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The Columbus Blue Jackets have only had four players wear #62 in their history, and in a weird twist, three of them have been since 2023. They haven't had any real impact players where the number in their short 25-year history, but that could change one day. 

Let's take a look at who has put on the #62 Union Blue Jersey. 

Alex Broadhurst -  Draft: Chicago, 7th round - 199th overall - 2011

Broadhurst was traded to Columbus by Chicago with Brandon Saad and Michael Paliotta for Artem Anisimov, Jeremy Morin, Corey Tropp, Marko Dano, and Columbus' 4th round pick in the 2016 NHL Draft, June 30, 2015. He would only play in a pair of games for the CBJ during the 2017-18 season. Where Broadhurst would excel would be in the AHL for the Cleveland Monsters. He played in 229 games for Cleveland, scoring 48 goals and totaling 132 points. On February 25, 2019, he was traded to the Winnipeg Jets. He would play 2019-20 with the San Diego Gulls, and then leave for Europe. He spent two seasons in Liiga and the last three playing in the KHL. He is signed to play a fourth consecutive season in Russia for 25-26. 

Samuel Kňažko -  Draft: Columbus, 3rd round - 78th overall - 2020

Kňažko's scouting report from Elite Prospects reads as follows: "Kňažko's passing skills are refined for a defenseman. He can find players in the seam and on the breakout with great accuracy. He's comfortable with making plays from his backhand and makes sharp passes with good power behind them. His mobility stood out; he has the skating ability to be effective defending against the rush and during long cycles." Unfortunately for Kňažko, he's a left-shot defenseman, and that's not something that the Blue Jackets really needed at any level, so he became expendable. After playing in only two NHL games and three seasons with the Monsters, he was not tendered a contract and became a free agent. Instead of staying in North America, he chose to return home to Czechia and play for HC Vítkovice. Kňažko should also be selected for Czechia in the 2026 Winter Olympics.

Kevin Labanc -  Draft: San Jose, 6th round - 171st overall - 2014 

Labanc was by Columbus, October 5, 2024, just prior to the season. After playing 8 seasons with the San Jose Sharks, Labanc was on a PTO with the New Jersey Devils when he was plucked away by Don Waddell. Labanc played in 34 games for Columbus last season before going down due to injury. He scored 2 goals and had 12 points while playing 10:30 a game. Labanc did fairly well in his role. He was scratched a lot, but when he got his chance to play, he was usually noticeable. He had four points in his first five games to start the season, and fans were excited to see what he could do. As of right now, Labanc doesn't have an NHL deal, but there are rumors that he is getting interest from Europe. Once he is cleared from his injury, he should be good to go for the 25-26 season. 

As of right now, no other player is scheduled to wear #62 in the immediate future for the CBJ, but surely someday someone will take that number who will have an impact on the team. 

With 62 days left before the Jackets take the ice again at Nationwide Arena, there is a lot of positivity surrounding the team. Don Waddell signed who he had to sign in the offseason to put the team in a good position going forward. People wanted a few things, including huge free agents and big trades, but many forget that he has to sign some very important players soon, including Adam Fantilli and Jet Greaves. Not to mention Kirill Marchenko, Kent Johnson, and Dmitri Voronkov may need new deals in 2027. 

There are still many questions that need to be answered, but for now, we wait. Don Waddell is no doubt still working the phones, trying to make the team better every day. Whether it's by trade or a free agent, the job never sleeps.

What do you think Don Waddell should do between now and opening night? 

The Jackets have 62 days until opening night at Nationwide Arena, and fans are getting restless. The CBJ will take on the New Jersey Devils on Monday, October 13th at 7 PM. The Blue Jackets have much higher expectations this season than in previous years. Many expect the CBJ to make the playoffs, something they missed by a single win last season. Can the Blue Jackets overcome their deficiencies and weaknesses to make a playoff push in the weak Metro Division?

Let us know what you think below. 

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More From THN Columbus

Former Jackets Defenseman Signs PTO With Minnesota WildFormer CBJ defenseman Jack Johnson has signed a PTO with the Minnesota Wild, the club announced.  Blue Jackets' Biggest Trade Chips: Elvis MerzlikinsWelcome to another edition of Columbus Blue Jackets' Biggest Trade Chips. In the first two editions, we looked at Yegor Chinakhov and Dmitri Voronkov, and now we are going to look at goaltender Elvis Merzlikins, who very well could be their last big trade target on the roster. On This Date In 2020: Joonas Korpisalo Makes HistoryOn August 11, 2020 the Columbus Blue Jackets and Tampa Bay Lightning started their first round series of the Stanley Cup Playoffs. Fans of the CBJ were hoping that the Jackets could pull off another huge upset against the Lightning. 

It’s been a whirlwind few months for the New York Islanders, from parting ways with Lou Lamoriello to winning the NHL draft lottery and trading Noah Dobson; there have been a lot of changes on Long Island. How did the Montreal Canadiens fare against the Isles last season, and how will they fare this upcoming season? Let’s have a look.

Despite failing to qualify for the playoffs this past season, the Isles still had a good year against Montreal, finishing with a 2-0-1 record in the season series. New York won the initial duel between the two sides in October by a score of 4-3 in the shootout, but they then lost 2-1 in extra time at the Bell Centre in December before signing a 4-3 overtime win in March.

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The first game was a tight affair between the two sides, with the Islanders’ veteran players leading the way. Bo Horvat, Kyle Palmieri, and Anders Lee all scored in regulation, while Cole Caufield scored twice, and Logan Mailloux scored the first goal of his young career. After 60 minutes, the teams were tied at 3-3, and the five minutes of overtime didn’t help. In the shootout, nine rounds were needed before Noah Dobson finally settled the debate, giving New York the extra point.

In December, the Canadiens got their revenge thanks to a thrilling overtime win when captain Nick Suzuki scored the overtime winner, halfway through extra time. Montreal had taken the lead in the middle frame with a Patrik Laine power play goal in his very first regular season game as a Hab.

Then, in March, the Isles skated away with the season series thanks to a Bo Horvat overtime goal, which was his second of the game. In other words, all three games between the two teams couldn’t be settled in regulation, two went to overtime, and one went to the shootout. Montreal cannot afford to lose tight games against teams that are not making the playoffs. The young Habs need a killer instinct to maximize their results against struggling teams. The Islanders missed the playoffs and only had 82 points last season, five of which came against the Canadiens.

However, the Islanders’ best player against Montreal was none other than Dobson, the blueliner who had five points in the three-game season series, including a game-winning goal in the shootout. His loss will undoubtedly hurt the Islanders, despite Mathieu Darche making some significant changes to his roster.

After Matt Martin announced his retirement, the Isles GM acquired Emil Heineman in the Dobson trade. While Heineman isn’t the most significant player, he has shown that he can play with plenty of physicality and come at players like a wrecking ball. That forechecking ability should help alleviate the loss of Martin.

Up front, Darche signed former Hab Jonathan Drouin. After struggling in Montreal and only putting up 186 points in 321 games (0.58 points per game), the winger went on to score 93 points in 122 games with the Colorado Avalanche over the last two seasons, averaging 0.76 PPG. Of course, he had quite the supporting cast in Denver, but the Islanders are banking on the fact that he did find his form rather than worry about it being all down to his reunion with QMJHL teammate Nathan MacKinnon. Time will tell if that was a mistake or not.

In net, the Isles also added David Rittich and will be hoping he can play a solid backup role to Ilya Sorokin. On the blueline, the Isles opted to keep Tony DeAngelo around after bringing him back from the KHL last season. In 35 games, he did manage to score 19 points and was an important cog on their blueline. Speaking of essential cogs, after trading Dobson, Darche inked former Canadiens blueliner Alexander Romanov to an eight-year deal with a $6.25 M AAV. The blueliner was traded by the Habs on the draft floor in 2022 to land Kirby Dach from the Chicago Blackhawks.

Then, there’s also first overall pick Matthew Schaefer, who was recently signed to his ELC. The left-shot defenseman is still only 17 years old, however, and will only turn 18 on September 5. Will he be ready to make the jump now? At 6-foot-2 and only 185 pounds, he will need to add some muscle to his frame to be successful in the NHL.

Will these changes be enough to bring the Islanders to the postseason? That’s far from guaranteed, but one thing is sure: if the Canadiens want to return to the playoffs, they need the killer instinct to put away tight games by any means necessary, which could include games against the Isles.

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The Chicago Blackhawks have had numerous great players pass through town in recent years. Many of those great players were able to experience deep playoff runs with Chicago, but not all of them were as fortunate.

One of them who just missed the championship window is Alex DeBrincat. The Chicago Blackhawks selected him in the second round, 39th overall, of the 2016 NHL Draft. 

DeBrincat earned this draft status, despite his size, thanks to his brilliant performance in the OHL with the Erie Otters. He played alongside Connor McDavid for some of it, but didn't fall off when his generational center moved on to the NHL. Once DeBrincat moved on, he became a big-league star in his own right.

He didn’t make his NHL debut until the 2017-18 season, which means he arrived right as their championship window was closing. DeBrincat was able to play with studs like Patrick Kane, Jonathan Toews, Duncan Keith, and Brent Seabrook, amongst others, while in Chicago, but they were past doing anything significant in the postseason. 

While with the Blackhawks from 2017-2022, the man known as “The Cat” scored 160 goals and 147 assists for 307 points in 368 games played. Despite being a second-round pick, he is one of the best players from his draft class. 

During DeBrincat’s time in Chicago, he formed a tremendous bond with Patrick Kane both on and off the ice. Kane wasn’t quite as dynamic with DeBrincat as he was with Artemi Panarin a few years prior, but it was close. 

Off the ice, the two became great pals. It was noticeable during games how much the two enjoyed being around one another. 

Despite DeBrincat’s 41 goal, 37 assist, & 78 point season in 2021-22, the Blackhawks felt the need to trade him. They landed the seventh overall pick in the 2022 NHL Draft from the Ottawa Senators in the deal, which they used on Kevin Korchinski, but it hurt the team to see DeBrincat go. 

After one year with Ottawa, he ended up being traded again to his hometown Detroit Red Wings, where he was eventually reunited with Patrick Kane. Last year, his 39-goal, 70-point season with the Red Wings was his best since leaving Chicago. 

DeBrincat’s time with the Blackhawks wasn’t long enough, but he was a member of the team during a tough era. He’d look great now next to Connor Bedard, but they might have never been bad enough to land Bedard had they kept DeBrincat. All that both sides can do is remember the good times they did have together. 

Visit The Hockey News Chicago Blackhawks team site to stay updated on the latest news, game-day coverage, player features, and more.

EDMONTON – The worst-kept secret in hockey right now is the Edmonton Oilers’ need for a goaltender.

Recent comments from insider Cam Robinson suggest that the Oilers have poked around a couple of goaltender prospects outside of Michael DiPietro of the Boston Bruins and Nico Daws of the New Jersey Devils.

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The Oilers rode Stuart Skinner and Calvin Pickard to the Stanley Cup Final for two straight seasons. After losing a second consecutive Final appearance, Oilers GM Stan Bowman identified goaltending as an area to improve this summer.

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Bowman addressed that need earlier in the offseason by letting goaltending coach Dustin Schwartz’s contract expire and bringing on Peter Aubry from the Chicago Blackhawks organization.

Robinson of Elite Prospects appeared on Monday’s edition of The Sekeres and Price Show, a Vancouver Canucks focused radio show/podcast. On the August 11th episode, he focused on the Oilers goalie search and a few players the Oilers have checked in on.

“I believe the first person they asked about was Trey Augustine,” Robinson revealed on the show. “I think that was just a non-starter. Steve Yzerman and company really love that kid.”

“But, they have a 6-foot-6, 6-foot-7 former first-rounder in Sebastian Cossa sitting there who’s slowly been progressing.”

Oilers Eyeing Trade for Former Oil Kings Goaltender?The Edmonton Oilers could be exploring a move to bolster their goaltending depth, and recent comments from team insider Bob Stauffer have sparked speculation that Detroit Red Wings prospect Sebastian Cossa might be a target.

Trey Augustine is a 20-year-old goalie who is returning to Michigan State University in the NCAA this year. The 6-foot-1, 183 lb prospect was taken 41st overall in the 2023 draft. This past season, he posted a 2.08 goals against average (GAA), a .924 save percentage (SV%), three shutouts, and 19 wins in 30 games.

On the other hand, Sebastian Cossa is listed as 6-foot-6 and 229 lb on the Detroit Red Wings website. The 15th overall pick of the 2021 draft played 41 games in the AHL and one NHL game.

In the AHL, he boasted a record of 21-15-5 to go along with a 2.45 GAA, a .911 SV%, and one shutout. Cossa’s NHL appearance came in relief of Ville Husso during the Red Wings’ December 9th game against the Buffalo Sabres. In just over two periods of play, only two goals were scored on him on 14 shots.

Who would you rather see the Oilers acquire: Augustine or Cossa? Let us know your thoughts by voting in the poll.

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