Columbus Blue Jackets at 2024 NHL Draft: 5 things to know
It’s expected to be the last of its kind.
This year’s NHL draft on Friday night and Saturday at The Sphere in Las Vegas will probably be the final one that includes a draft floor with 32 front office staffs seated at tables inside an arena filled with fans, antsy prospects, their families and agents.
More: 5 takeaways from Don Waddell's first day running Columbus Blue Jackets
The league hasn’t made it official yet, but the NHL will likely shift to a draft format resembling those used by the NFL and Major League Baseball — with top prospects invited to attend and teams making picks from “war rooms” across North America rather than on-site. It will erase the league’s most centralized point of congregation for all 32 teams, but at least the NHL is sending its current draft procedure out in style.
This year’s draft will be the first live televised event hosted at The Sphere in Las Vegas, which has used its unique shape and high-tech video capabilities to quickly become one of the continent's most popular entertainment venues.
This draft may also include the return of offseason trades after a quiet two days last year in Nashville. The Blue Jackets head into this draft with the fourth overall pick ― the fourth straight year they’ve picked inside the top six ― and there’s a lot more uncertainty with this one. They’re also hunting for a head coach, have a disgruntled forward who wants to be traded and are busily preparing for the opening of free agency Monday.
It’s a bustling week for general manager Don Waddell, who's also the Jackets’ new president of hockey operations. So, let’s take a quick peek at what lies ahead this weekend in Vegas. Here are five things to know about the Blue Jackets and the 2024 NHL draft:
Columbus Blue Jackets have not stated a preferred position with fourth overall pick
A year ago, the Blue Jackets held the third overall pick in a draft that featured four projected No. 1 centers available among the consensus top five prospects.
They were taking one of them no matter what, and the only uncertainty was who’d be available after the Chicago Blackhawks took Connor Bedard first. This year, the only pick who appears to be the San Jose Sharks’ surefire No. 1 pick is Boston University center Macklin Celebrini.
After he comes off the board, it becomes a guessing game with the Blackhawks and Anaheim Ducks picking before the Blue Jackets head to the stage. Thanks to an impressive arsenal of highly regarded prospects left behind by former GM Jarmo Kekalainen from the previous three drafts, the Jackets’ system doesn’t have a glaring weakness to address.
They’ve got high-end defensemen coming, along with elite young NHL forwards like Fantilli, Cole Sillinger, Kent Johnson, Yegor Chinakhov and Kirill Marchenko who’ve already arrived. It’s cliché, but the Blue Jackets are in a position of choosing the “best player available” with the draft’s fourth pick.
While it’d make sense to add a power forward like Cayden Lindstrom, who plays center at the junior level, it would also be tough to pass on one of several high-ranking defensemen projected to be top-10 picks.
Columbus Blue Jackets must decide whether to keep second-round pick or relinquish it to Philadelphia Flyers
As part of a trade last summer to acquire defenseman Ivan Provorov in a three-way deal with the Philadelphia Flyers and Los Angeles Kings, the Blue Jackets have a tough call at the end of the first round. They can either fork over their second-round pick (36th overall) to the Flyers to complete the swap or keep it and send next year’s second-round pick to Philly.
Waddell mentioned at his introductory press conference that he won’t have a second-round pick this year, but later said the decision won’t be made until after the first round. The decision could boil down to how likely it is for a player the Jackets highly value to be available 36th overall.
Another factor to consider is how successful the Blue Jackets’ front office feels the team can be next season with a new coach and roster changes. If the projection is a point total that will move Columbus further back in the draft order next year, it probably makes sense to take the higher pick now and complete the trade in 2025.
Columbus Blue Jackets may use draft to interview coaching candidates
It didn’t take long this week for the Blue Jackets to draw attention amid their coaching search.
Todd McLellan’s name surfaced as a candidate who Waddell appears to be targeting, but the Jackets’ GM said no offers have been extended to anybody yet. After deciding last week to replace Pascal Vincent, Waddell pointed toward his time this week in Vegas as a likely time to conduct interviews. The draft attracts executives, agents, coaches and scouts from across the NHL, and is often used as a networking event for job seekers.
The Blue Jackets have less than a week to make a hire if they want a new coach in place by the start of free agency Monday, so don’t be surprised if something happens soon.
Columbus Blue Jackets could be active in trade market at NHL draft
Last year, the NHL’s executives decided to essentially take a year off from swapping players and significant picks.
This time, there might be more trade activity and the Blue Jackets could be in the thick of it. Most are focused on whether Waddell can find deals to move Patrik Laine and/or goalie Elvis Merzlikins, but those aren't the only names who could be on the move.
Provorov, forward Alexandre Texier, defenseman Jake Bean, defenseman Adam Boqvist and perhaps even Marchenko could become trade chips, and a couple could bring back a hefty return.
As for Laine, he remains in the NHL/NHL Players Association’s player assistance program for an undisclosed reason, which precludes him from speaking with Waddell or opposing GMs. His agent, Andy Scott, can communicate for him, but GMs looking to trade for a key player will likely need to speak with the Finnish forward first. That could be a major stumbling block for a Laine trade until he’s officially released from the program’s treatment process.
Merzlikins could also be difficult to move due to his inconsistency the past two years, ongoing illness issues and his remaining salary of $5.4 million for three more seasons.
Columbus Blue Jackets will draft without Jarmo Kekalainen for the first time in 12 years
Waddell wasn’t hired until late May, so he’ll be a month into his new job by the time the first round arrives.
That’s a big factor in why the Jackets’ draft will be mostly run by director of amateur scouting Ville Siren and assistant director of amateur scouting Trevor Timmins. Kekalainen hired both to run the Jackets’ amateur scouting department, and now they’re in charge of the team’s rankings list for another key draft without him around.
One of Kekalainen’s strengths as GM was allowing his scouts do their jobs without interference, but that doesn’t mean he didn’t do some of the scouting on his own. Kekalainen's background prior to becoming the Jacket's GM in 2013 was in amateur scouting and his opinions on players will be missed.
Remarkably, Kekalainen has still done scouting work for the Jackets this offseason, since he’s still technically on the payroll, but his absence from the draft floor in Vegas will be a strange feeling. He's been a vital part of their drafts since 2013.
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This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: NHL draft: 5 things to know about Columbus Blue Jackets in Las Vegas
