NHL Prospect Watch: Columbus Blue Jackets
Ahead of the 2025-26 hockey season, we’re diving into the WHL prospect pool for each of the NHL’s 32 teams. This series will highlight current and former WHLers who are signed to an NHL contract, have recently been drafted by an NHL team, or meet the NHL’s definition of a rookie.
Prep the cannon- these prospects are ready to blast off for the Columbus Blue Jackets.
Charlie Elick
The 6-foot-3, 203-pound defender with the all-important right-hand shot took his formidable presence south of the border in a blockbuster trade that sent him from Brandon to the Tri-City Americans. Elick closed out the season with two goals and 13 assists for 15 points in 66 games, while holding down the Ams’ blueline with fellow Columbus prospect Jackson Smith. The Calgarian added two more playoff assists in five games and quickly joined the AHL’s Cleveland Monsters on an amateur tryout agreement following the conclusion of Tri-City’s postseason run. His tremendous spring also saw the 19-year-old put pen to paper on a three-year, entry-level deal with the Blue Jackets in late March. Elick, a 2024 second-round NHL Draft pick, recently garnered an invitation to represent Hockey Canada at the 2025 World Junior Summer Showcase- the first step towards representing the Maple Leaf at the 2026 IIHF World Junior Championship.
That Charlie Elick pass is simply *chef's kiss*@TCAmericans | @BlueJacketsNHL | #CBJ pic.twitter.com/kn4P3cfYil
— Western Hockey League (@TheWHL) February 15, 2025
Evan Gardner
Sophomore slump? Not for Evan Gardner. The 19-year-old netminder was a force for the rebuilding Saskatoon Blades, going 23-13-4-1 with a 2.82 goals-against average, a .911 save percentage and three shutouts in his second WHL campaign. Gardner ranked fifth among all goalies in save percentage, eighth in wins, 10th in goals-against average and helped the Blades return to the postseason and stay in the race for the East Division title. He signed his entry-level contract with Columbus on March 18, 2025, and snagged WHL Goaltender of the Month honours for November and two Goaltender of the Week wins. Gardner, who lives with type-1 diabetes, was named a finalist for WHL Humanitarian of the Year for his advocacy work and initiatives that will directly impact young people in Saskatchewan who also live with the disease. He made his professional debut with the Monsters on April 19, yielding three goals and posting a .842 save percentage in a loss to the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins. The 2024 second-round selection also made Hockey Canada’s Summer Showcase squad in pursuit of World Juniors glory.
common Evan Gardner W 👋 pic.twitter.com/ZSzcyAhjXA
— Columbus Blue Jackets (@BlueJacketsNHL) July 2, 2025
Daemon Hunt
A change of scenery is bringing about big opportunities for defenceman Daemon Hunt. The 23-year-old started 2024-25 as an alternate captain for the Iowa Wild and suited up for one game with the Minnesota Wild before being acquired by the Blue Jackets in a trade in December of 2024. Hunt totalled two goals and 12 assists for 14 points in 48 games with the Cleveland Monsters, in addition to four apples in nine tilts with Iowa to wrap up his third professional season. The Brandon, Man. product spent his entire WHL career with the Moose Jaw Warriors, piling up 33 goals and 61 assists for 94 points in 163 games- highlighted by a 39-point (17G-22A) run in his final campaign. Drafted by Minnesota in the third round of the 2020 NHL Draft, Hunt is also known for his leadership qualities. In addition to wearing the ‘A’ in Iowa, Hunt served as captain of the Warriors for two seasons and was succeeded by none other than 2024 WHL Champion and fellow Blue Jacket and Manitoban Denton Mateychuk.
Hunt gave us our biggest lead of the night 😎
🍎: Ceulemans pic.twitter.com/2xTcxTIj6S
— Cleveland Monsters (@monstershockey) December 31, 2024
Cayden Lindstrom
After spending more than a year sidelined by a back injury, Cayden Lindstrom made his return to the ice in style in the 2025 WHL Playoffs. The 6-foot-4, 215-pound centreman assisted Flames prospect Andrew Basha’s game-opening goal just 54 seconds into Game 1 of the Championship Series and opened the scoring himself in Game 2. Lindstrom bagged two goals and two assists in four games to help the Medicine Hat Tigers hoist the Ed Chynoweth Cup and suited up for three games at the 2025 Memorial Cup. As the fourth overall selection in Las Vegas, Lindstrom was the highest-selected WHLer at the 2024 NHL Draft. The Chetwynd, B.C. product had three goals in three games for Canada at the World Junior Summer Showcase and hopes to make the jump to the NHL sooner rather than later. Lindstrom, 19, owns 46 goals and 42 assists for 88 points in 99 regular-season WHL games over parts of three seasons.
CAYDEN. LINDSTROM. 1-0 TIGERS 🚨@TigersHockey | @BlueJacketsNHL | #WHLChampionship pic.twitter.com/WFLUXVkTy8
— Western Hockey League (@TheWHL) May 12, 2025
Jackson Smith
Columbus used its top pick at the 2025 NHL Draft to take 6-foot-4, 199-pound blueliner Jackson Smith at 14th overall. The Calgary, Alta. product potted 11 goals and 43 assists for 54 points in 68 games with Tri-City this season, finishing fourth on the squad in points and third in assists. He also led his team and tied for first among all WHL defencemen in game-winning goals with four, three of which came in overtime. Smith helped Tri-City return to the playoffs and led the squad in postseason scoring with a goal and two assists in five outings. The 18-year-old bookended his season with gold medals at the 2024 Hlinka Gretzky Cup (3A) and 2025 IIHF U18 World Championship (4G-1A) and represented the WHL at the first-ever CHL USA Prospects Challenge, which saw the CHL sweep the US NTDP, in November.
Jackson Smith's resume speaks for itself!🥵@TCAmericans | #NHLDraft pic.twitter.com/6lR2JWmitJ
— Western Hockey League (@TheWHL) June 27, 2025
Stanislav Svozil
The 6-foot, 181-pound defender was one of Cleveland’s finest in the AHL in his second pro season, adding four goals and 20 assists for 24 points in 63 games. Svozil’s 20 assists were fourth among all Monsters skaters and led all defencemen, while his 24 points were second among blueliners (trailing only Denton Mateychuk prior to his NHL promotion). Now 22 years old, Svozil was originally drafted in the third round of the 2021 NHL Draft. Over two seasons in the Queen City, Svozil totalled 21 goals and 98 assists for 119 points in 115 regular-season matches. The Prerov, Czechia product tallied 11 goals and 67 assists for 78 points as the alternate captain of Regina Pats in 2022-23, earning WHL East Division First All-Star Team and CHL Third All-Star Team honours.
Stanislav Svozil GOAL 💥 pic.twitter.com/3BprbX4Rts
— Columbus Blue Jackets (@BlueJacketsNHL) September 16, 2023
Loading ...