Welcome back to our prospect’s check-in series for the summer of 2023 for the Columbus Blue Jackets. We are checking in with notable prospects throughout the organization.
In case you missed the last part of the series, we took a look at top defensive prospect David Jiricek and previewed his upcoming season. Today we check in with a defensive prospect that might not be getting enough attention because of the overall depth in the organization.
Related: Blue Jackets’ Prospects Summer Update: David Jiricek
As we’ve talked about at length in this space, the Blue Jackets’ prospect pool is loaded especially on the blue line. Jiricek, Denton Mateychuk and Corson Ceulemans are on their way up. It will only be a matter of time before they make their mark in the NHL. While these three prospects get the headlines, there are other prospects that are ready to show what they’ve got. This prospect not only played in his first two NHL games in 2022-23, he played for his home country of Slovakia at this past World Championships. That wasn’t the first time he’s been on the world stage either. I told you the prospect was deep, right?
Samuel Knazko Check-In
How Acquired: Drafted by the Blue Jackets 78th overall in the 2020 NHL Draft.
2022-23 Teams: Cleveland Monsters, Columbus Blue Jackets.
2022-23 Stats: Recorded 1-20-21 in 50 games in his first season with the Monsters. Knazko also appeared in two games for the Blue Jackets.
2023-24 Contract Status: Has two more seasons left on his current deal at $845,000 that was signed in June 2021. Knazko will become an RFA after the 2024-25 season.
Expected 2023-24 Teams: Cleveland Monsters.
Expected Role in 2023-24: Knazko is expected to be a mainstay on the Monsters’ top-six while continuing to work his way towards a chance at a more prominent role in Columbus.
2022-23 Season Recap
Knazko came into the 2022-23 season already having a taste of the smaller North American rink. He played a total of 52 games for the Seattle Thunderbirds in 2021-22 of which almost half of them were games in the WHL Playoffs. He recorded 1-5-6 in 25 playoff games.
The Thunderbirds made it all the way to the WHL Championship before falling in six games to the Edmonton Oil Kings. On a loaded Seattle team, Knazko fit right in and became one of their consistent performers.
Knazko entered the new season looking to carry over his success in the WHL. He appeared in 50 games for the Monsters. He immediately showed why there was some excitement about him.
Knazko recorded his first AHL point with a power-play assist on Oct 26 against Wilkes-Barre. His passing and playmaking ability was one of the strengths of his game. He would go on to collect 20 assists in his rookie season.
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On Nov 16, Knazko connected on his first and only goal of the season in the second period against the Belleville Senators. The Monsters ultimately fell in that game 8-7 in a shootout.
Then given the injury situation with the Blue Jackets and it being the end of the season, several players including Knazko got called up to play in NHL games. He played in the last two games of the season before being sent back to the Monsters to finish out their season.
The hockey wasn’t over for Knazko after the Monsters’ season ended. He went on to play at the World Championships for Slovakia. He recorded three assists in his seven games.
Knazko’s 21 points was third on the Monsters in defensemen scoring with only Jiricek and Jake Christiansen amassing more. All-in-all, it was a solid rookie AHL season.
2023-24 Season Outlook
Knazko will enter the 2023-24 season with a better sense of what to expect and should be a key contributor to the Monsters all season. He will look to take the next steps in his development both on the ice and as a leader.
Knazko will likely play on the second or third pair depending who is available to play. His ability to play anywhere in the lineup will benefit the Monsters. He might not have the star power that some other players have. But his consistent approach and work ethic is just as valuable and will be a key component for the team this season.
A successful season for Knazko will see him become more of a two-way player in his second professional season in North America. He should become more of a force on the man advantage. He should also have more of an impact in his own zone. The 2023-24 season for him will be one to show where he will start to fit in the overall plans of the team.
Biggest Questions in 2023-24
- Where does Knazko fit in the team’s longer term plans? Given the Blue Jackets situation on the blue line with seven players making more than $2 million this upcoming season and other top prospects ready to ascend, Knazko will have his opportunity to show the Blue Jackets where he will fit in their plans. With eventual callups based on merit, it will be interesting to see who gets called first when a need arises.
- Will we see his offense start to shine more? Knazko was known as more of a playmaker coming in. In his 50 games in 2022-23, he recorded 43 shots on goal. We should expect an uptick in that area in year two given the bigger opportunity he should have. Will he look to shoot more when given the chance?
Final Thoughts
The 2023-24 season for Knazko is an important one for him to not only continue his development but to show where he could fit in on the Blue Jackets eventually. He’s facing a lot of internal competition. But with all that said, he low-key could be one of the more important prospects on the team.
The Monsters are primed to be a much improved team. If that is going to happen, it will be because players like Knazko have taken the next step and will start to impose themselves as leaders.
The biggest question I have for Knazko is what will he do to really stand out? He does a lot of things well. But what part of his game will really elevate this season? If he can add in a few more goals, we could be looking at a potential, dependable two-way option down the road in Columbus. Don’t be surprised if he quietly becomes one of the most improved prospects in the organization this season.