Thanks to the 79 readers who submitted ballots in this year’s ranking of Columbus Blue Jackets players under the age of 25. Stay tuned over the next six weeks as we count down the top 25.
#16 Corson Ceulemans
Voting
16th out of 45 eligible players
Writer Rank: 16
Reader Rank: 15
Highest placement: 2 (1 vote)
Most common placement: 13 (9 votes)
2022 Rank: 13
Biography
Birthdate: May 5, 2003
Birthplace: Regina, Saskatchewan
Height: 6’2″
Weight: 198 lbs
Position: Defense
Shoots: Right
Acquired: 2021 1st round 25th overall pick
2022-23 Season
Ceulemans wrapped up his college hockey career at the University of Wisconsin this past year. It was a particularly disappointing year for the Badgers and it was over before it really began. Wisconsin lost 8 of their first 10 games, and didn’t have much to play for by early November. Still, Ceulemans had an impressive year personally, slightly increasing his points total in less games played, while also improving his +/- on a bad team.
Once his collegiate season wrapped up, the Blue Jackets wasted no time inking him to his entry-level contract. He immediately stepped into a depleted defensive corps for the Cleveland Monsters. He appeared in 13 games putting up a pair of points (1G, 1A) in his first stretch of professional games. At times, he looked overmatched playing against men as a 19 year old, but that is not unexpected for a player of his age at his position. Unfortunately, the Monsters missed the playoffs, denying the young defenseman the invaluable playoff hockey experience that would have greatly benefitted his development.
2023-24 Season Outlook
Corson is Cleveland bound to start the year, which will undoubtedly be the best place for him to continue his development considering how young and talented that unit will be. Competition will be stiff for ice time in Cleveland considering all of the depth in the system, which should keep Ceulemans highly motivated. He should see a top-4 role with ample power play time. I expect him to take a big step this year in his first full professional season. His elite skating can only take him so far in pro hockey, so he will need to use this time to learn to be more consistent in his own zone and make better decisions when it comes to being aggressive and jumping up in the play.