Draft tracker: Columbus Blue Jackets' selections on Day 2, starting with Charlie Elick
The Blue Jackets began the 2024 NHL draft with the specific goal of adding powerhouse center Cayden Lindstrom to their organizational mix down the middle of the ice.
More: 5 Columbus Blue Jackets takeaways from NHL draft's first day
After getting that done Friday night at Sphere Las Vegas, the Jackets returned to the entertainment orb Saturday focused on bolstering the defensive side of the puck in rounds 2-7 on Day 2 of the draft. The Blue Jackets selected three defensemen and a goalie with their first four picks on the draft's second day, starting with physical right-handed defenseman Charlie Elick of the WHL's Brandon Wheat Kings with the fourth pick of the second round (No. 36 overall).
Elick, 18, was born in Austria, where his father played professionally, and spent his formative years in Calgary, Alberta.
"I feel like I'm more of a two-way, defensive type of defenseman, but I can definitely play on both sides of the puck and move it up to the forwards to get it up the ice and be physical with the body to shut down other players," Elick said. "That's something that I bring and kind of how my game is."
Elick's roughneck style of defense matches up nicely with Lindstrom, who has played against and with Elick quite a bit in the WHL and internationally for Canada at the Ivan Hlinka Tournament. Elick is 6-foot-3, 194 pounds, Lindstrom is a 6-3, 213 and the two have locked horns, including a spirited fight.
"I've played with him quite a bit," Elick said of Lindstrom. "We played together at the 'Hlinka' and I've played against him almost my whole life. So, it's been pretty cool to share an experience like this with him for sure."
As for the scrap?
"It was good," Elick said. "We just got pretty heated in a game (Brandon) was losing by quite a bit, so it was a heated matchup. But it's a friendly competition. We're good 'guys' now."
Blue Jackets trade to acquire second pick in second round, select goalie Evan Gardner
The Blue Jackets also swung a trade in the second round with the Carolina Hurricanes, swapping two picks (No. 69, No. 133) in exchange for the No. 60 pick to select goalie Evan Gardner of the WHL's Saskatoon Blades — another WHL standout.
"It's a surreal moment, for sure," Gardner said of being drafted. "I had so many emotions coming into today and I was super nervous. I'm almost happy that it's overwith, but I'm just so excited to get things started here with Columbus."
Gardner is a 6-0, 175-pound net-minder who's ranked seventh among North American goalies by NHL Central Scouting. He backstopped the Blades to the best regular season record in the WHL by going 21-5-0 with a 1.91 goals-against average and .927 save percentage in 30 games, then led Saskatoon to the conference finals in the playoffs with a 10-1-3 record, 2.33 GAA and .910 save percentage.
"I think I just bring a really calm and cool presence in the net," Gardner said. "You're never going to be nervous if I'm in there. You're always going to feel good when I'm in there, because I'm just going to go out there and stop pucks for you. That's what Columbus is going to be getting."
Saskatoon was eliminated in a thrilling seven-game series against Moose Jaw and Blue Jackets defenseman prospect Denton Mateychuk (12th overall 2022).
"He's a great defenseman," Gardner said. "He was logging minutes out there with Moose Jaw. I felt like every time I'd look at the blue line in my zone, he was out there with the puck. He's a super talented 'D' man and I'm looking forward to hopefully having him in front of me in the future."
Trading up into the second round to make sure they got Gardner said a lot about the Blue Jackets' assessment of his abilities in net. Adding a goalie that high was also a statement about the Jackets' need for to add goaltending depth into the pipeline.
In NHL draft's third round, Columbus Blue Jackets select defenseman Luca Marrelli
The Blue Jackets grabbed another defenseman from the Canadian junior ranks in the third round (No. 86), selecting Luca Marrelli, a 6-2, 185 pound a puck-moving blueliner from the Oshawa Generals. Marrelli was a participant in this past season's CHL/NHL Top Prospects event, part of a strong campaign that saw him finish with 57 points (6 goals, 51 assists) in 67 games with a +28 rating.
Luca Marrelli is a defenseman with the @Oshawa_Generals
Hockey isn’t the only activity Marrelli excels in. He’s also proficient in cooking and playing chess, both of which he loves to do. #NHLDraft pic.twitter.com/6RFy6e91tM— NHL Public Relations (@PR_NHL) June 19, 2024
Marrelli has already logged three seasons of junior hockey with Oshawa in the OHL, including two playoffs. This past season, he helped the Generals to a 21-game run in the postseason with 2-11-13 before falling to the London Knights in the league's championship series.
"It really just brings out the little kid in you, just dreaming of playing in the NHL one day and getting drafted ... and now your dream is coming true," Marrelli said. "I wasn't super stressed out (after the first round). My sleep (Friday) night was pretty good, honestly, except my dad was snoring the whole time. This morning, I just met up with my family, walked over and didn't really have any expectations. I just wanted to come here with a positive attitude and it worked out. I couldn't be happier."
Columbus Blue Jackets select big defensemen Tanner Henricks, Luke Ashton to complete draft class
Keeping with their rankings list and what turned out to be their theme for Day 2, the Blue Jackets added two more defensemen with their final two picks of the draft. Tanner Henricks of the USHL's Lincoln Stars was selected in the fourth round (No. 101) and Luke Ashton of the BCHL's Langley Rivermen went to Columbus in the sixth round (No. 165).
Henricks is only 17, while Ashton is 19 and headed to Minnesota State next season to start his collegiate career.
Get more Columbus Blue Jackets talk on the Cannon Fodder podcast
This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: NHL draft 2024: Columbus Blue Jackets have a busy Day 2 in Vegas
