After ranking the top 100 NHL prospects for 2015-16, and ranking each team by organizational depth, ESPN Insider Corey Pronman ranks the top 10 prospects for each NHL team. Here is his entry for the Columbus Blue Jackets. Extended write-ups on prospects ranked in the top 100 can be accessed here.
Even after graduating Alexander Wennberg and Marko Dano -- the latter of whom was dealt to Chicago in the Brandon Saad trade -- the Columbus system remains solid, with a top-10 pick in Zach Werenski, and several high-end forward prospects.
Paul Bittner is 6-foot-4, but skates like he's 5-11. He isn't a pure dangler, but he doesn't have rock hands, either. His shot is arguably high-end, as it comes off the tape with scorching velocity and he can locate it well. His hockey sense is a bit of a question mark, but he shows good vision and creates scoring chances. He could be a scoring power forward at the NHL level if his development continues to progress.
Josh Anderson is not a high-upside scorer, but he's big, strong, plays hard and is a very good skater who can kill penalties. His 17 points in 52 AHL games this past season is slightly misleading given his actual skill level. I don't think he's a top-six forward in the NHL, but he's capable of making plays and transporting the puck. Dillon Heatherington will never wow you, but he's mobile, calm, smart and makes a ton of good defensive plays. He has decent coordination with the puck for such a big man, but simply doesn't have the creativity or aggressiveness in his game to attack.
T.J. Tynan was excellent as a rookie in the AHL, showing the same flashy playmaking style he displayed in college. Despite being a small forward, he was also quite effective in his own end at the pro level. Ryan Collins (11th) surprised me a bit this season, in a good way. He skates and handles the puck well for a big defenseman, although his value is certainly defense-tilted.
As for some honorable mentions, I'll throw in two gifted offensive defensemen in Olivier Leblanc and Austin Madaisky, the latter of whom had a tremendous AHL season and got people talking as a player who elevated his NHL prospect status.
Noteworthy prospect
A glaring question for me when looking at this system is: What the heck happened to William Karlsson? He impressed in camp for Anaheim, and ended up getting some NHL time. But after being traded to Columbus, he went for a big zero points in 15 AHL games. He's skilled and smart, but his skating and physical game aren't great.
2015-16 impact
Depending on how the depth chart plays out, Oliver Bjorkstrand or Kerby Rychel could be in line to push for a spot, although they may have to wait for an injury. Karlsson is a real wild card; he could blow doors down at camp, or may never get into five more NHL games. On defense, Mike Paliotta -- acquired from Chicago -- could be a depth player for this team, and if Madaisky keeps up the same level of play, he could force Columbus' hand.