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. Up next: Carson Meyer
#21: Carson Meyer
Voting
21st out of 38 eligible players
Writer Rank: 20
Reader Rank: 21
Highest placement: 11 (3 votes)
Most common placement: 21 (8 votes)
2019 Rank: 22nd
Biography
Birthdate: August 18, 1997
Birthplace: Powell, OH
Height: 5’11”
Weight: 181 lbs
Position: Right wing
Shoots: Right
Acquired: Drafted by the Blue Jackets in Round 6 (179th overall) of the 2017 NHL Entry Draft
2020-21 Season
This hometown and homegrown player has never had to leave Ohio to play hockey. A product of the AAA Blue Jackets, and playing his first two collegiate seasons with Miami of Ohio, Meyer signed with the AHL Cleveland Monsters in Oct 2020 after playing with the Ohio State Buckeyes. Despite being drafted by CBJ in 2017, he was unable to earn an NHL deal with the Blue Jackets during his senior year at Ohio State mainly due to lack of grit. He was told by Chris Clark, the Monster’s general manager and CBJ’s director of player personnel, to play more like a rat. Since then, he has worked to finish every check, go hard to the net, and get under guys’ skin. His rookie year with the Monsters was described as impressive, where in 26 games he tallied 9 goals, 11 assists, 20 total points, with a +/- of -2. He tallied 3 multi-point games and sustained a 9-game point streak midway through the season. He also finished the season as the Monsters’ third leading scorer.
2021-22 Forecast
Playing like a rodent must have paid off, because in April 2021, Meyer signed a 1-year, 2-way entry level contract for the 2021-2022 season with the Columbus Blue Jackets. Under Coach Tortorella, grit was key. However, the Blue Jackets have slowly recognized they also need scoring. Meyer, described as a dependable scorer, might just now have the right mix of ingredients. He’ll be fighting amongst the bottom six for the right wing position, as Voracek and Bjorkstrand will secure the top spots. Meyer has been through several CBJ development camps, so only time will tell if he’s finally broken through. A betting man, though, probably would predict him needing more development time with the Monsters.
Scouting Reports
While Meyer has been a scorer nearly his entire life-he doesn’t profile as an elite offensive talent at the NHL level. Instead, his combination of solid offensive skill and hard work will have to be what punches his ticket at the next level. –Jeff Svoboda, NHL.com
This season, @72cmeys had the team’s longest point streak lasting 9️⃣ games and skated right into the Monsters record books! pic.twitter.com/LEGmdT3WP3
— Cleveland Monsters (@monstershockey) June 30, 2021