Thanks to everyone who voted for this year’s Top 25 Under 25 ranking. We had 102 submissions from Columbus Blue Jackets fans. We’ll be counting down the 25 highest voted players over the next five weeks.
#19: Josh Dunne
Voting
19th out of 38 eligible players
Writer Rank: 19
Reader Rank: 20
Highest placement: 4 (1 vote)
Most common placement: 18 (9 votes)
2019 Rank: N/A
Biography
Birthdate: December 8, 1998
Birthplace: O’Fallon, Missouri
Height: 6’4”
Weight: 209 lbs
Position: Center
Shoots: Left
Acquired: Signed as an undrafted free agent on March 14, 2021
2020-21 Season
After scoring 55 points in 78 career games at Clarkson University, Josh Dunne signed a contract with the Blue Jackets as an undrafted free agent. It didn’t take long for Dunne to turn some heads in Columbus. He made his NHL debut in April and tallied 10 points in 15 games in Cleveland. Dunne primarily played a checking line role while called up, but he has a history of scoring at every level he’s played at.
2021-22 Forecast
Josh Dunne will most certainly get a shot at making the Columbus roster at training camp, but he’ll likely return to Cleveland and take on a larger role there. With the departure of Zac Dalpe, both leadership and center ice spots are up for grabs. Dunne served as both an alternate captain and captain during his tenure at Clarkson and could find himself in a similar role for the Monsters. Don’t be surprised if Dunne manages to see another handful of games in the NHL next season.
Scouting Report
Former Cannon writer Elaine Shircliff, who now covers the Cleveland Monsters for Full Press Hockey, was kind enough to share a few thoughts on what she saw from Dunne last season in Cleveland:
One of the best parts about Josh Dunne is the way he uses his body to play the puck. While near the net, Dunne can often be seen chest bumping the puck or whacking it out of the air with his hand. This allows him to have a bit more control of the trajectory of the puck. Dunne is also really good at angling shots and passes through tight areas. If he can continue to tighten up his fundamentals, Jackets fans could see Dunne by the end of the 2021-22 season or the beginning of the 2022-23 season.
Tyler Angle with another steal in the neutral zone that lead to a Monsters goal.
This time it was Josh Dunne who found the back of the net.
Monsters lead the Amerks, 2-1, with 10:38 to play in the second. #ROCvsCLE #CLEMonsters @FPC_AHL pic.twitter.com/W8soTBFyfG
— Elaine Shircliff (@imaraindancer) May 9, 2021