The Columbus Blue Jackets will have 23 players at the NHL Prospects Challenge, running from Sept. 11-15 in Buffalo, New York. This year’s tournament will feature the Blue Jackets, Boston Bruins, Buffalo Sabres, New Jersey Devils, and Pittsburgh Penguins.
The Blue Jackets’ roster includes 13 forwards, seven defensemen, and three goaltenders. Cleveland Monsters head coach Trent Vogelhuber will be behind the bench, coaching many players he will see in Cleveland this season. With two extra skaters beyond a typical game lineup, expect a forward and a defenseman to rotate in and out of the lineup over the weekend.
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The Blue Jackets’ first game is on Thursday, Sept. 11, against the Devils at 7:00 PM ET, following a morning skate. They return on Saturday, Sept. 13, for another 7:00 PM ET matchup, this time against the host Sabres. The tournament wraps up on Sunday, Sept. 14, when they take on the Penguins at 3:30 PM ET.
With a good mix of drafted prospects, free-agent signings, and invitees, this tournament should provide an early look at who is ready to take the next step in the organization’s pipeline and who might be signed in the future. Here are some players to watch by position.
Forwards
The Blue Jackets’ 13 forwards include Josh Avery, Ryder Boulton, Jordan Dumais, Owen Griffin, Brendan Hoffmann, Oiva Keskinen, Max McCue, Ryland Mosley, Tyler Peddle, Luca Pinelli, Nicholas Sima, Evan Van Gorp, and Jack Williams.
Jack Williams
Williams already has one NHL game under his belt after making his debut in the 2024-25 season finale. Signed as an undrafted free agent (UFA) out of Northeastern University earlier this year, he scored 41 points in 37 games in 2024-25 and quickly made an impression with his fast pace and high compete level.
Williams can play both wing and center, and his versatility should give him a legitimate chance to crack the NHL lineup at some point this season as a depth piece who can take draws.
Right now, Williams is part of a deep forward group that includes Luca Del Bel Belluz, Zach Aston-Reese, James Malatesta, and Mikael Pyyhtia, who can step up from Cleveland if needed. In Buffalo, expect Williams to slot into a top-six role where he can show off more of his two-way game.
Luca Pinelli
Pinelli is coming off a strong season in the Ontario Hockey League (OHL), where he scored 71 points in 52 games. He also gained valuable pro experience during Cleveland’s Calder Cup Playoff run, contributing four points in six games. On top of that, he represented Canada at the 2025 World Junior Championship.
Drafted in the fourth round in 2023, Pinelli has consistently outperformed expectations based on his draft status and has the look of a long-term NHL option. This tournament will be a chance to measure how much his game has grown over the offseason. Expect him to see time in the top six, likely centering one of the first two lines, and maybe spending some time on the wing.
Oiva Keskinen
The Blue Jackets signed Finnish center Keskinen in May 2025 to a three-year entry-level contract (ELC). A seventh-round pick in 2023 (194th overall), he was one of the final selections made by former GM Jarmo Kekäläinen. At 6-feet, 181 pounds, the late-round steal profiles as a possible bottom-six forward in the NHL, depending on how quickly he adapts to the North American pro game.
He could spend this season with the Monsters, though there is still the possibility he remains with Tappara in Finland. Regardless, his development will be important for Columbus’s future center depth. At the Prospects Challenge, he should see middle-six minutes at center/wing with plenty of opportunities to showcase his skill.
Defensemen
The Blue Jackets’ seven defensemen consist of: Will Bishop, Jakub Chromiak, Charlie Elick, P.J. Fagan, Marcus Kearsey, Guillaume Richard, and Caleb MacDonald.
Guillaume Richard
Richard, a 6-foot-2, 187-pound defenseman, signed his ELC on Mar. 30 after finishing a four-year career at Providence College. He then joined Cleveland at the end of the season, where he recorded four points in eight regular-season games and added two more in six playoff appearances.
A steady, low-risk defender, Richard projects as a possible third-pairing option down the road. With American Hockey League (AHL) experience already under his belt, he will likely play on one of the top two pairings in Buffalo, giving him an early chance to stand out.
Caleb MacDonald
MacDonald signed out of the University of North Dakota this offseason and immediately adds size to the blue line at 6-foot-4 and 229 pounds. His offensive production in college was limited, but his physical game and defensive reliability are strong.
The question will be whether he can handle quicker, more skilled competition in Buffalo and show signs of developing a two-way game. He profiles as a depth option who could work his way into NHL consideration with time in the AHL.
Jakub Chromiak
Chromiak comes to camp as an invite and could be a candidate for a contract down the line. He put up 32 points in 54 games with the OHL’s Kitchener Rangers last season, adding eight more points in 16 playoff games. An elite passer, he racked up 35 assists and was one of the Rangers’ top playmakers on the back end.
Leading up to his draft year in 2024, Chromiak was highly regarded in the NHL Draft rankings, but he ultimately went undrafted. His strong OHL season has earned him another chance to impress, and this tournament will be a key opportunity to prove he belongs with better competition moving forward.
Goalies
The Blue Jackets are bringing three goalies to Buffalo: two signed prospects, Evan Gardner and Nolan Lalonde, along with invite Mason Vaccari of the OHL’s Kingston Frontenacs. They will likely get one game each, for management and coaches to fairly evaluate them.
Evan Gardner
Gardner signed with Columbus in March after a strong season in the Western Hockey League (WHL). He played one game with Cleveland at the end of the regular season and credited goalie coach Brad Thiessen and Jet Greaves for helping build his confidence.
“Getting into that game was great for my confidence and kind of reassuring me that I am able to compete at that level right now,” Gardner said. “I got to learn from a guy like Jet, who was lights out to end the season here. To watch him and be around him all the time down there was awesome for me. He was great to me.”
Thiessen also said, “His high hockey IQ. His ability to skate and read the game. That year when we drafted him, he was the backup, and he pushed from behind and was always pushing. He finally took over and went on a playoff run with them as the guy. This past year was his first year in the starting role. It was a great opportunity for him to learn how to handle all that comes with being a starting goalie.”
The tournament should give him another important chance to show his development and push for playing time at the AHL level.
Nolan Lalonde
Lalonde is set to begin his pro career after finishing last season in the OHL with the Soo Greyhounds, where he played some of his best hockey late in the campaign.
“Everyone’s development path is different,” Thiessen noted at this off-season’s development camp. “We felt like last year it was best for him to go back to junior. He had a good year in junior. Late in the year, I think he played his best hockey with them. I am excited about him coming into pro now.”
Signed to an ELC in 2022, Lalonde still has plenty to prove. He will likely serve as the Monsters’ second or third goaltender this season, depending on whether GM Don Waddell adds a veteran goalie for organizational depth.
Mason Vaccari
Vaccari, a 5-foot-10 netminder from the Frontenacs, earned his invite with his athletic play and decent numbers in the OHL. Though undersized compared to most modern NHL goaltenders, his quickness and compete level stand out. He will be looking to make the most of this opportunity to earn further consideration with the organization once his junior career ends. He will play for the OHL’s Flint Firebirds this season.
With the number of goaltenders expected to be in Cleveland this season, it would not be surprising to see one spend time in the ECHL, similar to how Cleveland’s Pavel Cajan was assigned to the Cincinnati Cyclones last season. The Prospects Challenge should give the staff a clearer picture of where each goalie stands heading into preseason and how the depth chart might shake out.
At this moment, none of the goaltenders currently on Cleveland’s roster, including Lalonde, Gardner, and Zach Sawchenko, are considered ready for NHL minutes. Because of that, Waddell has already noted that a third NHL-ready goalie will likely be added after training camp begins, someone capable of stepping in as a reliable backup if Greaves or Elvis Merzlikins are unavailable. This tournament will still be an important opportunity for the Blue Jackets’ young goalies to show where they are in their development, but it is clear the organization wants more NHL-level proven depth ahead of this season.
The NHL Prospects Challenge is always a good early test for young players, and this year’s Blue Jackets group offers plenty of storylines and a bunch of players who’ve never played together. Some, like Williams, Pinelli, and Jordan Dumais, are pushing for NHL minutes, while others are focused on finding a role at the pro level or building their game before heading back to junior. And then there are players like Chromiak and Vaccari, who are fighting simply to earn a longer look as invitees.
This weekend marks the return of hockey as the first real chance to see what some of the next wave of Blue Jackets prospects can do.
