Blue Jackets select Paul Bittner with the 38th pick

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The Columbus Blue Jackets have selected forward Paul Bittner with the 38th pick in the 2015 NHL Draft.

2014-15 Stats

Overview

Despite his solid numbers for the Portland Winterhawks this past season, Paul Bittner finished fourth on his team in scoring, behind a trio of players already drafted into the NHL (Oliver Bjorkstrand, Nicolas Petan, and Chase De Leo).

Still, Bittner was ranked as high as 17th by International Scouting Services heading into the 2015 draft, and his balance of size and skill set him apart as a talented prospect in his own right.

Bittner was a member of the 2013 WHL champion Winterhawks club, and also won a silver medal with Team USA at the Ivan Hlinka Memorial Tournament that same year.

What scouts are saying

NHL Central Scouting's John Williams:

He's a smooth skater with really good hands who can make plays and is strong in tight along the wall. He protects the puck well and can retrieve pucks on the forecheck. With his size, strength and reach, he's tough to handle.

Brendan Ross, Dobber Hockey:

He displays above-average hockey sense and is a tenacious forecheck(er) who wields a quick stick capable of forcing turnovers. Bittner's game lacks the nastiness and power that teams ideally want in a power forward but that wavering competitiveness is starting to turn the corner. He will never play heavy where he'll dominate through pure strength but his noteworthy puck skills are intriguing in a whole different way and some think he could end up developing into a lengthy north-south scoring forward.

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