2025 Columbus Blue Jackets NHL Draft Guide

Round 1 of the NHL Draft will be televised on ESPN from 7 P.M. to 10 P.M. eastern. In that time, picks will come in from the various markets. We will also see some celebrities make picks for teams. For example, WWE Superstar Bayley will be announcing the first-round picks for the San Jose Sharks. Meanwhile, the Ducks will have two members of the original Mighty Ducks movie make their first-round pick. Joshua Jackson (Charlie) and Marguerite Moreau (Connie) will appear together.

It will be interesting to see what the Blue Jackets do in this regard.

Then on Saturday in Rounds 2-7, expect to see a setup similar to how the draft was run during Covid. NHL Network will have coverage of Day 2 of the draft.

As for our coverage, we’ll be on site at Nationwide Arena on Friday night during the draft and while the team’s draft party is going on. Then on Saturday, we’ll follow along with the picks as they happen and perhaps we’ll have a chance to talk to some of the newest prospects. GM Don Waddell is scheduled to speak Friday night after Round 1 and then again after Day 2 ends.

Latest Blue Jackets News

Waddell held his predraft media availability on Thursday morning at Nationwide Arena. Here are some of the key takeaways and updates that came from that.

Setting Up the Blue Jackets’ Draft

The Blue Jackets will begin the draft holding seven picks including two in the first round. They hold picks 14 and 20 along with picks 77, 109, 173, 205 and 218. The extra first rounder came when the team traded defenseman David Jiricek to the Minnesota Wild.

Now the big question. How many of those picks will the Blue Jackets actually make? It’s no secret the team has made both picks available. Ideally, they’d like to get players that will help the roster now with those picks. That may prove to be difficult though.

Teams above them in the order have also expressed a desire to make their picks available in the right deals. That added level of competition makes it a bigger challenge to stand out. A little creativity could be the difference in finding a good trade.

With that backdrop, the Blue Jackets could conceivably make none, one or both of their first rounders. We will prepare as though they make at least one of the picks.

If they make both picks, it’s reasonable to expect one of them being a defenseman. Now, the other possibility here is trying to trade up. Say a player in the top-10 starts falling. If a team above the Blue Jackets isn’t married to their pick and would be willing to get an extra asset, there’s an opportunity to land a player with a higher upside.

We will assume the team stays at 14 and 20 for this exercise. Here are the forwards and defensemen we expect to be available in that range. Click on the prospect’s name to see our profile on them.

Forwards

Defensemen

There obviously could be others in play based on what the Blue Jackets’ final list looks like. But this at least gives you an idea of the kind of players most of the industry believes could be available in the 14-20 range.

Goaltending is another area some believe the Blue Jackets could use a first-round pick on. Joshua Ravensbergen comes to mind. As we said at the Combine, he met multiple times this past season with goaltending coach Brad Thiessen. We’ll see if anything comes of that when it’s time to pick. Here’s a goaltending name to keep in mind as his stock seems to be rising. Semyon Frolov. Given what Waddell said about the desire to see these prospects, file this one away. Some first-round buzz seems to be following Frolov around.

How do I think this is going to go if the Blue Jackets make the picks? I am assuming Mrtka, Smith and Aitcheson are gone by 14. Should one of them slip, the team should run to the phone without hesitation to make that pick.

I think they really like Hensler a lot. He’s a right-handed mobile defenseman with size who’s seen a lot of improvement in his game. In my mind, he would be a strong option at 14.

I also think they like Lakovic. He has the size the Blue Jackets would like plus he started to show an ability to take over games when he started to use his physicality more. The CHL/USA Top Prospects Game did wonders for him.

My official prediction: One of Lakovic/Hensler and then if they make the second pick, could be any of the names mentioned above. I know they like Fiddler too. As I stated at the Combine, they had an in-season lunch. He fits what the Blue Jackets would value on the blue line. Don’t discount Ravensbergen at 20 either.

Other Resources

Here are some other resources to help get you ready for the rest of the draft. Our head of scouting Peter Baracchini has his final top-128 list out. You can see some potential names in play for Saturday.

Our full 2025 Draft Guide Listed above has other rankings and a lot more including over 150 prospect profiles and features. My colleague Matthew Buhrmann published his mock draft of picks 14 and 20.

You can see the final NHL Central Scouting List here.

Biggest Questions

Here are the five biggest questions I have coming into the NHL Draft for the Blue Jackets.

Enjoy what is about to unfold. Next up after the draft is Development Camp which starts on July 2.