Dman and 5th on the team scoring with 10-37-47 including 6 PPG and 11 multi point games. As reported in the Dispatch Moore started off slow in the OHL playoffs but he came alive in games 4, 5, 6 picking up 10 of his 16 points in those games.
Following Moore is David Savard (6’2” 212) of the Moncton Wildcats (QMJHL). Savard picked up the Emile "Butch" Bouchard Trophy (Top Defenseman) while also being named First Team All-QMJHL. Savard led all defenseman in scoring for the entire league (13-64-77). Another thing you have to like about Savard is he has added at least 30 points in each of his last 3 seasons. (12-44-77)
The biggest Blue Jackets prospect is Steven Delisle (6’6” 220) of the Rouyn-Noranda Huskies (QMJHL). Starting the season with Gatineau, Delisle was the Captain of the Olympiques before being traded to the Huskies. The big guy had at least 20 points in 3 of his 4 seasons in the Q with a career high of 30 in 08-09
Anton Blomqvist (6’4” 189) is the lone CBJ defensive prospect playing in Europe. If he wants to get the fans on his side he better change numbers. At last year’s Traverse City Prospects Camp he wore Blue Jacket's nemesis Adam Foote's 52; I know he didn’t have a choice probably but still. I read that Blomqvist plays better in the senior league than he does in the juniors so take that as you will.
Miami’s Will Weber (6’4” 225) picked up the CCHA’s Best Defensive Defenseman Award this year in helping the RedHawks getting to the Frozen Four. I see Weber as a future shutdown Dman and his +13 and finishing 2nd on the team with 40 blocked shots are my exhibit A and B.
Probably the prospect that’s the farthest away from playing in Nationwide Arena is Thomas Larkin (6’5” 221). Larkin just completed his freshman year at Colgate. His 19 points tied for the 2nd most all time for freshman defenseman. Larkin was born in England and according to Colgate’s site his home town is in Italy and he speaks four languages. Anyone else feel dumb now? Another player just completing his freshman year is Drew Olsen (6’0” 200) of Minnesota-Duluth. Olsen played in 34 games picking up 2 assists for the Bulldogs. Now for the last 4 defensive CBJ prospects, two played last season for the Syracuse Crunch and the other two just signed their entry level contracts. Nick Holden (6’4” 200) a big 2 way defensemen the Blue Jackets signed near the end of the 07-08 season, Holden led all WHL defensemen in scoring that season. Holden was supposed to contend for the 7th defenseman spot with the Jackets but a bout with Mono ended that during the summer and possibly led to Grant Clitsome making his NHL debut this season. Brett Regner (6’0” 200) is kind of in the vein of Kris Russell if only a smidge bigger. One site says he’s 5 10 another says 6 0. Now the two that will make their professional debuts this fall with Springfield are Cody Goloubef (6’1” 189) and Theo Ruth (6’1” 208). I’d like to note that I’d only heard him called Teddy Ruth until he signed his entry-level contract. Goloubef was part of a Wisconsin defensive corps that every player was either a 1st or 2nd round pick in the NHL draft. Ruth missed time this season with nagging injuries but from most of what I’ve read he’s declined since his freshman year, a season in which Notre Dame made it to the National Championship game.

Onto the forwards, now everyone’s heard of Mr. Filatov so I’m not going to waste any space on him here. Now the unknowns, I don’t know why but since Scott Howson took over for Doug MacLean the CBJ have been scouting and drafting the heck out of the NCAA. The first and one of the few I’ve seen is Cameron Atkinson (5’8” 165) that’s not a typo he’s that small but the kid is FAST!!! If not for Rick Nash and a few others in Canadian Juniors he’d be the only 30 goal scorer in the Blue Jackets Organization (30-23-53).
Matt Calvert (5’10” 182) a player that could’ve have made his professional debut this season but decided to play his last season of juniors due to his team hosting the Memorial Cup. Not that he’s complaining after finishing with almost 100 points (47-52-99). Calvert is the unknown playing on the best line in the WHL a combined 113 goals, 174 assists and a +124. The line is Calvert (5th Rd 127th) and 2 first round picks from the 2009 draft.
After those two little guys comes the biggest of the Blue Jacket's forward prospects, Sean Collins (6’3” 186) of Cornell by way of the Waywayseecappo Wolverines (just wanted to post that whole name, no reason other than that) will return for his junior year next season. Jake Hansen (6’2” 182”) of Minnesota Golden Gophers will return to St. Paul for his junior year next season.
Tomas Kubalik (6’3” 204) came over from the Czech Republic to play for the Victoriaville Tigres (QMJHL) picking up 75 points in his rookie season (33-42-75) also making the Czech team at the World Junior’s tourney. He could either return to the Tigres or play for Springfield next season.
I’m sorry to admit this folks but the Blue Jackets have two prospects on the dreaded Michigan Wolverines, but put those torches and pitchforks away folks there good players. Kevin Lynch (6’1” 198) was a 2nd round pick of the Jackets in 2009. Lynch won just over 50% of the draws he took in winning the CCHA tournament title. The other is Matt Rust (5’10” 190); Rust was picked up from Florida in the Mathieu Roy trade. Why Florida gave this kid up ill never know, Rust was nominated for the CCHA’s top defensive forward award and was a 40 point scorer. All Rust needs is 15 points in his senior year to give him 100 points for his career.
Kyle Neuber (6’2” 215) is a tough guy, gaining 526 PIM in 199 career games played in the OHL. For those of you that are curious he averaged just under what Boll averaged in penalty minutes per game during his OHL career. Boll averaged 3.07 a game, Neuber averaged 2.64, but Boll also scored 65 more points during his OHL career than Neuber.
Last but not least is Dublin, OH’s own Trent Vogelhuber (6’2” 180). Vogelhuber was the Mr. Irrelevant of the 2007 NHL Draft (last player picked in the NFL Draft, I borrowed it). Vogelhuber played on the energy line for Miami (OH). Vogelhuber has a history of injuries he missed most of the 06-07 and 07-08 seasons with serious knee injuries

The position of strength (last season at least) for the Blue Jackets is the weak point of the team’s prospects. Old father Howson’s cupboard is pretty much bare with only one prospect. That prospect is Allen York (6’4” 190) of RPI; in two years there he’s 19-23-4 with 2 shutouts. York will return to RPI next season again as the team’s number 1 for his junior year.

So there you have it folks an update on the CBJ’s prospects. I thought about putting a prediction of when I think each player might make it to the NHL but decided against it. This is hopefully the first of many but I’ll have to see how the feedback goes.