The Blue Jackets announced entry-level deals for defensemen Charlie Elick and Caleb MacDonald today. Both begin next season. Elick’s is a three-year pact, while MacDonald’s is for two years. McDonald’s deal will carry a $925K cap hit and $97.5K signing bonus, per PuckPedia. Financial details of Elick’s deal haven’t been revealed.
Elick was already in the organization. Columbus selected the 19-year-old 36th overall in last year’s draft, making him the fourth pick of the second round. A 6’4″, 203-lb right-shot rearguard, he’s a smooth-skating defensive specialist with a penchant for physicality. The Austria-born Canadian national is coming off his third entire season in the Western Hockey League, split between the Brandon Wheat Kings and Tri-City Americans thanks to a midseason trade. He compiled 2-13–15 with 55 PIMs and a minus-six rating in 66 appearances between the clubs.
While not drafted for his offensive production, that’s still a semi-concerning downturn from his 2023-24 campaign with the Wheat Kings. In his draft year, he managed 4-23–27 in 65 games with a plus-four rating, winning a gold medal with Canada at the U18 World Championship.
Elick ranks No. 11 in the Blue Jackets’ prospect pool, per Scott Wheeler of The Athletic. He’s the second-place right-handed defender behind Luca Marrelli, who Columbus selected one round after him last summer and signed an entry-level contract in December.
MacDonald is a new addition to the system. Another big lefty (6’4″, 225 lbs), he’s a 22-year-old coming off his second collegiate season. The undrafted rearguard from Ontario played his freshman year with the University of Alaska-Fairbanks before transferring to North Dakota for his sophomore campaign. He did well in the spotlight against much tougher competition, posting 3-7–10 with a plus-seven rating in 35 games for the Fighting Hawks.
While hard-hitting like Elick, he offers more offensive upside. Before jumping to college, he was a junior ’A’ standout with the Whitecourt Wolverines of the Alberta Junior Hockey League. He put up 16-79–95 in 126 games there across three seasons, including a 9-50–59 run in 57 games in 2022-23 that got him named the league’s most outstanding defenseman.
MacDonald will presumably report to AHL Cleveland next season, while Elick doesn’t turn 20 until after New Year’s and thus remains ineligible for an AHL assignment in 2025-26. He’ll need to be sent back to the Americans and play out another season in juniors before jumping to the pros. His entry-level deal will slide one year as a result, pushing his expiry from 2028 to 2029. MacDonald’s deal isn’t slide-eligible and will run out in 2027. Both players will be restricted free agents when their contracts end.