Blue Jackets Sign Corson Ceulemans To One-Year Extension

The Columbus Blue Jackets announced that 2021 first-round pick Corson Ceulemans has been signed to a one-year, two-way contract extension. The Athletic’s Aaron Portzline reported the deal carries a league-minimum NHL salary of $850K and an AHL salary of $95K.

The 23-year-old completed his third full season as a member of the AHL’s Cleveland Monsters this past season. Although he is one of just three 2021 first-round picks to have not yet made his NHL debut, the Blue Jackets remain optimistic that Ceulemans is still a future NHL player. GM Don Waddell echoed that sentiment in the team’s announcement, saying:

Corson is a talented, young defenseman with excellent offensive instincts, skating ability and puck-moving skills. He made significant progress last season, and we’re excited to see him take further steps in his career in our organization.

Ceulemans’ 2025-26 season was his best campaign as a professional so far. While he did not earn any NHL games, that may have been more to do with the fact that Columbus spent the season in the playoff chase and couldn’t afford to dress blueliners without any NHL experience than anything about Ceulemans himself. In another organization with more of a rebuild-oriented roster strategy, Ceulemans may very well have already earned a call-up.

This past season, Ceulemans took steps forward in multiple areas. First and foremost, it was availability. He skated in a career-high 64 AHL games, well above the 33 he managed last season and a substantial increase from his previous high of 47. He also set a career-high of 24 points, well above his previous best of 12 points. Ceulemans also took on a greater role in the Cleveland lineup, handling top-four deployment with significant usage on the penalty kill.

As a big right-handed defenseman who is capable of playing with physicality, Ceulemans remains an important prospect for the Blue Jackets, even as his star has dimmed somewhat. If he can make it to the NHL, he could become a valuable asset even if he only plays in a third-pairing role. Defensemen with his traits are often coveted.

The Athletic’s Scott Wheeler projected Ceulemans as a potential “assertive No. 7-8 D,” and this extension will allow Ceulemans to continue developing into that kind of player within the Blue Jackets organization.