Columbus Blue Jackets
· 2026-06-28
The Columbus Blue Jackets drafted Alessandro Di Iorio with the 94th pick in the third round of the 2026 NHL draft.
The team also selected Evan Jardine from the USHL's Youngstown Phantoms with the 121st pick in the fourth round.
Columbus made their first selection near the end of the third round, choosing Di Iorio, a center from Vaughan, Ontario.
Di Iorio spent this year with Sarnia of the OHL and played for Canada at the U-18 Worlds.
The Blue Jackets currently stand 11th in the Eastern Conference with a 40-30 record, on a L2 streak, and these new picks could help turn their season around.
Evan Jardine averaged over a point per game with the Phantoms, totaling 27-34-61 in 53 games.
The Blue Jackets also picked goalie Parker Snell from Edmonton of the WHL in the fifth round, ranked 19th among North American goaltenders by NHL Central Scouting.
Snell was 21-9-1 this season with a 2.74 GAA, ranking sixth overall in the league.
Columbus assistant director of amateur scouting Trevor Timmins said Snell has room to grow physically but likes his technique and reading of the game.
The team also selected Anttoni Uronen and Filip Novák, strong forwards with experience playing at high levels in their respective leagues.
Uronen notched 30 points across 47 games this season, finding minutes across Finland's HIFK teams.
Novák averaged over a point per game with HC Sparta Praha U-20 before being called up.
The Blue Jackets took a gamble with sixth-round pick Jonas Woo, a defenseman who strays from the typical large frame.
Di Iorio and Jardine got to don the Union Blue jersey and meet the faces that make up their new community.
Di Iorio said being drafted by Columbus is an honor and everything he watched growing up.
Jardine is excited to join the team and has already gotten to know the city, having been in Columbus for about a month.