Thank you to the 70 readers who voted in this year’s countdown of the 25 best players in the Columbus Blue Jackets system under the age of 25. Next up is #23:
#23 Malte Vass
Voting
23rd out of 40 eligible players
Total Points: 1,662
Average Placement: 23.408
Biography
Birthdate: March 28, 2007
Birthplace: Karlstad, Sweden
Height: 6’2″
Weight: 194 lbs
Position: D
Shoots: Left
Acquired: Drafted in the third round in 2025 (76th)
2024-25 Season
Vass spent most of the 2024-25 season with the J20 Farjestad BK team in Sweden, where he registered 2-9-11 in 49 games. He did play five games in the SHL, but recorded no points. He also played a total of 23 games for Sweden’s U18 international team.
2025-26 Outlook
In the not-so-recent past, a player like Vass would be headed right back to Sweden after being drafted. However, with the continued growth of the NCAA as a hockey development league, many more draftees are heading to US colleges. Vass has committed to Boston University and will join that program in the fall.
The Swedish defenseman will be a slow, quiet development project. Known as a strong skating defensive defenseman, he likely won’t put up a ton of points throughout his career. If he does play NHL games, it won’t be for a while.