Loading The Cannon: A Look At How CBJ Prospects Are Doing

Defense

Nikolai Makarov - 22 years Old - Drafted in 2021

• KHL - CSKA Movska - 5 Games - Stats 0 Points
• VHL - Zvezda Movska - 6 Games - Stats 0 Points

Elite Prospects Scouting Report - Makarov is a large defenseman capable of making dangerous plays offensively. His gap control is good, and he uses his reach to his advantage. - Elite Prospects

Andrew Strathmann - 20 Years Old - Drafted in 2023

• NCAA - Univ. of North Dakota - 11 Games - Stats 0-1-1

Elite Prospects Scouting Report- Strathman foresees offensive opportunities, skates down from his position, and enters pockets of space at just the right time to get the puck from teammates and make a dangerous next play. He also has a lot of 1-on-1 moves in his repertoire, fakes and dangles, that he sprinkles in his activations to pierce through defensive layers. - Elite Prospect

Tanner Henricks - 19 Years Old - Drafted in 2024 - Currently Injured; Out 3-4 Months

• NCAA - St. Cloud St. Univ. - 6 Games - Stats 1-3-4

Elite Prospects Scouting Report - Tanner Henricks is a tall, right-shot defenseman. He’s agile and deceptive, capable of faking one way and accelerating in the other. He adheres to modern breakout principles: Draw pressure, use middle, and slip pucks to teammates moving their feet. - Elite Prospects

Luke Ashton - 20 Years Old - Drafted in 2024

• NCAA - Cornell University - 6 Games - Stats 0-2-2

Elite Prospects Scouting Report - Head and shoulders taller than the competition, Ashton separates himself by simply being a massive human being, operating with a 6-foot-5, 229-pound frame. He eats minutes, crushes secondary threats, and consistently leverages his frame to create turnovers. 

Charlie Elick - 19 Years Old - Drafted in 2024

• WHL - Tri-City Americans - 18 Games - Stats 3-5-8

Elite Prospects Scouting Report - Physical, proactive defense is Elick’s game. He’s an explosive backward and lateral skater, which he uses to instantly take the middle, then teleport across the ice and prevent the entry. His stick is seemingly in every lane, tipping every pass or shot inside his wing span. His mobility allows him to stay tight to the off-puck threat, but then easily win the race to a retrieval at the end boards. 

Jackson Smith - 18 Years Old - Drafted in 2025

• NCAA - Penn State University - 12 Games - Stats 2-6-8

Elite Prospects Scouting Report - Smith’s skating, combined with his handling skill and creativity, often lead to some truly incredible plays. He spins off the forecheck, takes the middle, and launches a cross-ice pass through the next layer for a chance. From the point, he steps in, fakes, explodes across, and walks inside for a chance. With seemingly endless creativity, he pulls pucks through defenders’ legs, cuts off the wall, and capitalizes on backdoor passing lanes as they open.

Malte Vass - 18 Years Old - Drafted in 2025

• NCAA - Boston University - 10 Games - Stats 0-2-2

Elite Prospects Scouting Report - Malte Vass is a defensive defenseman who kills plays through his physicality and motor. He suffocates opponents by taking away their time and space. He is an aggressive play-killer who can leverage his strength and skating to stop rushes early or engage attackers along the wall to separate them from the puck.

Victor Hedin Raftheim - 18 Years Old - Drafted in 2025

• SHL - Brynäs IF - 15 Games - Stats 0 Points

Elite Prospects Scouting Report - Hedin Raftheim profiles as an all-around defender. His stride isn’t the most fluid just yet, but he makes up for it with natural athleticism. It’s not just the skating that makes him intriguing, though, but especially his active style of play. He jumps from the point down the weak side regularly to fish for opportunities, but also activates off the rush, providing support as a trailer or sometimes spearheading the attack himself. 

Goaltenders

Sergei Ivanov - 21 Years Old - Drafted in 2022

• KHL - SKA St. Petersburg - 4-4 - .920 SV% - 2.62 GAA
• VHL - SKA-VMF St. Petersburg - 1-4-1 - .935 SV% - 2.11 GAA

Dobber Prospects Scouting Report - His most significant question marks were size and nationality, as he is Russian and stands at just 5-11. However, he is very athletic and quick along the ice, covering the ground he can’t physically reach. His stats have been growing more and more impressive since being drafted, and he had a big coming-out this year.

Melvin Strahl - 20 Years Old - Drafted in 2023

• NCAA - Michigan State - 1-0 - .917 SV% - 2.00 GAA

NeutralZone.com Scouting Report - Strahl has a calm composure in the crease centered around a solid technical base and powerful movement. The power to his movement keeps him ahead of plays and allows him to make saves with ease and drop into pucks, centering his body. Rebound and body control was exceptional but a few times in this game, some pucks were released off him for second chance opportunities which ultimately resulted in the first goal against. At 6’3′ tall, Strahl can effectively see over and through screens from a relaxed stance, as well as seal the ice and all holes while in and around his posts. This compact play enables his power and precision in movement. His head frequently scans the zone for players and threats.

Evan Gardner - 19 Years Old - Drafted in 2024

• WHL - Saskatoon Blades - 9-5-2 - .907 SV% - 2.62 GAA

Elite Prospects Scouting Report - On his skates, Gardner is great at staying square, even when the shooter changes their angle off the rush. He makes tons of micro-adjustments with his feet and displays a lot of patience for a young goalie. He moves even better while down in the butterfly, with excellent usage of his posts to add to his explosiveness. He seals the post while down in reverse-VH especially well and is rarely beaten by low-danger sharp angle shots.

Pyotr Andreyanov - 18 Years Old - Drafted in 2025

• VHL - Zvezda Moskva - 4-7-0 - .924 SV% - 2.05 GAA
• MHL - Krasnaya Armiya Moskva - 4-1-0 - .936 SV% - 2.20 GAA

Elite Prospects Scouting Report - Pyotr Andreyanov is one of the most impressive skaters and athletes at the position. He has strong footwork and explodes well to the top of the crease to take away time and space from shooters, while also not giving up too much where an easy pass will beat him. His play reading and tracking combined well with those mobility skills, as Andreyanov is often beating the play to its spot and makes difficult situations look easy.

THN Columbus will keep you up to date on all of the CBJ prospects throughout the season. 

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