NHL Prospect Watch: Columbus Blue Jackets

In the lead-up to the 2026-27 hockey season, we’re diving into the WHL prospect pool for every NHL team. To be included in this list, a player must be recently drafted, signed to an NHL contract, or meet the NHL’s criteria for rookie status.

From centre ice to the blue paint, Columbus boasts a strong table of talent developed in the west.

Charlie Elick

Six-foot-4, 205-pound defender Charlie Elick’s bread and butter is his shutdown defensive play. The 20-year-old had one of his best offensive campaigns in the WHL with a six-goal, 14-assist run in 63 games with the Tri-City Americans. Elick was also named an alternate captain in his first full season with the Ams after being dealt from the Brandon Wheat Kings in a blockbuster trade in 2024-25. Drafted with the 36th overall pick in the second round of the 2024 NHL Draft, Elick signed a three-year, entry-level contract with Columbus in March of 2025. He made his professional debut with the AHL’s Cleveland Monsters this spring, earning his first pro assist in two appearances.

Evan Gardner

En Gard! Saskatoon Blades star Evan Gardner logged his third consecutive 20-plus win season, going 25-16-4-2 with a 2.96 goals-against average, a .902 save percentage and three shutouts. The 20-year-old made the fifth-most saves of any WHL goaltender (1,279) while finishing ninth in wins. The postseason saw the Fort St. John, B.C. product battle past the third-seed Edmonton Oil Kings before falling to the eventual Eastern Conference Champion Prince Albert Raiders, posting a 4-5-2 record, a 3.04 GAA and .907 save percentage. But there was more hockey to be played for the 2024 60th overall pick. Gardner, who signed his three-year, entry-level deal back in March of 2025, got his first professional playoff experience in a relief appearance with the Monsters. He stopped all 10 shots he faced. The 6-foot-1, 181-pound netminder was named a finalist for WHL Humanitarian of the Year thanks to his continued diabetes advocacy, and is eligible to make the jump to the pro ranks full-time in 2026-27.

Cayden Lindstrom

After missing the entire 2024-25 regular season and getting into limited, but exciting, playoff action, Cayden Lindstrom was finding his footing with a 10-point (3G-7A) campaign in 31 games with Michigan State University. The 6-foot-3, 220-pound forward also logged 94 penalty minutes. Back in the 2025 WHL Playoffs, Lindstrom hit the ice for the WHL Championship Series and put up four points (2G-2A) in four games to help the Medicine Hat Tigers hoist the Ed Chynoweth Cup for the sixth time in franchise history. The 20-year-old from Chetwynd, B.C., graduated from the WHL with 88 points (46G-42A) in 99 games and was the WHL’s highest overall draft pick in 2024 when Columbus selected him fourth overall.

Filip Novak

Six-foot-1, 198-pound forward Filip Novak is preparing for his WHL rookie season after signing a WHL Scholarship and Development Agreement with the Victoria Royals. The Blue Jackets added the 18-year-old to their prospect pool with the 206th overall pick in the seventh round of the 2026 NHL Draft. Novak, from Chomutov, Cze., spent the bulk of 2025-26 with HC Sparta’s U20 squad, where he posted 35 points (11G-24A) in 28 outings.

Jackson Smith

Noted for his offensive upside, Calgary, Alta.’s Jackson Smith has represented Canada at the World U17 Challenge, Hlinka Gretzky Cup and IIHF U18 World Championship, and is now making his case for the prestigious U20 squad at the World Junior Summer Showcase. The 6-foot-4, 205-pound rearguard registered 26 points (11G-15A) at Penn State and had 40 penalty minutes to go with it. The 2025 14th overall pick spent parts of three seasons with the Tri-City Americans, racking up 85 points (19G-66A) in 136 regular-season matches.

Parker Snell

St. Albert, Alta.’s Parker Snell snuck up on many people in his rookie WHL run. The 6-foot-2, 173-pound netminder went 21-9-1-0 with a 2.74 GAA, an .895 save percentage and three shutouts for his hometown Edmonton Oil Kings. Snell finished sixth in GAA among all qualified WHL netminders while tying for seventh in shutouts. He battled none other than Gardner in his first trip to the postseason and went 2-1-1 with a 2.22 GAA and .924 save percentage. He joined the prospect pool when Columbus called his name 142nd overall in the fifth round of the 2026 NHL Draft.

Jonas Woo

How much time do you have? Nineteen-year-old Jonas Woo shattered defensive scoring records in Medicine Hat with 29 goals (including four game-winners and a hat trick) and 57 assists for 68 points in 56 games. The 2025 WHL Champion led all WHL defencemen in points, while finishing second in goals among blueliners. His dominance spilled over to the playoffs, where Woo netted a hat trick in Game 1 of Medicine Hat’s first-round series against Regina, and he went on to notch 17 points (8G-9A) while reaching the Eastern Conference Championship. The 5-foot-10, 180-pound defender owns 187 points (51G-136A) in 259 regular-season games with Medicine Hat and the Wenatchee Wild/Winnipeg ICE franchise, and is one of the WHL’s active playoff games-played leaders with 71 postseason matches under his belt. He was named a finalist for WHL Defenceman of the Year and was chosen with the 185th overall pick in the sixth round of the 2026 NHL Draft.