The 2024 NHL Draft is upon us. For the Columbus Blue Jackets, they face perhaps one of their most important drafts in recent memory. That’s because they have to start getting things right all across every facet of their team.
There will be no shortage of storylines when it comes to the Blue Jackets. New President and General Manager Don Waddell will take part in his first draft with the team. Beyond just making the picks, there could be some wheeling and dealing that could take place.
This Draft Guide will get you set for everything around the Blue Jackets. We’ll talk picks, potential prospects that could join the team as well as major stories to watch throughout the week in Las Vegas and then into free agency.
Let’s set the scene for you.
Setting the Scene
The Blue Jackets are going to add another top prospect to an already deep prospect pool. However, it is not completely cut and dry who they will take with the fourth-overall pick. What happens in front of them will dictate who they pick. That is if they keep the pick.
Waddell spoke to the media on Thursday about a wide variety of topics. One of those topics was the importance of the fourth pick. He said they have to get this pick right. There are a lot of good names available if they make the pick.
Waddell did also say that the team is open for business. Should the right hockey deal come together, the fourth pick could be had. Given the talent available around that pick, it would have to take a massive haul for the Blue Jackets to move off it.
Given how many other teams reportedly would consider moving their first-round pick, it seems reasonable to believe the Blue Jackets will be making their pick at four. But one phone call can change everything.
The Blue Jackets will enter the 2024 NHL Draft with seven total picks. That number can change depending on a couple of factors. The first of which is if they choose to give their second rounder to the Philadelphia Flyers to complete the Ivan Provorov trade. A decision has to be made after the first round is completed. If the Blue Jackets keep this year’s pick, then they must give their second rounder up in 2025. Then factor in potential trades involving picks and you see how the number of picks can fluctuate.
The Blue Jackets have their own first rounder (fourth overall), a second rounder (35th overall), a pair of third rounders (69th overall and 86th overall which came from the Joonas Korpisalo and Vladislav Gavrikov trade with the Los Angeles Kings.) The Blue Jackets also have their own picks in the fourth, fifth and sixth rounds. They do not have a seventh rounder as that was traded in Nashville last year to draft Tyler Peddle.
Now that the draft scene is set, let’s dive into possibilities around the fourth-overall pick.
Fourth-Overall Possibilities
The question that every Blue Jackets’ fan wants to know is just who is the team considering for this all-important pick. No matter who they select, they will get a very good player out of it.
The first three picks will determine how the Blue Jackets proceed. The one well-known piece of information is Macklin Celebrini should become a San Jose Shark. After that, it’s hard to say exactly what will happen.
The Chicago Blackhawks hold the second pick. It is likely between Artyom Levshunov and Ivan Demidov there. Most people at the Combine felt Levshunov would be the pick. But Demidov’s recent performance has excited a lot of teams. The fact that he could be in the NHL as soon as the end of the 2024-25 season is even more reason to be excited. Vegas has Levshunov as the betting favorite as of this writing to go second. But do not count Demidov out.
The Anaheim Ducks hold the third pick. Pat Verbeek does his own thing so it’s hard to say what he’s thinking. Vegas does have Anton Silayev as the betting favorite, although it’s not a slam dunk. If 2-3 go Levshunov and Silayev, then the Blue Jackets will have a big decision to make.
The Blue Jackets could see a scenario play out where they would get to choose between Demidov and Cayden Lindstrom. Many consider Demidov the second best player in this draft. However Lindstrom would solidify center ice in a big way. His injury history could cause some concern for teams considering him although he believes he’s over his back issues.
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My own take here. If it’s between Demidov and Lindstrom, the Blue Jackets should take Demidov. As well stocked as the team is in wingers, they don’t have anyone of Demidov’s caliber in the organization. He’s an elite winger comparable to a Nikita Kucherov type. Then again, if Lindstrom stays healthy, a 1-2 punch of he and Adam Fantilli down the middle could set the team up for a decade in a position that has eluded them in the past.
No matter what happens, the Blue Jackets are guaranteed one of Demidov, Lindstrom, Levshunov or Silayev. They could even surprise and pick someone like Tij Iginla or one of the defensemen such as Sam Dickinson or Zeev Buium.
What was interesting about the Blue Jackets at the Combine was the fact that the dinners they had with prospects all seemed to be with forwards. Lindstrom, Iginla and Beckett Sennecke all had dinner in Buffalo with the team. Want a pick for an all-time stunner and bold prediction? Sennecke could go in the top-five and the Blue Jackets might be the team to do it. There’s enough momentum on him to not rule it out, although I’m not expecting that outcome.
In the end, I believe either Demidov or Lindstrom becomes a Blue Jacket on Friday night at the Sphere. Roast me as you see fit if it’s wrong.
Other Draft Picks
Let’s quickly touch on the second-round pick the Blue Jackets might give to the Flyers. The decision will come down to the board and if there’s a player the Blue Jackets highly covet. If so, they’ll keep the pick. Otherwise, they’ll give it to the Flyers so they can be done with it.
It is interesting to note that Waddell originally said they didn’t have a second rounder. But that’s been retracted and he now says they are deciding what to do. As we wrote about in five must-have prospects, should one of these players be available, the team might want to consider making the pick this year. Although one argument for giving it up now is that 2025 is supposed to be a deeper draft. Check back in Friday night or early Saturday for the final outcome here.
As for the other picks, the Blue Jackets have a chance to add quality talent to their pool especially with the two third rounders they have. While we won’t try to predict this far down what they might do, you can check out the final Central Scouting rankings and see who could be in consideration. As always, expect them to draft at least one goalie somewhere along the line.
Other Storylines
Let’s now go over the main storylines we are following that go outside the draft picks themselves.
- The Blue Jackets’ coaching search is ongoing. Waddell said they’ll eventually interview 3-4 candidates from a list of about 12. Experience will be the key in this search. With such a focus on the draft, this could come after Las Vegas and even after the start of free agency. As he said Thursday, the same candidates yesterday are the same candidates today. They know who is in play.
- Will Patrik Laine be cleared from the NHL/NHLPA program? Maybe. Waddell said they are expecting this “sometime soon.” Once Laine returns, interested teams can talk potential trade. Waddell wants a hockey trade if possible and has a preference of no retention. He did say that there is a chance the contract may be too hard to move. If news breaks about Laine’s return to the roster, this story would pick up in a big way.
- The other major story to watch is potential trades. Waddell in the past has shown he isn’t afraid to make deals at the draft. In Nashville last year, he traded the 71st pick to San Jose for picks 94 and 100. Nice tidy piece of business to get an extra pick. In 2022, Waddell traded away Tony DeAngelo and a seventh rounder and got three draft picks back. He also traded a 2022 sixth rounder for a 2023 sixth rounder. What stands out about 2022 is what happened after the draft. Both Brent Burns and Max Pacioretty came to the Hurricanes in separate deals.
- In 2021, Waddell made five separate deals that involved just picks. They were either to acquire more picks by trading down or trading for a pick in the next draft. With the Blue Jackets holding five picks in Rounds 3-6 combined, this is an area that we could see some action. Will there be bigger trades? Maybe. But given he’s still evaluating what they do have, that doesn’t seem as likely but never say never. We’ll also see if that trends of pick trades was a Waddell thing or a Hurricanes as a whole thing.
What Successful Draft Looks Like
The Blue Jackets need to start building positive momentum in this new era under Waddell. The draft is the first big event in his tenure. It’s his first chance to put his fingerprints over the future direction of the team.
With free agency coming on Monday, the Blue Jackets need to be in position to pounce on opportunities that present themselves. What they do in Las Vegas will determine if they’ll be ready for free agency. It’s not that they’ll be looking to make a big splash. It’s more of finding the right opportunities to improve the team.
For the Blue Jackets, a successful draft is one that greatly improves their prospect pool while positioning themselves well for the future. Hitting a homerun with the fourth pick is a must. That’s how this draft will be remembered years from now.
