The Columbus Blue Jackets simply revealed their plan as the draft approached.
In an interview on Ohio station “97.1 The Fan,” the team’s president of hockey operations, John Davidson, said that a third-place player would be selected overall.
“We’re going to draft a center. What center? He hasn’t cast a stone yet. We just completed meetings with our amateur scouts in Columbus.”
If we consider that Connor Bedard and Adam Fantelli will start in the first and second rows, then the “jackets” should set their sights on the American Will Smith or the Swede Leo Carlson.
“The Hockey World Championships are now being held in Europe and Carlson will be there for Sweden,” Davidson continued. We have an idea of where we’re going, but I can’t reveal that information to the public. We will craft an excellent player. There are some very good things about this draft.
“We know that since the departure of Pierre-Luc Dubois, we have a great need in the center. We will deal with it in the draft. We have no choice. It will be done.”
The San Jose Sharks will rule after the Blue Jackets. Unless they set their sights on Matvey Michkov, the Canadiens likely won’t stand a chance of drafting either Smith or Carlson.
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“In the sixth round, we were looking for a Quebecer, but he was selected.”