Like last year, The Hockey News Future Watch issue is out and that means its time for me to go over what the Jackets have coming down the pipeline. Last year’s issue gave the Jackets prospects a C+ (the grades are decided by a panel of NHL scouts – 14 last year, 15 this year) placing the CBJ 24th. I’ll be honest with you, I figured the CBJ would either stay about the same, or even drop, but I was wrong. The Jackets group of prospects jumped up seven spots to 17th earning a grade of B. I’m guessing the drafting of Ryan Murray second overall and two of the top draft European goalie prospects helped this grade. The last two top 10s feature six players that appear in both.
| Rank | 2012 | 2013 |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | David Savard | Ryan Murray |
| 2 | Boone Jenner | Boone Jenner |
| 3 | Matt Calvert | Tim Erixon (NYR #1 in 2012) |
| 4 | Cam Atkinson | Oscar Dansk |
| 5 | Tomas Kubalik | Cam Atkinson |
| 6 | Dalton Smith | Matt Calvert |
| 7 | Dalton Prout | David Savard |
| 8 | Mike Reilly | Michael Chaput |
| 9 | Michael Chaput | Joonas Korpisalo |
| 10 | Cody Goloubef | Mike Reilly |
Continue reading 2013 State of the Blue Jackets Prospect Pool