3:48 p.m.: PuckPedia reports that Ceulemans’ deal carries a cap hit of $925K, with his salary structure the same in all three years of the contract. He’ll earn $832.5K in NHL salary, $92.5K in signing bonuses, and $80K in minors salary each season.
3:11 p.m.: The Columbus Blue Jackets have signed defenseman Corson Ceulemans, a 2021 first-round pick, to a three-year entry-level contract beginning in the 2023-24 season, the team announced today. The team did not disclose financial details, although they noted he will be joining the AHL’s Cleveland Monsters on a professional tryout for the remainder of 2022-23.
Ceulemans, 19, leaves his college hockey career at the University of Wisconsin just a day after the school announced the firing of head coach Tony Granato. The school won a Big Ten regular-season title in the COVID-marred 2020-21 season, but Ceulemans’ two-year stint there wasn’t met with any team success.
He did impress offensively, recording 15 goals and 45 points in 67 games there across his freshman and sophomore campaigns. A two-way defender, Ceulemans’ public draft rankings ranged wildly due to a COVID-stifled eight-game stint with the AJHL’s Brooks Bandits being his sole league play during his draft year. He ended up going to the Blue Jackets in the late first round, 25th overall, after the team selected both Kent Johnson and Cole Sillinger before him.
Blue Jackets general manager Jarmo Kekalainen had the following words on one of his top prospects:
Ceulemans is an outstanding young defenseman who excels at both ends of the ice and we are thrilled that he is beginning his professional career this spring. He combines size and strength with excellent mobility and a knack to produce offensively and we are excited about his future with our organization.
With his collegiate season over, Ceulemans will join the Monsters, although he likely won’t get any playoff experience. Cleveland sits last in the North Division with a 23-25-6 record.