Thanks to the 79 readers who submitted ballots in this year’s ranking of Columbus Blue Jackets players under the age of 25. We now enter the Top 10 of our ranking.
#9 Denton Mateychuk
Voting
9th out of 45 eligible players
Writer Rank: 10
Reader Rank: 9
Highest Placement: 3 (1 vote)
Most Common Placement: 8 (11 votes)
2022 Rank: 10
Biography
Birthdate: July 12, 2004
Birthplace: Winnipeg, Manitoba
Height: 5’11”
Weight: 187 lbs
Position: D
Shoots: Left
Acquired: 2022 12th overall pick
2022-23 Season
If you are comparing his most recent season (1.03 ppg) to his pre-draft season (.98 ppg), you may notice that there isn’t much of a difference in offensive production. It was also slightly disappointing considering fellow Blue Jackets prospect Stanislav Svozil managed 1.39 ppg in the same league. To make matters worse, Mateychuk was snubbed by Team Canada for World Juniors and then watched his countrymen win Gold and Svozil win Silver.
2023-24 Outlook
Mateychuk will be back with the Moose Jaw Warriors of the WHL where he will likely captain the team for a second straight season. Also, expect him to get the World Juniors nod this season and possibly play with future teammate Jordan Dumais.
It would be nice to see him take a step forward this upcoming season and put up better offensive numbers, but I won’t be worried if he doesn’t. He has the tools to make an impact in the NHL at some point in the future and the Blue Jackets won’t be in a rush to get him there. Taking your time with a prospect like Mateychuk is a luxury Columbus has never really had. Hopefully it pays dividends.