The Columbus Blue Jackets will have a very different look – mostly off the ice – heading into the 2024-25 season. New general manager (GM) Don Waddell has taken over for Jarmo Kekalainen and the team has a new head coach, Dean Evason. They provide a little more experience at the helm, having both previously held positions with other NHL teams, in contrast to their predecessors.
One criticism of the old guard was that they drafted well but did a poor job of handling their prospects, which often impeded their development. Over the last few seasons, that’s been evidenced by a lack of commitment to their top prospects and by trying to jam too many fringe NHL players into too few roster spots. The quantity of prospects has hurt the quality of their output. Their top players haven’t been able to get enough ice time to make an impact at the NHL level, or once they’ve fallen out of favor, they’ve been unable to get another opportunity because so many other players are in line.
However, this training camp will have more opportunities for prospects to claim a roster spot than we’ve seen in recent seasons.
Waddell Decluttered the Blue Jackets’ Pipeline
One of the first things Waddell did after taking over was cut ties with a lot of Kekalainen’s darlings. For better or worse, he traded Alexandre Texier, bought out Adam Boqvist, and chose not to re-sign Jake Bean, Nick Blankenburg, Marcus Bjork, or Alexander Nylander.
In one swoop, he opened one or two roster spots in the bottom-six forward group and removed four of the young players that were competing to make a name for themselves in the sixth or seventh defender slots.
Related: Blue Jackets Summer Q&A with GM Don Waddell
Yes, Waddell added Jack Johnson, who’s likely a lock for that sixth or seventh spot on defense, but before his other moves, five or six players were competing and hoping for more ice time. Johnson is an experienced veteran brought in to help mentor the young players. As a Stanley Cup champion, he’ll help guide a group of young Blue Jackets defense prospects.
Who Will Crack the Blue Jackets’ Lineup?
Now that the Blue Jackets have given up on the Boqvist experiment, they’ve opened the door for David Jiricek to be a full-time NHLer. He should have graduated from the American Hockey League (AHL) before last season, but Boqvist and even Bean’s waiver situations prevented them from solidifying a spot with the big club. Jiricek will be a top-four defender and make a big difference this season.
Denton Mateychuk is the likely candidate to earn a spot on the bottom pairing. He’s stood out as captain of the Moose Jaw Warriors in the Western Hockey League (WHL). He is also a difference-maker under pressure. He was incredibly impactful for Team Canada at the World Juniors and scored 30 points in 20 playoff games, leading the Warriors to the Memorial Cup, posting seven points in four games during that tournament. He’s done all he can at the junior level. Whether a full-time NHLer or a stint in the AHL is the right option for him is to be determined for this season, but expect to see him be a lock as a full-time Blue Jacket by the 2025-26 season.
James Malatesta should slot into one of the bottom-six roster spots that has opened up. He had a lot of success in junior, being named playoff and 2023 Memorial Cup MVP before going pro last season. His speed and physicality make him a great option to play lower in the lineup. Luca Del Bel Belluz and Trey Fix-Wolansky will also get a look. All of them have worn a Blue Jackets jersey in regular season action before and have earned a longer look this season.
There are a plethora of names that have not been mentioned, and someone will show up at training camp and make tough roster decisions even harder. However, Waddell has done a good job early on in culling the herd by moving out players who had hit their ceilings with the organization and making room for prospects who are ready to make an impact and earn their opportunity.
