Blue Jackets announce prospects development camp schedule and prospect game
Jackson Smith and Pyotr Andreyanov headline a Blue Jackets camp that could fast-track prospects toward Cleveland and NHL camp conversations.
Jackson Smith and Pyotr Andreyanov will get their first summer test in Columbus when the Blue Jackets open development camp Monday at OhioHealth Ice Haus, turning a routine prospect week into an early audition for Cleveland and, for a few players, a possible path into NHL camp chatter.
The camp runs from Monday, June 29 through Thursday, July 2 and is presented by G&J Pepsi. Columbus said the first day will be devoted to medical testing and off-ice work before the on-ice portion begins, with the Prospect Game set for Thursday, July 2 at 9:30 a.m. All on-ice practices are free and open to the public, giving fans an immediate look at the organization’s next wave of talent.
The Blue Jackets are using the week as a bridge between draft weekend and the next stage of development. The camp pool includes prospects and players selected in the 2026 NHL Draft, and Columbus has already identified all six of its 2025 draft picks as part of the group. That includes Smith, taken 14th overall, and Andreyanov, selected 20th overall, two first-round additions the club views as core pieces of the pipeline.
Smith arrives with production that already stands out. His freshman season at Penn State produced 11 goals, 15 assists and 26 points in 35 games, a line that gives Columbus a scoring defenseman to track as he moves deeper into the system. Andreyanov brings a different kind of attention. Goaltending coach Niklas Backstrom has compared his style to Sergei Bobrovsky’s, a useful benchmark for a young netminder trying to define his NHL ceiling.
The camp also ties Columbus more tightly to Cleveland. Development coaches from the Monsters and strength and conditioning personnel are on the on-ice staff, a sign that the organization is not treating this as a standalone event. The Blue Jackets are using the same week to introduce prospects to the people who will shape their workloads, read their progress and decide who is ready for AHL minutes.
For Smith, Andreyanov and the rest of the draft class, four days at OhioHealth Ice Haus can change the conversation quickly. A strong camp does not guarantee a spot in Cleveland or Columbus, but it can move a prospect from the background of the system into the center of it.
This article was produced by Prism’s automated news system from verified source data, official records, and press releases, then run through automated quality and moderation checks before publishing. The system is built and supervised by the people who set the standards it runs under. Read our full AI policy.
Did this article answer your question?
