Sweet 16: Jackets wait for 1st pick

COLUMBUS (AP) — Columbus Blue Jackets fans have learned to be on time for the team’s annual draft party. After all, the Blue Jackets usually have one of the early picks.

Not this year. After putting together their first winning season — and trip to the playoffs — the Blue Jackets have to wait until the 16th pick in tonight’s opening round at Bell Centre in Montreal.

“Yeah, a little bit longer wait this year, certainly, than what it’s been in the past,” said Don Boyd, director of hockey operations and player personnel. “But that’s what teams do: they get better if they do it right. We’re hoping that’s the case with us.”

Columbus has had the eighth pick or higher in the opening round of its previous nine drafts.

For a change, the front office won’t have to make split-second decisions because the top few picks didn’t fall the way everyone figured. Selecting in the middle of the opening round, Boyd and general manager Scott Howson have less riding on the choice and a wider array of candidates from which to choose.

“When you’re picking in the top 10, you pretty much know within three or four players who you’re going to be choosing,” Howson said. “Now, it opens the gap and there’s a larger pool of players and you’re probably looking at two or three who you hope are going to be there.

“Realistically, there’s probably six or eight that you have to really think about.”

The Blue Jackets roster is stocked with quality young players, meaning the big club can look at draftees who may not make the NHL for a while. In past years, Columbus couldn’t afford to draft a project.

From their first five drafts (2000-2004), the Blue Jackets have only two players — left wing Rick Nash and defenseman Rostislav Klesla — who would be considered elite players on the top two lines or defensive pairings.

But in the last four drafts, they’ve picked up several standouts: wingers Nikita Filatov, Jakub Voracek and Derick Brassard in the first round and goaltender Steve Mason and defenseman Kris Russell in the third round.

Mason won the NHL’s Calder Trophy this past season as rookie of the year. Voracek had a strong rookie season with nine goals and 29 assists. Filatov spent most of the year in the American Hockey League but shone in spot duty with Columbus. Brassard was off to a brilliant start before a shoulder injury sidelined him for the rest of the season (10 goals, 15 assists, 31 games). All five are expected to be building blocks for the franchise for years to come.

“There’s a significant upgrade in the last couple of years,” coach Ken Hitchcock said. “The whole key in the National Hockey League now is developing the depth. You have to play younger players, and the younger players have to develop quicker. We’ve been really fortunate in getting some of our younger guys to come on board right away.”

Even though half of the NHL teams will have picked by the time it’s Columbus’ turn in the first round, history says quality players will still be available. R.J. Umberger, one of the Blue Jackets’ top players last season, was taken by Vancouver at No. 16 in 2001.

And, of course, there is a long list of superstars who weren’t even taken in the top 160, let alone the top 16: Hall of Famers Luc Robitaille (171) and Igor Larionov (214), and potential Hall of Famers such as Dominik Hasek (207), Henryk Zetterberg (210) and Pavel Datsyuk (171)

The Blue Jackets don’t have a second-round pick and there is speculation that they might deal their first pick for two or three later selections. Barring a top player falling 10 spots, it would seem unlikely the team would trade to move up in the first round.

Howson, who acquired Umberger from Philadelphia in a draft-day trade last year, said he’s interested in fortifying the team at center and on the blue line.