Jackets chart path forward with No. 3 pick in NHL draft
The NHL draft lottery pulled the football away again.
All lined up to kick one through the uprights Monday, the league’s resident Charlie Brown, the Blue Jackets, once again fell flat after Lucy (a role played by 14 lottery balls) yanked the ball away again at the last second.
The Jackets finished second-to-last in the NHL this season and thus went into the lottery with the second-best odds (13.5%) to win the No. 1 pick, but instead dropped a spot in the draft after the Chicago Blackhawks, who had the third-best odds, hopped the Jackets and Anaheim Ducks into the top spot, where they’re expected to select “generational” star center Connor Bedard on June 28 in Nashville.
Where does this leave the Blue Jackets?
Well, they’ll still have good options with the third pick. It just won’t be Bedard and probably won’t be Michigan’s Adam Fantilli either. He’s likely headed to Anaheim at No. 2.
After wiping off the mud from yet another lottery slip-and-fall, the Blue Jackets have a lot of work ahead. Here are five questions related to Columbus picking third in this year’s draft:
Which prospects will be left at third overall?
This draft is loaded at the top with projected top centers, including two who stand out after Bedard and Fantilli.
Leo Carlsson, a 6-foot-3, 194-pound Swedish playmaker is one. Will Smith (6-0, 172), a dynamic scorer for the U.S. National Team Development Program is the other. Carlsson has already played two professional seasons in the Swedish Hockey League, while Smith rocketed up draft rankings while lighting up the scoreboard for the U.S. U18 team this season.
Are the Blue Jackets positioned to trade up or back?
Trading up with Chicago is a pipedream and trading up with Anaheim also isn’t realistic. Trading back a spot with the San Jose Sharks might be something to consider, adding something of value while selecting either Carlsson or Smith fourth, but Kekalainen doesn’t sound interested.
After the lottery, he said the return would need to be “a lot,” to even consider it.
How unlucky are the Jackets in the draft lottery?
This was the 10th lottery the Blue Jackets have gone into with a chance to land the first pick and their record dropped to 0-10. Not only did they fail to move up, but there was added pain from dropping second to third after one of the worst seasons in franchise history.
How did ESPN reveal Columbus’ fate early?
The NHL did not issue a comment on the ESPN broadcast of the lottery results revealing the Blue Jackets had dropped to third before deputy commissioner Bill Daly revealed their card.
After the Sharks were announced as the fourth pick, former NHL goalie and show host Kevin Weekes declared: “And there’s our first change in the order, with Columbus dropping to third. So, now either Anaheim or Chicago will select first overall.”
The broadcast quickly cut away before returning to finish the results. No mention was made of Weekes’ mistake and Daly acted as if nothing happened, even wishing good luck to Anaheim, Chicago and Columbus. He then opened the envelope for the third pick and pulled out a card bearing the Blue Jackets’ logo.
Kekalainen and John Davidson, the Blue Jackets’ president of hockey operations, were also shown live from the team’s locker room and both were stonefaced.
“Well, I think it was pretty evident what was going to happen,” Kekalainen said. “So, yeah, spoiled the moment, I guess.”
What likely happened is that Weekes was informed about the order right before the broadcast and erred in letting it slip.
What NHL stars have been selected third overall?
Does Leon Draisaitl or Jonathan Toews do anything for you? How about Henrik Sedin, Jonathan Huberdeau or Matt Duchene?
While the “bust” rate increases with every pick that comes off the board, there is still a high rate of return with third picks in the NHL draft. The Blue Jackets most recently selected Pierreluc Dubois third overall in 2016 — one spot behind Patrik Laine, whom he was eventually traded for in 2021. bhedger@dispatch.com @Brianhedger