Players report to training camp today and we’re in the home stretch of our Top 25 Under 25 countdown. Thanks to the 74 readers who submitted ballots in this year’s ranking of Columbus Blue Jackets players and prospects under the age of 25.
#8 Denton Mateychuk
Voting
8th out of 42 eligible players
Writer Rank: 5th
Reader Rank: 9th
Highest Placement: 2nd (3 votes)
Most Common Placement: 8th (12 votes)
2023 Rank: 9th (+1)
Biography
Birthdate: July 12, 2004
Birthplace: Winnipeg, Manitoba
Height: 5’11″
Weight: 192 lbs
Position: D
Shoots: Left
Acquired: Drafted in the 1st round (12th overall) in 2022
2023-24 Season
A year ago in the intrasquad scrimmage and early preseason games, I was struck by how much Denton Mateychuk resembled an NHL player. He could skate, position himself well, and handle the puck. He doesn’t have ideal defenseman size, but he doesn’t look or play small on the ice. He feels like the model of the modern NHL defenseman: great awareness in the defensive zone and the skill and speed to get the puck down ice and to make something happen in the offensive zone.
Alas, he didn’t make the cut after the preseason, but did everything else you would want from him last season. He improved from 8/57/65 in 63 games to 17/58/75 in 52 games as he captained the Moose Jaw Warriors and led them to a WHL championship. He also got to represent Team Canada in the World Junior Championships. To end the season, he was able to join the Cleveland Monsters during their playoff run. He got to play a significant role and tallied 3 assists in 4 games. Not bad!
To start his WHL season, he recorded at least a point in each of his first 23 games. Final tally: 8 games with no points; 8 games with 3 points or more. (22 multipoint games in total out of those 52). Oh, and did I mention he scored 11/19/30 in 20 playoff games? That includes a 6 point game in a 7-2 win over Swift Current in the second round.
2024-25 Outlook
This weekend, Mateychuk once again was captain of the Blue Jackets prospects in a preseason tournament. He sat out the first game, a loss, but the Jackets won the two games in which he played. First, he scored an unassisted goal and made an assist on the OT winner against Boston, then added in assist in a win over Ottawa.
Working against Mateychuk now is that the left side of the blue line is still crowded. Zach Werenski and Ivan Provorov have the top two positions locked down. Jake Bean is gone, but Jake Christiansen is still here and Jack Johnson and Jordan Harris were added in the summer. I think Mateychuk could already be better than all three of those guys, but he’ll have to prove it in camp. If so, I think Don Waddell and Dean Evason can make the roster math work. If not, then it’s not the worst thing if Mateychuk has to spend some time in Cleveland honing parts of his game.
By the trade deadline (at the latest), pending free agent Provorov will be dealt. At that point, Mateychuk can be promoted and assume a full time role, if he hasn’t before. He can also play his way into being an injury call-up.
Mild prediction: Mateychuk plays at least 50 games as a Blue Jacket this season.
Bold prediction: Mateychuk enters Calder Trophy consideration as one of the best rookies in the league.
Highlights
Here’s how serious Mateychuk is about hockey: