The Blue Jackets have spent the last three summers sending the same message to the rest of the NHL: they want a team built around size. With the 14th overall pick in last month’s NHL Draft, they stayed right on that track by taking Oscar Hemming.
Hemming lands at No. 5 on the Union and Blue summer 2026 top prospects list, a collective ranking put together by Matthew Duffey, Mike Stump, Weston Motz, Struan McNevan, and Curtis Deem. The list only includes players 24 and under with fewer than 25 NHL games, and the projections are based on top-end upside.
At 6-foot-4 and nearly 200 pounds before he even turns 18 for another few weeks, Hemming fits the profile the Blue Jackets have clearly prioritized under general manager Don Waddell. He brings a heavy game, skates well, and is willing to battle in the dirty areas at both ends of the ice.
In his own zone, he works hard and uses his frame to win puck battles. In transition, he can protect the puck, slow things down, or move it quickly to spark a rush the other way.
The shot is what really jumps off the page. Hemming has a quick release, and the puck comes off his stick with real speed and accuracy. He’s also an underrated passer, but his finishing ability is the tool that will get attention wherever he goes.
Before the season began, Hemming was viewed as a possible top-10 pick, or even a fringe top-five selection. But a transfer disagreement from his youth club in Finland kept him out of the CHL. He had been set to join the OHL’s Kitchener Rangers, but that never happened, and he lost the first few months of the year before taking the NCAA route and landing at Boston College just after Christmas.
The missed time took a bite out of his draft year. He played only 19 games, finishing with 1 goal, 8 points, 18 penalty minutes, and an even plus-minus rating. It also meant fewer scouts got a long look at him, which may have helped Columbus get him at 14.
There’s a clear fit here, even if Hemming isn’t the kind of player who will run an offense by himself. The sense is that he has enough talent to become a top-two line winger in the NHL, ideally next to a skilled playmaker at center or on the opposite wing.
His game is built around timing: finding space, getting to his spot, and unloading when the chance is there. If it all comes together, he has the look of a legitimate 30-goal threat who can also bring a physical edge and two-way value.
The pros are easy to spot: size, skating, shot, and underrated playmaking. The concerns are just as plain: he’s still raw, and his ceiling may not be sky-high. The projection here is a second-line winger.
Hemming is still only 17, so he’s not likely to wear a Union Blue sweater anytime soon. The expectation is that he spends at least two more seasons at Boston College, building strength off the ice while sharpening his game on it.
Even so, the belief is strong that he’ll be an NHL player. The bigger question is how high he can climb once he gets there.
If the Blue Jackets develop him all the way, he could end up as a Marian Hossa or Kirill Marchenko type of player, even if he’s not quite as much of an offensive driver. For a team that keeps betting on size, skill, and two-way impact, Hemming checks a lot of boxes.
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