The Blue Jackets may have found a name worth circling early in their latest draft class, and he’s doing it right in Columbus.
Evan Jardine, taken by the Blue Jackets in the fourth round of this past draft, is off to a strong start in his first season of college hockey with the Ohio State Buckeyes. He’s playing just a few miles from Nationwide Arena, and through six games he has already made himself hard to ignore.
Jardine has three goals, which is tied for the team lead, and seven points, which puts him alone at the top of the Buckeyes’ scoring chart. He has looked comfortable as a playmaker, and his work on the Ohio State power play has stood out early. On Friday night, he showed that touch again with a slick move in tight before scoring a clutch goal late in the third period in a game the Buckeyes ultimately lost in overtime.
Evan Jardine ties this one up ‼️ @OhioStateMHKY
Subscribe/watch on B1G+ https://t.co/dlhZanvy6L pic.twitter.com/ir0nZeoFKE
- Big Ten Hockey (@B1GHockey) October 24, 2026
For Jardine, none of this is coming out of nowhere. The Michigan native spent the past two seasons in Youngstown with the Phantoms in the USHL, so playing in Ohio already feels familiar. Over his junior career there, he put up 54 goals and 116 points in 127 games, and that scoring touch is carrying over against tougher competition.
He also just turned 19 a few days ago, which gives him time to keep developing in college before any push toward the professional game. Still, if this pace holds, that timeline might not be all that long.
The offensive upside is obvious. Jardine has the kind of hockey IQ and vision that can make him dangerous from anywhere on the ice, and there’s a case to be made that he could grow into a top-six forward for the Blue Jackets down the road.
He’s also held his own defensively, bringing the same smart approach to the other end of the rink. Ohio State has him on the second line, where he’s been matching up against skilled playmakers and handling the assignment.
The Blue Jackets have taken plenty of heat for past draft picks, especially in the first round, but they have also found value in the later rounds. Players like Cayden Lindstrom and Corson Ceulemans have not met their lofty expectations, yet Jardine is the kind of late-round pickup that keeps the organization’s draft record from looking bleak.
At the very least, he’s a player worth tracking closely. If Jardine keeps producing like this, he could force his way into the conversation about the Blue Jackets’ future sooner rather than later.
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Friends, teammates and supporters are now reflecting on a life cut far too short, with Romeos family and loved ones facing the aftermath of a sudden medical emergency. There is comfort in knowing his final act was one of generosity, even as those close to him continue to process a loss that has hit the college hockey and Blue Jackets orbit so hard. [Read more 🡒]