Columbus Blue Jackets have third pick in upcoming NHL Entry Draft

COLUMBUS, Ohio – The Columbus Blue Jackets have the third pick of the 2016 NHL Draft. This is an extremely important choice that GM Jarmo Kekalainen and company cannot afford to waste. With an abysmal 34-40-8 record, the Jackets need some fresh blood on the bench for the 2016-2017 season. The experts have a few young prospects in mind.  What do these prospects offer the Jackets? The question shouldn’t be who is the best player the Jackets can find; but who is the right player for the Jackets. Who do the experts like? Let’s take a look at the tale of the tape.

First up is Matthew Tkachuk of the London Knights in the Ontario Hockey League. Tkachuk ends his first year with the Knights with 30 goals, 77 assists, and total of 77 points. Not bad for his first season in the OHL. With incredible skating talent and speed, Tkachuk is a versatile goal scorer and playmaker. Eliteprospects.com say’s;

“All-in-all, a unique and effective forward who defines his own limits and seeks to exceed them, along with all on-ice expectations.”

Many people are more familiar with his father Keith who had a 19 year NHL career with the Winnipeg Jets, Arizona Coyotes, St. Louis Blues and the Atlanta Thrashers. Some people have noticed similarities between father and son. “He looked like his old man out there,” U.S. national junior coach Ron Wilson said. “He has a nose for the net and fights and claws to get there; he’s tenacious, just like his dad.”  He could be a good pick for the Jackets in the first round. Both Draftutopia.com and Draftsite.com have the Blue Jackets taking Tkachuk in the first round.

On deck there is Finnish star Jesse Puljujärvi. At 6’3” 201 lbs, Puljujärvi is an imposing figure on who fires rockets and skates just as fast. The seventeen-year-old has been playing for Karpat Oulu in the Finnish Liiga. Paajarvi has scored 13 goals 15 for a total of 28 points in 50 games. This is not against 16-20 year olds in the CHL, this is against full grown men in arguably Europe’s best pro hockey league. Elieteprospects.com states;

“Comparable to Jamie Benn of the Dallas Stars, Paajarvi owns a dangerously accurate shot, as well as exceptional playmaking ability that pairs up quite nicely with his superb vision and enthusiasm.”

At seventeen years old Puljujärvi is still young and has yet to mature physically in size and strength. He still has room for improvement in skill. This youngster has a bright future ahead of him in the NHL. He could bring some much needed physicality to the Blue Jackets front line. Sportsblog’s Mynhldraft.com and The Hockey Writers have the Jackets choosing Puljujärvi in the first round.

One player comes from NHL pedigree while the other has already played pro hockey in one of the world’s top leagues.  Both of these players are noted goal scorers and playmakers who make NHL scouts lick their chops. This is not an easy choice to make. So, who should the Jackets pick in the first round? Should they pick Matthew Tkachuk or should they pick Jesse Puljujärvi?

My answer is NIETHER ONE OF THEM!!! The Jacket’s problem is not goal scoring or the forward line. Brandon Saad and Boone Jenner both scored over 30 goals this past season. Scott Hartnell and Nick Foligno showed impeccable leadership skills despite the disappointing season. Although the Jackets struggled, the problem wasn’t goaltending either. Despite playing 37 games and a so-so 2.75 goals against average, Sergei Bobrovsky had a stellar season. Most of the goals scored on him were arguably not his fault. What was even more impressive was Joonas Korpisalo’ s performance with a 2.60  GAA and playing 31 games backing up Bobrovsky. Many have said that Korpisalo is the future of the Blue Jackets in goal. The problem is the defensive line allowing loose pucks in front of the net and overall poor play.

Rayn Murray – file photo by Lewis Bleiman

Ryan Murray, when healthy, is an incredible defenseman. The key phrase is healthy. This past season was Murray’s first full season without being injured. Who knows what next season is about to bring. Will Murray be healthy or will he get hurt again? Seth Jones came to the team in the Ryan Johansen trade in mid-season. He put some authority back into that back line, but despite his great play couldn’t stop the bleeding. Jack Johnson and Fedor Tyutin are showing their age at 32 and 29. Dalton Prout looked like he couldn’t defend against a Squirt team. It is amazing that the Blue Jacket’s front office extended his contract. The Jackets need a good defenseman.

The Jackets can bring up Zach Werenski from the Lake Erie Monsters. This would bring some offense to the blue line. Still, like any other NHL prospect, Werenski has yet to play an NHL game. Many fans in Columbus have been screaming for him to play for the Jackets. This would be a good move, but the problem of who the Jackets will draft is yet unanswered. So who should the Jackets pick in the upcoming draft? “The third pick of the 2016 NHL Draft, The Columbus Blue Jackets pick…Jacob Chychrun!!!”

Chychrun is a 6”2′ 214lb. defenseman who currently plays for the Sarnia Sting in the Ontario Hockey League.  A two-way defenseman with a crack shot, he will bring some size on the blue line as well as a physical presence. Like Werenski, he can move the puck up ice and make the play when needed. Ryan Kennedy of The Hockey News calls Chychrun “The best defenseman of the 2016 draft class.”  Kennedy states;

“Defenseman Jakob Chychrun brings size, speed, toughness and a cracking shot to the ice and really; you can’t ask for much more in a prospect. That’s why the Sarnia Sting sophomore will be the top 2016 draft hopeful to watch in North America this season and by far the most coveted defenseman.”

In 62 games, Chychrun racked up 11 goals, 38 assists and a grand total of 49 points. He would be a godsend for the Jackets.

“I think ‘Chicky’ is going to be the best defenseman in the league (this) year,” said former teammate Anthony DeAngelo, the Tampa Bay first-rounder. “I’m not sure if there’s someone else like him coming up, but in my opinion I don’t think there will be anyone better.”

With a healthy Murray, Jones, Werenski, and Chychrun, this could be one of the most promising young defenses in the NHL. What needs to happen? The Jackets need to make some trades and cuts. They should trade or cut Jack Johnson and Fedor Tyutin. Both Johnson and Tyutin have contributed greatly to the Columbus Blue Jackets, but I think it’s time to bring in some youth onto the blue line.

The Jackets don’t need another forward on their roster. They have both youth and experience that can put the puck in the net. Goaltending is not the problem when there are too many loose pucks in front of the goal, especially when you have a Vezina Trophy winner and a backup who is arguably better than him. The problem is the defense. There is a big gaping hole that the entire NHL can exploit, and that is the Jacket’s blue liners. Let’s hope the Columbus Blue Jackets front office agrees.