Don Waddell’s push to rebuild the Blue Jackets’ goaltending pipeline has made Evan Gardner one of the more important names in the system, and the 2024 second-round pick is about to take his first pro steps this fall.
Gardner checks in at No. 10 on the Union and Blue summer 2026 top prospects list, with the ranking coming from Curtis Deem, Matthew Duffey, Mike Stump, Weston Motz and Struan McNevan. He was slotted eighth a year ago, and while he has slipped a bit, the group still views him as a major part of the organization’s future.
The Jackets went after him aggressively at the 2024 NHL Draft, taking him 60th overall after moving up nine spots with a fifth-round pick sent to the Carolina Hurricanes. Gardner was the fourth goaltender selected in that draft, and Columbus clearly believed enough in him to make the move.
His junior track record explains why. In his draft-eligible season with the WHL’s Saskatoon Blades, Gardner put up a .927 save percentage, a 1.91 goals-against average and four shutouts while going 21-5-0. The numbers dipped after that as the Blades fielded less powerful teams, but he still posted a 23-13-5 record with a .911 save percentage, a 2.82 stat line and three shutouts in 2024-25, then followed with a 25-16-6 season, a .902 save percentage, a 2.96 stat line and three more shutouts this past year.
At 6-foot-1 and 181 pounds, Gardner does not fit the size profile teams usually chase in net. Still, that hasn’t stopped him from standing out.
He’s an athletic goalie with quick reflexes and the ability to explode across the crease to steal high-danger chances. The highlight-reel stuff is real, and the Saskatoon Blades had a perfect example during the WHL playoffs:
EVAN. FREAKING. GARDNER @BlueJacketsNHL | #FeedingTheFuture | #WHLPlayoffs pic.twitter.com/LPTIg3y8yx
- Saskatoon Blades (@BladesHockey) April 7, 2026
That kind of flash is part of the package, but it also comes with a cost. Rebound control is the biggest area that needs work, and it ties directly into his style.
When a goalie is living off reflexes, rebounds are going to show up. Better positioning should help, especially as he moves to the AHL and starts seeing sharper shooters than he did in the WHL.
Making the first save cleaner and slowing the game down will be a key part of his development.
Even with the rough edges, Gardner remains a prospect with real upside. The belief here is that he could be in the NHL in two or three years, and while a full-time starting job on a Stanley Cup contender may be a stretch, the path to becoming a backup or even part of a split tandem is there. He also passed Braden Holtby on Saskatoon’s all-time shutout list this past season, and Holtby is the closest stylistic comparison that comes to mind.
Holtby won a Stanley Cup with the Washington Capitals, and Gardner still has work to do before he reaches anything close to that level. But the tools are there, the promise is obvious, and his first season with the Cleveland Monsters will be worth watching closely.
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