Ranked behind five other defenseman, Knazko has a steep hill to climb to become a blue line fixture.
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.
#21 Samuel Knazko
Voting
21st out of 45 eligible players
Writer Rank: 24
Reader Rank: 20
Highest placement: 10th (1 vote)
Most common placement: 18, 22, 23 (4 votes)
2022 Rank: 20th
Biography
Birthdate: August 7, 2002
Birthplace: Trencin, Slovakia
Height: 6’1″
Weight: 198 lbs
Position: Defenseman
Shoots: Left
Acquired: Drafted by the Columbus Blue Jackets in 2020 NHL Entry Draft (3rd round, 78th overall)
2022-23 Season
The young Slovak wrapped up his first professional North American season this year, playing 50 games with the Cleveland Monsters. Knazko also made his NHL debut, appearing in a pair of games for the Blue Jackets as they played out the string, including logging almost 22 minutes in the final game of the season.
It was a learning season for Knazko, but the toolset is clearly there. If it wasn’t for fellow defensive prospect, David Jiricek, we probably would have heard more about Knazko this year. He was one of the Monsters better puck movers, tallying 20 assists on the season putting him third in points on the blue line. His skating still remains one of his best assets, but he is still learning to make the right reads on the ice in order to showcase that ability. He’s not afraid to carry the puck and skate the puck out of danger, but on occasion his aggressiveness came back to bite him, leading to his -15 rating.
Knazko represented Slovakia at the IIHF World Championship this summer, registering 3 assists in 7 games. Knazko has been a staple of his country’s various national teams since he played for the U16 team, and I doubt that will change any time soon, having already appeared in the Olympics for Slovakia.
2023-24 Outlook
Knazko will undoubtedly spend the bulk of his time in Cleveland, logging big minutes for the Monsters. His continued development is paramount if he wants to have a chance to get back into the NHL, but even with some large strides, it will still take another cavalcade of injuries to see him back in a Blue Jackets sweater. Knazko will benefit from more exposure to the physical aspect of North American pro hockey, as well as continuing to improve his decision making.
He should get top four minutes in Cleveland and will need to improve if the Monsters have any chance at ending their playoff drought. I do expect a fairly significant increase in the offensive aspect of his game, but I think his biggest strides will come in his own end as he gets better at reducing the amount of high-quality chances against. Perhaps more importantly, I could see Knazko growing as a leader of the defensive unit, and depending on any veteran signings, could potentially wear a letter.