The Blue Jackets’ prospect pool got a lot deeper at the 2026 NHL Draft, and the first wave of names on the summer rankings makes that clear. Columbus added seven new prospects to the system, starting with Oscar Hemming at No. 14 overall, and the class leaned heavily toward size and skating.
That approach has become familiar under Don Waddell, and it’s helped push the organization into what looks like a pretty sturdy place overall. In all, the rankings team at Union & Blue went through 39 players, the most the site has ever handled in this exercise. The list was built collectively by Matthew Duffey, Mike Stump, Weston Motz, Struan McNevan, and Curtis Deem, with only players 24 and under and under 25 NHL games eligible.
Before the full top prospects list rolls out, here are the players who landed just outside it.
Filip Novak is one of the more interesting names in the group. The 6-foot-1, 198-pound left wing was taken in the seventh round, No. 206 overall, and put up 11 goals and 24 assists for 35 points in 28 games with Sparta Prague’s Czechia U20 team. The projection here is a physical bottom-six winger, and he’ll be back with Sparta next season.
Anttoni Uronen, a 6-foot-1, 201-pound forward drafted in the sixth round at No. 182, is viewed in a similar lane as a physical bottom-six piece. He finished with 2 goals and 8 assists for 10 points in 27 games for HIFK and will return there next season.
In goal, Parker Snell checks in at 6-foot-2 and 176 pounds after being selected in the fifth round, No. 142 overall. His season in Edmonton of the WHL ended with a 21-9-1 record, a .895 save percentage, a 2.74 goals-against average, and three shutouts in 33 games. The projection is a backup goaltender, and he’s headed back to Edmonton.
Luke Tuch, meanwhile, brings some pro experience to the mix. The 6-foot-2, 203-pound right wing was acquired from Montreal on 6/25/2026 and was originally a second-round pick, No. 47 overall, by the Canadiens in 2020.
He had 9 goals and 5 assists for 14 points in 68 games with Laval in the AHL. He’s an RFA, and if he signs, he’ll be in Cleveland next season.
The projection for him is a physical depth winger.
On defense, Andrew Strathmann remains on the radar after being drafted in the fourth round, No. 98 overall, in 2023. The 5-foot-11, 190-pound blueliner had 1 goal and 5 assists for 6 points in 38 games at North Dakota and is transferring to Quinnipiac University for next season. His projection is a bottom-pairing puck-moving defenseman.
Victor Hedin Raftheim is another defenseman to keep in mind. The 6-foot-5, 198-pound blue liner was taken in the sixth round, No. 173 overall, in 2025 and played 28 games for Brynas in the SHL without recording a point. He’s projected as a bottom-pairing two-way defenseman and will return to Brynas next season.
Max McCue, a 6-foot-1, 183-pound center, was signed as a UFA on 3/21/2024 after originally being drafted by San Jose in the fifth round, No. 156 overall, in 2021. He posted 2 goals and 6 assists for 8 points in 26 games with Cleveland and is projected as a fourth-line pest. He’ll be back with the Monsters next season.
Luke Ashton adds plenty of size at 6-foot-6 and 238 pounds. Drafted in the sixth round, No. 165 overall, in 2024, he had 3 goals and 8 assists for 11 points in 34 games at Cornell. The projection is a bottom-pairing two-way defenseman, and he’ll return to Cornell next season.
Rounding out the honorable mentions is Nolan Lalonde, a 6-foot-2, 196-pound goaltender signed as a UFA on 10/22/2022. He put together an 11-4-3 record with a .903 save percentage, a 2.57 goals-against average, and one shutout in 22 games for Toledo. He’s expected to split time in Cleveland and Toledo next season, with a depth goaltender projection.
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