Trey Fix-Wolansky Still Has A Chance To Crack The Blue Jackets Lineup
Trey Fix-Wolansky was drafted in the 7th round, 204th overall by Columbus in the 2018 draft. Many people thought, despite being drafted so late in the draft, and his diminutive size, 5-foot-7, 180 pounds, he would turn out to be a really good winger in the NHL. So far, he’s yet to be able to show his talent in the big league.
Fix-Wolansky played three seasons in the WHL for the Edmonton Oil Kings. In those three seasons, he played 206 games, scored 93 goals, and had 245 points. His production improved year after year, so many thought he could translate that into the pros.
He made his full-season pro debut during the 2019-20 season for the AHL’s Cleveland Monsters. He would play in 43 games, score 12 goals, and end with 26 points. The following season he suffered a leg injury that required surgery, limiting him to only nine games that season. But even in those limited games, he would have nine points.
In the 2021-22 season, Fix-Wolansky played in 53 games and had 33 points, but more importantly, on February 8th, 2022, he would make his NHL debut. Fix-Wolansky would score in his debut against the Washington Capitals, taking a pass and sneaking it passed Phoenix Copley. He finished playing in six games for Columbus that season, netting two points. He had five shots in those six games and had an average time on ice of around six minutes. In the 2022-23 season, Fix-Wolansky played in nine games for the CBJ, scoring only one goal. He did average almost 13 minutes a game, however.
In his AHL career, he’s played in 224 games, scoring 86 goals and totaling 199 points. His points production had gotten better every year until this season. The reason for the dip? Probably because he played 11 games for Columbus. Had he played in all 72 games for Cleveland, he could've gotten close to his career high of 71 points set in 2023. Fix-Wolansky became the all-time leading scorer in Monsters history this season with his 60 points. He now sits 34 points ahead of second-place Andrew Agozzino with 199. TFW is quite literally the Greatest Monster of all time.
Fix-Wolansky is having a rough time in the 2024 AHL playoffs though. In 12 games played, he's only scored two goals and has a total of five points. Luckily for Cleveland, Josh Dunne, Justin Pearson, and David Jiricek are all in the top 15 in scoring during the playoffs. Dunne leads the team in goals with 7, while Pearson leads the team in assists with 9.
Fix-Wolansky has one year left on his current deal, and then he'll be an RFA. Being that he is so valuable to Cleveland and still young, I can't fathom the CBJ not re-signing him.
There are still hopes that he can finally crack the Blue Jackets lineup. With new GM Don Waddell in charge, we may get to see more of TFW in Columbus next year.
Waddell's evaluation of Fix-Wolansky could come from this year's playoffs, but hopefully, he's judged off of the regular season.
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