The EliteProspects Rinkside 2020-21 Off-Season Prospect Pool Rankings: the No. 31-ranked Columbus Blue Jackets

One never wants to find themselves on the opposite end of an amateur scouting evaluation made by Columbus Blue Jackets general manager Jarmo Kekäläinen, but that’s precisely the position we’ve found ourselves in.

He’s one of the best scouts in the industry, and one who’s built a reputation on standing by his analysis even when it seems to run counter to the collective wisdom of the public. There is no shortage of respect for his work among our staff and in the NHL at large.

[Read more: EP Rinkside 2020-21 Off-Season Prospect Pool Rankings]

We can take some solace in the fact that Columbus’ position has more to do with the material consequences of Kekäläinen pushing his chips all in, trading away nearly every future at the team’s disposal to bring in Matt Duchene, Ryan Dzingel, Keith Kinkai