CHL notebook: Blue Jackets prospect Dumais rolls into postseason

Future NHL stars are developing in the Canadian Hockey League this season. Each week, NHL.com will highlight a few of the top NHL-affiliated prospects in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League, the Ontario Hockey League and the Western Hockey League.

Jordan Dumais entered this season with high expectations, but the offensive output by the Halifax forward was the best seen in the QMJHL in more than a decade.
The Columbus Blue Jackets prospect led the league with 140 points (54 goals, 86 assists) in 64 games, the most since Alexander Radulov had 152 points in 2005-06. He was second this season in the CHL, behind only Connor Bedard of Regina (143 points) of the WHL, who is expected to be the No. 1 pick in the 2023 Upper Deck NHL Draft on June. 28 in Nashville.
Dumais, who will turn 19 on April 15, also set single-season Halifax records for most assists and points in a season, surpassing marks set by Ramzi Abid (80 assists, 137 points) in 1999-2000. His 54 goals were the most by a Halifax player since Jason King scored 63 in 2001-02.
But there was more to Dumais' season that has the Blue Jackets excited for the future.
"This year he took on a leadership role with the team," Columbus player development coach Derek Dorsett said. "The last two years he has been heavily relied on to create offense and he's done that. That's not an easy task. You put up [109 points] the year before, and then in junior you're expected to come back and do that again. And he exceeded that.
"He's focused on trying to win and helping his team offensively and he's a guy that understands that he's one of the go-to guys. He has to score, and he has to put up points for the team to be successful and I think that's something that he's done a good job of taking on that leadership role."

Next for Dumais will be continuing to be a big producer during the QMJHL playoffs, where Halifax leads Cape Breton 1-0 in a best-of-7 first-round series after a 4-1 win in Game 1 on Friday. Dumais, who had an assist in Game 1, had 18 points (five goals, 13 assists) in nine games to help Halifax go 6-2-1 against Cape Breton during the regular season.
But the playoffs will be a different environment. Dumais had six points (two goals, four assists) in five games in Halifax's loss to Acadie-Bathurst in the first round last season.
"Playoffs is a different journey," Dorsett said. "I think it can separate and obviously you want to see a complete game. It's big momentum swings and seeing how he handles those momentum swings. Not even just personally but as the team and how if he can help lift the team up when they need a big swing by a great offensive play. Those are things that we'll look for.
"So far he's been a guy that they rely on and he answers the bell every time that they've needed him to."
Whenever Halifax's playoff run ends, Dumais will have a big offseason ahead of him. The third-round pick (No. 96) by Columbus in the 2022 NHL Draft can play in Columbus next season or return for a fourth QMJHL season.
Dorsett said the Blue Jackets aren't concerned with Dumais' skating, which was a question during his draft season. But they would like to see him add strength to his 5-foot-8, 169-pound frame. Then it will be up to him to show he belongs in the NHL.
"He'd have to come in and beat out someone that is on an NHL contract or someone that's maybe ahead of him on the depth chart right now," Dorsett said. "And that's obviously always up to the player. The player has to come in and show that they're ready to play and they're capable of playing an 82-game schedule and beyond, because at the end of the day that goal is always playoffs. So it can't be just a 40-game thing. You've got to be able to see the consistency that you can play a full 82 games at a high caliber that warrants you being an NHL player."

OTHERS TO WATCH

Matthew Maggio, RW, Windsor, OHL (New York Islanders): Maggio finished the regular season on a 14-game point streak (12 goals, 11 assists) and led the OHL in goals (54) and points (111). It's the most goals by a Windsor player since Dave Roche scored 55 in 1994-95. Maggio is the first Windsor player to lead the league in goals since Ernie Godden scored 87 in 1980-81. The 20-year-old, selected by the Islanders in the fifth round (No. 142) of the 2022 draft, helped Windsor finish first in the OHL Western Conference. He had an assist in a 5-3 loss to Kitchener in Game 1 of the best-of-7 series Thursday.
Jacob Melanson, RW, Sherbrooke, QMJHL (Seattle Kraken): Melanson finished tied for seventh in the league with 99 points (50 goals, 49 assists). He had 55 points (25 goals, 30 assists) in 32 games with Sherbrooke after being acquired in a trade with Acadie-Bathurst on Jan. 2. That includes a 30-game point streak (24 goals, 29 assists) from Jan. 4-March 22, the longest in the league since Nikolaj Ehlers had points in 33 straight games in 2014-15. The 19-year-old, chosen by Seattle in the fifth round (No. 131) of the 2021 NHL Draft, helped Sherbrooke finish first in the QMJHL Western Conference. He scored a goal in Sherbrooke's 5-2 win against Blainville-Boisbriand on Friday in Game 1 of their best-of-7 first-round playoff series.
Olen Zellweger, D, Kamloops, WHL (Anaheim Ducks):Zellweger led WHL defensemen with 32 goals, the most by a defenseman in the league since Brad Ross scored 42 in 2011-12. He was second among defensemen with 80 points split between Kamloops and Everett, and his average of 1.45 points in 55 games is the most by a WHL defenseman since Darren Van Impe averaged 1.45 points in 58 games in 1993-94. The 19-year-old, selected by the Ducks in the second round (No. 43) in the 2021 draft, helped Kamloops finish second in the WHL Western Conference. He had four assists in the Blazers' 8-0 win against Vancouver on Friday in Game 1 of their best-of-7 first-round playoff series.
Photos: Trevor MacMillan/Halifax Mooseheads