The Blue Jackets' top talents to watch in 2024-25 training camp

The Columbus Blue Jackets are projected to be one of the worst teams in the National Hockey League in the 2024-25 season. They lack any stars aside from workhorse defenseman Zach Werenski, and a dark shadow hangs over the franchise following the tragic death of Johnny Gaudreau.

But the show must go on in Ohio, and despite the heartbreaking circumstances the team is enduring, training camp has already begun. And with that comes a few top talents looking to make it at the NHL level. Despite having next to no expectations this season, the Blue Jackets have one of the better pipelines in the league.

In fact, Scott Wheeler of The Athletic ranked Columbus No. 3 earlier this year: “The top five young players in their pool can compete with virtually anyone, and they have double-digit depth with significant players at all six positions,” he wrote.

The Blue Jackets will have a very tough 2024-25 season, and it will likely be a few years before the roster is back in shape, but better times are certainly ahead for an organization that has been hit by unimaginable tragedy.

Here are three top talents to keep an eye on before Columbus starts the new season against the Minnesota Wild on October 10.

David Jiricek is a sure candidate for the team

Selected by the Jackets with the No. 6 pick in the 2022 NHL Draft, David Jiricek is on the verge of going from top prospect to full-time roster player. The 20-year-old appeared in 43 games last year (and four the year before), scoring one goal and ten points in that time.

Before the end of the regular season, the Czech defenseman returned to the Cleveland Monsters of the American Hockey League, where he performed excellently. Jiricek managed 19 points in 23 games before adding another 11 points in 14 postseason games. He proved that he is ready for a full 82-game streak, and that is exactly what he should get in Ohio in 2024-25.

With Pascal Vincent fighting for his job, Jiricek didn't have much margin for error last season. But with a new coach in town, he has the potential to establish himself as a true top-four defenseman, and Daily Faceoff sees him on the right side of the second pair alongside Ivan Provorov – with Werenski and Damon Severson occupying the top pair.

It will be interesting to see how the young player fares in Columbus this season, but don't worry: if he stays healthy, he won't play in an AHL game this time around. It could only be a matter of time before he becomes one of the best defensemen in the series.

Cayden Lindstrom is the Blue Jackets' most promising talent

Although Cayden Lindstrom will almost certainly not be on Columbus' opening night roster, he is undoubtedly the club's most exciting prospect. The 18-year-old center, selected No. 4 overall in June, is an absolute monster at 6'4″ and 215 pounds.

The young Canadian has just had a phenomenal season with the Medicine Hat Tigers in the Western Hockey League. He scored 27 goals and 46 points in 32 games and could have done much better if a back injury hadn't kept him out of action for around three months.

Lindstrom possesses a tantalizing combination of speed, size and skill and will likely dominate for one more season in the WHL before getting a serious chance to make the Blue Jackets roster in 2025-26. He and Adam Fantilli are the future of this team in the midfield and the duo should form a formidable one-two punch in the years to come.

Although he will almost certainly be demoted, Rick Nash, the Jackets' new director of player development, said Lindstrom should enter the preseason with the goal of making the team.

“That has to be the mindset of everyone coming to training camp,” Nash said, according to NHL.com. “If you come in with the mindset that you're going to be back in juniors or the minors in a few weeks, you're probably never going to reach your full potential.”

Denton Mateychuk is a defender to keep an eye on in training camp

Unlike Jiricek, Denton Mateychuk is a defenseman who is unlikely to play for the Blue Jackets this season. But the 20-year-old, who was drafted No. 12 in 2022, already has top-four potential.

The Manitoba native has been a force to be reckoned with in three seasons with the Moose Jaw Warriors in the WHL, scoring 64 points in 65 games in 2021-22, adding 65 points in 63 games last year, and then putting up 17 goals and 75 points in 52 games in 2023-24. That was enough to earn him the Bill Hunter Memorial Trophy as the WHL's defenseman of the year – but he was even better in the postseason.

As captain of Moose Jaw, he stepped up his game in the playoffs, scoring 11 goals and 30 points to help the Warriors win the league championship, earning him playoff MVP honors. He has already accomplished everything he needed to as a junior and will likely begin the season with the Cleveland Monsters. Last year, he played in four playoff games with the AHL club, contributing a very respectable three assists.

“He's very composed,” said Don Waddell, general manager of the Blue Jackets, of the young defenseman, according to NHL.com. “You can see that his hockey sense is second to none. The way he passes the puck is like an NHL player.”

Waddell made it clear that this player will likely begin his professional career in the AHL, but he has a real chance to compete in the NHL in the 2024-25 season.

“I'm pretty strict about making sure we do the right thing for these young players,” he said. “It's not so bad if he starts the year in the American League.”

It will be interesting to see if Mateychuk gets a chance in the Major Leagues in the 2024/25 season – and how long it will take for the below-average sized defender to assert himself.