Live blog: Follow the Blue Jackets' moves at the 2020 NHL draft

Look at the picture above.
That's the Blue Jackets' war room for this week's NHL draft. The conference room on Suite Level of Nationwide Arena, located just down the hall from general manager Jarmo Kekalainen's office, normally features plenty of meetings among CBJ staffers, but never before has it served for the hub of operations for the team's drafting.
But that's 2020 for you, and the Blue Jackets will make due during the NHL's virtual draft, brought on by the coronavirus pandemic.
Follow along throughout the draft with a live blog below that will be updated with information on the team's draft picks and other tidbits.

Wednesday, 6:24 p.m.: The Blue Jackets have traded their seventh-round pick (207th overall) to Anaheim for a conditional 7th round pick in either the 2021 or 2022 NHL draft.
This likely brings an end to the selections for this year's draft for Columbus. Thanks for following along and stay tuned for more draft-related content over the coming days and hours.
Wednesday, 6:11 p.m.:With the No. 176 overall selection in the sixth round Columbus has drafted Swedish defenseman Samuel Johannesson, an overage blueliner with Rögle BK of the Swedish Hockey League.
Johannesson has started this season with the major league Rögle club, amassing a goal and an assist in the team's first two games. Last year, he debuted with the big club, posting a 1-10-11 line in 44 games.
The 5-11, 176-pound right-hand shot was ranked the No. 33 international skater in the NHL Central Scouting Bureau rankings.
The Draft Prospects Hockey draft handbook says: "Offensive minded, strong skating defenseman. Great first step acceleration and balance. Strong lateral movement and confidently skates with the puck up ice. Solid wrist shot, maintains possession of the puck using his speed and body position. Knows where to be on both sides of the puck and create chances for his team. Plays smart. Not physical or strong but supports his teammates and closes off angles due to his sound positioning. Uses an active stick. Has had an impressive developing season playing with the men at the SHL level. Just needs to continue to add bulk to his smaller frame."
Wednesday, 5:26 p.m.:With the No. 145 overall selection in the fifth round, Columbus has drafted Norwegian defenseman Ole Julian Bjørgvik-Holm, who plays for Manglerud in his home country.
Bjørgvik-Holm spent last season with Mississauga of the OHL, where he played 57 games and totaled two goals and 17 assists for 19 points. Bjørgvik-Holm (6-2, 190) was rated the No. 116 North American skater in the final NHL Central Scouting Bureau rankings.

Wednesday, 4:01 p.m.:With the No. 114 overall selection in the fourth round, Columbus has drafted Finnish forward Mikael Pyyhtia, who like third-round pick Samuel Knazko plays in the TPS junior system in his native country.
This year for TPS' U-20 team, Pyyhtia has three goals and three assists for six points in five games. Last season, Pyyhtia played 42 games with TPS, notching an 11-30-41 line, while also playing seven games with Finland's national U-20 team. He also made two appearances with the top-level TPS squad in the Liiga, notching an assist, and also skated in the Spengler Cup with TPS.
He is unranked by NHL's Central Scouting Bureau but was No. 113 in the rankings
compiled by Corey Pronman of The Athletic
.
"Pyyhtia has been a steady riser for me, looking good with Finland's U19 team in February, then even better into the summer and fall," Pronman wrote. "Pyyhtia doesn't stand out in any regard, but he's a well-rounded player. He's a strong skater who plays fast. He competes well off the puck, can kill penalties, and overall brings a lot of energy and speed to his shifts. He's a very smart player who can find seams in the offensive zone and make plays with pace."

Wednesday, 2:40 p.m.:With the No. 78 overall selection in the third round, acquired Tuesday in a trade with Montreal, Columbus has drafted Slovak defenseman Samuel Knazko, who plays in the TPS system in Finland.
So far this season, playing for TPS in Finland's U-20 league, Knazko has two goals and five points in nine games. A year ago, he had a 7-21-28 line in 48 games at the junior level and also played for the Slovakian team at the World Junior Championships.
He is the No. 42-rated International skater by NHL Central Scouting and was a top-100 prospect in TSN analyst Craig Button's final ratings.
According to the Draft Prospects Hockey handbook, Knazko's scouting report is as follows: "A two-way, fleet-footed defenseman. Quick and strong on his edges, changes directions in a blink. He uses crossovers to gain speed and displays strong lateral movements. Agile. His stickhandling is very good, he can dangle himself out of tight situations. Skilled passer, always finding his target. He has a dangerous wrist shot, is very good at changing the angle with a toe drag and getting it on target. Processes the game quickly."

Wednesday, 1:51 p.m.:There will be no reunion between the Blue Jackets and Egor Sokolov.
The massive Russian winger went to the NHL Prospects Tournament in Traverse City, Mich., with Columbus each of the past two seasons and also was invited to CBJ training camp before returning to juniors. He posted four goals in four games in Traverse City last year with Columbus and then used a heavy shot and his big size to dominate the QMJHL last year, scoring a league-high 46 goals among 92 points in 52 games with Cape Breton.
But the 20-year-old is now property of the Ottawa Senators, who chose Sokolov with the No. 61 overall pick.
With the second round done, the third round begins at puck 63, while Columbus owns pick No. 78.
Wednesday, 11:00 a.m.: Welcome back to day two of the NHL draft, CBJ fans!
It promises to be another intriguing day as the Blue Jackets will add some more prospects to the pool, while trades and other roster moves could be in the offing on what is traditionally a fast-paced, busy day of action.
As a reminder, Columbus --
after taking Russian winger Yegor Chinakhov
at No. 21 overall in Tuesday night's first round -- holds five more picks to start day two. The Blue Jackets start the day holding 78 (third round), 114 (fourth round), 145 (fifth round), 176 (sixth round) and 207 (seventh round).
Round two begins at 11:30 a.m.
Tuesday, 9:43 p.m.:The Blue Jackets have made their pick, selecting Russian forward Yegor Chinakhov with the No. 21 overall selection.
Chinakhov is a rising 19-year-old in the KHL, as he's made his debut with Avangard Omsk this year and is alredy showing a scoring touch, posting five goals and seven points in 12 games thus far in 2020-21. A year ago with Omsk's entrant in Russia's junior system, he totaled 27 goals and 69 points in 56 games. He was rated the No. 30 International skater by NHL Central Scouting.

Here's what the draft experts have to say about Chinakhov.
Corey Pronman, The Athletic
: "He's not a burner, but he has enough speed to skate with men. He can make and finish plays, with his style being more of a playmaker. There's not a lot of wow factor in his game, but he does a lot well offensively with the puck and competes well for pucks when he doesn't have it. I respect his skill, his production and his play with the national team."
Draft Prospects Hockey: "A hard-working, two-way winger. Solid foot speed, strong first steps. Pivots well, balanced. Protects the puck and is a reliable puck carrier in all three zones. Overall awareness is strong. Hits his teammates with soft and accurate passes. He shoots the puck hard and creates quality chances. Strong for his size. Good defensive stickwork. Solid closing speed, good range. Disrupts passing lanes. Effective on the forecheck. Works hard. Wins battles with his stickwork and excellent positioning. There is improvement to be made on his edgework. He is a streaky player and needs to bring consistency shift after shift."
The Hockey Writers
: "As of now, he has the offensive skill to be a top six forward, but his all-around game still needs some work. Chinakhov will likely slot in better in a third line roll at this point until he can show that he's developing towards his ceiling. He has the shot and skill to play atop an NHL lineup, it's just a matter of him reaching that point when he gets to that level."
Tuesday, 7:51 p.m.:There won't be a Sanderson reunion in Nationwide Arena, but congrats to former CBJ forward Geoff Sanderson.
His son, Jake, a product of the U.S. National Team Development Program and a freshman at North Dakota, was chosen No. 5 overall by Ottawa. The defenseman was the second Ottawa pick of the top five, as the Senators took German forward Tim Stutzle at third overall.
When it comes to other potential CBJ ties, forward Liam Foudy's brother Jean-Luc is projected as a mid-round pick, while the sons of former CBJ defensemen Dick Tarnstrom (Oliver) and Adrian Aucoin (Kyle) are also ranked by the NHL Central Scouting Bureau and could be mid-
to-late-round picks.
Tuesday, 7:23 p.m.: Rent just got a little higher in the Metropolitan Division.
As expected, the Blue Jackets' Metro rival New York Rangers took high-scoring forward Alexis Lafreniere with the No. 1 overall pick in the draft, adding a big offensive thrust to a rebuilding Rangers team that pushed for a playoff spot this past season.
Lafreniere was long thought to be the first pick in the draft, a generational talent who has shined in past seasons with Rimouski of the QMJHL. Lafreniere topped the 100-point mark each of the past two seasons, totaling 35-77-112 in 52 games this past season with the Oceanic.
He is the third No. 1 overall pick to join the division in the past four seasons. New Jersey selected Nico Hischier first overall in 2017 and Jack Hughes with the top choice in 2019.
The Rangers, who won the draft lottery after losing in the qualifying round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs, selected Finnish forward Kaapo Kakko No. 2 overall a season ago.
Tuesday, 5:49 p.m.:Nearly four months after its usual time, the NHL draft kicks off tonight, with the first round set for 7 p.m. (NBCSN) and rounds two through seven set for Wednesday afternoon.
Kekalainen, director of amateur scouting Ville Siren and manager of scouting operations and player evaluation Tom Bark will be in the conference room above at Nationwide Arena, while the rest of the team's scouts will be present on a Zoom call.
Those scouts got a bit of a gift Tuesday afternoon when the Blue Jackets
swung a big trade
, sending Josh Anderson to Montreal for Max Domi in a third-round pick. That pick gives Columbus six choices in the seven-round draft, with the Blue Jackets holding selections 21 (first round), 78 (third round), 114 (fourth round), 145 (fifth round), 176 (sixth round) and 207 (seventh round).
To get ready for the draft, here's some reading materials. First of all,
here's 11 players
NHL experts think might be available to Columbus, while
here's what Kekalainen and Siren had to say
about how they've made the best of a unique year for evaluating players amid a pandemic.
In addition, here's a look at the
history of the 21st overall pick
, while we also take a trip down memory road as we
grade the team's last five drafts
and
select the best five picks in team history
.