The Columbus Blue Jackets [http://thn.com/columbus] found out last week where they would land in the upcoming NHL Draft, and to no one's surprise, they didn't win the lottery. For the second straight year, they will pick #14, and for the second straight year, they might actually get lucky. Welcome to draft speculation season, where we will talk about all the potential draft targets for the CBJ. Could someone fall to them at #14, or will they reach for a player who is projected to be lower? Who know, but it's fun to speculate. So, here we go. Target: Marcus Nordmark - Stockholm, Sweden Height/Weight: 6'1.5'' - 180 lbs. 2026 Team: Djurgårdens IF - SHL - Sweden Position: Left Shot Wing 2025-26 Stats With Djurgårdens IF U20: 14g-24a-38 pts in 38 games. He was also called up to play for Djurgårdens IF for 8 games and had 1 point. THN Ranking: 16th - Kennedy, 29th - Ferrari NHL Central Scouting: 8th overall for international skaters What Scouts Have Seen * Elite Vision & Playmaking: Nordmark operates with high-end hockey IQ and manipulation tactics. He delays plays, draws coverage, and executes impossible cross-ice seam passes that catch teammates and opponent's completely off guard. * Dynamic Puckhandling: He excels at pulling off complex "dipsy-doodle" dangles in open ice and traffic. He regularly takes the puck on long possession sequences across the offensive zone to dictate pace. * Dual-Threat Release: While pass-first by nature, he possesses a heavy, dangerous, and deceptive snapshot with a quick release that can beat goalies cleanly from range. * Explosive Skating Baseline: He has light, powerful staccato steps that generate immense energy out of his core. When motivated, he activates a high gear burst that easily surprises defenders on entries. Weaknesses & Correctables * Inconsistent Compete Level: Scouts frequently criticize his fluctuating work ethic and urgency. He has a tendency to glide or "ghost" away from the puck during lower-stakes junior league stretches. * Defensive Lapses: His off-puck positioning and defensive zone habits can be a major liability. While capable of using an active stick to pick off passes, his engagement inside his own blue line is highly erratic. * Perimeter Tendencies: Despite possessing an ideal pro-ready frame, he relies heavily on cerebral, outside playmaking rather than aggressively driving the hard, high-danger areas down the middle of the ice. What Scouts Are Saying SportsNet [https://www.sportsnet.ca/nhl/article/scouts-analysis-ranking-the-top-prospects-for-the-2026-nhl-draft/]- "Nordmark is an intriguing target in the middle of the first round. His combination of size, puck skill and skating ability project Nordmark as a potential top six NHL forward. His ability to change pace off the rush provides a deceptive element and makes him unpredictable to defend. Equal parts playmaker and shooter." DraftProspectsHockey.com [https://draftprospectshockey.com/articles/2026-nhl-draft-prospect-report-marcus-nordmark-lw] - "He has elite hands and is a high-end passer, one of the most naturally gifted playmakers in this class, able to manipulate defenders and find seams with ease, and when he does get moving, he has good quickness. He is a pass-first winger who can slow the game down and create off his vision, often finding space in the offensive zone despite tending to operate more on the perimeter. That said, the compete level is a major concern. He does not engage physically, goes into puck battles softly without much intent to win them, and rarely uses his frame, which leads to him losing a lot of those situations." -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The big question is whether or not GM Don Waddell will trade this pick or keep it. Being in the middle of the first round won't have many teams calling his phone, but he might be able to do something this year. Last year's draft was a bit weak after the first couple of picks, but this year might be different, as several players could fall that night, intrigue more teams to want to take a shot at that #14 pick. The CBJ did seem to get lucky with defenseman Jackson Smith, who just finished his freshman season at Penn State in historical fashion. Can they get lucky again this year? Next Up For Columbus: The NHL Draft is on June 26 and 27 in Buffalo, where the CBJ will own pick #14. 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