Bemstrom signed a two-year, $1.8 million deal with Columbus on Wednesday.
Bemstrom has logged 117 games for the club over the last three seasons in which he has garnered a combined 19 goals and 17 helpers while averaging 11:45 of ice time. The winger ended the previous campaign mired in an eight-game pointless streak during which he generated just 10 shots. Even if he does make the 23-man roster for Opening Night versus the Hurricanes, he is far from a lock for the lineup every game and could spend some time in the press box.
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Blue Jackets' Emil Bemstrom: Two-point effort Wednesday
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Bemstrom scored a goal and an assist in Wednesday's 5-1 win over the Canadiens.
Both points came in the third period as the Blue Jackets pulled away. Bemstrom was part of a dynamite night for Columbus' top two lines, as all six players recorded multi-point performances, but on the season the 22-year-old has only six goals and 11 points through 33 games.
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Blue Jackets' Emil Bemstrom: Snags helper in overtime loss
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Bemstrom supplied an assist in Friday's 4-3 overtime loss to the Jets.
The Blue Jackets got some help from their fourth line as Bemstrom set up Brendan Gaunce on the team's second goal of the game. The 22-year-old Bemstrom has three points in his last three outings, though his ice time remains limited to a fourth-line role. For the season, the Swedish forward has seven points, 36 shots on net and a plus-2 rating through 24 appearances.
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Blue Jackets' Emil Bemstrom: Drops two points
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Bemstrom registered a goal and an assist in Saturday's 5-4 win over the Blues.
Bemstrom has recorded a point in four games this season, with box-score multipliers in half of those. There's a lot to like about Columbus' fourth-round (No. 117) overall pick from 2017, but for now he's paying his dues on the fourth line.
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Blue Jackets' Emil Bemstrom: Recalled from AHL
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Bemstrom was recalled from AHL Cleveland on Thursday, Brian Hedger of The Columbus Dispatch reports.
The 22-year-old last saw action with the Blue Jackets on Jan. 31, spending most of February in the COVID-19 protocols before being assigned to Cleveland on Wednesday. After picking up an assist in a 2-1 overtime loss to Grand Rapids, Bemstrom was deemed ready to return to the big club, but he's not expected to be in the lineup Thursday against the Panthers.
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Blue Jackets' Emil Bemstrom: Assigned to AHL affiliate
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Bemstrom was assigned to AHL Cleveland on Wednesday.
Bemstrom has sat as a healthy scratch for two straight contests since exiting the NHL's COVID-19 protocols Saturday, so this move doesn't come as a surprise. The 22-year-old forward has, however, picked up four points through 13 NHL appearances this season, so it wouldn't be surprising to see him get another look with the big club in the near future.
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Blue Jackets' Emil Bemstrom: Exits protocols
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Per Blue Jackets team reporter Jeff Svoboda, Bemstrom is on the ice for Saturday's practice, indicating he's cleared the NHL's COVID-19 protocols.
Bemstrom will presumably be an option for Sunday's matchup with Buffalo after missing five games while in the NHL's COVID-19 protocols. He's picked up four points through 13 top-level appearances this year.
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Blue Jackets' Emil Bemstrom: Placed in COVID-19 protocols
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Bemstrom was designated for the NHL's COVID-19 protocols Monday.
Since returning from an oblique injury Dec. 30 against Nashville, Bemstrom has recorded two goals on 22 shots, two assists and seven hits while averaging 10:00 of ice time. The 22-year-old natural center will likely miss the Jackets' next three games and will see Trey Fix-Wolansky added to the lineup in his stead.
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Blue Jackets' Emil Bemstrom: Recalled from AHL Cleveland
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Bemstrom was promoted to the Jackets' NHL roster on Wednesday.
Bemstrom has yet to get into a game for Columbus this season due to an oblique injury suffered during the preseason. After logging three games for the Monsters, in which he recorded one goal, two PIM and minus-4 rating, the 22-year-old center will get a chance to crack the lineup.
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Blue Jackets' Emil Bemstrom: Activated off IR, sent to AHL
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Bemstrom (oblique) was activated off injured reserve and assigned to AHL Cleveland on Thursday.
Bemstrom has yet to play this season due to an oblique injury, so he'll head to the minors to get his game in order before presumably getting a look with the big club later this season. The 22-year-old forward picked up five points through 20 appearances with the Blue Jackets last year.
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Blue Jackets' Emil Bemstrom: Placed on IR, out 4-6 weeks
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Bemstrom was placed on injured reserve Thursday and is expected to be sidelined for 4-6 weeks with a left oblique strain.
Bemstrom only picked up five points in 20 games with the Blue Jackets last season, so his absence won't impact many fantasy lineups. The 22-year-old forward will need to be activated off injured reserve before making his season debut, so expect another update on his status once that occurs.
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Blue Jackets' Emil Bemstrom: Shocking hat trick Monday
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Bemstrom scored a natural hat trick, with one of the goals coming on the power play, in Monday's 4-3 overtime loss to the Predators.
With the Jackets down 3-0 heading into the third period, Bemstrom suddenly became Juuse Saros' kryptonite to force OT. It was a scoring binge made even more stunning by the fact that the 21-year-old had zero goals in 16 games on the season. Bemstrom showed some sniper upside in Sweden as a teenager before beginning his NHL career, but Columbus may not have the talent at center to make him a consistent threat even if he earns a bigger role next season.
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Blue Jackets' Emil Bemstrom: Taken off injured reserve
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Bemstrom (lower body) was activated off injured reserve Friday.
Bemstrom's removal from injured reserve clears the way for him to rejoin the lineup against Carolina on Saturday following his 21-game stint on IR. The 21-year-old natural center has been limited to just 15 appearances this season, which has seen him notch a mere two assists, well off the 20-point performance he put up in his rookie campaign last year.
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Blue Jackets' Emil Bemstrom: Surfaces on IR
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Bemstrom (lower body) was placed on injured reserve Thursday.
Bemstrom suffered a lower-body injury during Wednesday's practice and is expected to be sidelined for at least a week. He's notched two helpers through 15 games this campaign.
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Blue Jackets' Emil Bemstrom: Up to active roster
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Bemstrom was promoted from the taxi squad to the active roster ahead of Thursday's game versus the Blackhawks.
Bemstrom is expected to suit up for the first time since Jan. 21. He should draw into the bottom six. The 21-year-old played in the first five games of the year, averaging 11:49 of ice time per contest and totaling seven shots on net, four hits and three blocked shots.
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Blue Jackets' Emil Bemstrom: Demoted to taxi squad
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Bemstrom was sent to the taxi squad Monday, according to TSN's transactions list.
Bemstrom was brought up as part of Columbus' paper moves to adjust the team's salary. The 21-year-old forward was held scoreless through five games before heading to the taxi squad, and it's unclear when he'll get another chance in the lineup.
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Blue Jackets' Emil Bemstrom: Recalled from taxi squad
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Bemstrom was promoted from the taxi squad Sunday according to TSN's transactions list.
Bemstrom was held without a point in the first five games this season before heading to the taxi squad prior to Saturday's game against Tampa Bay. It's unclear if he'll get back into the lineup Tuesday against Florida or if this is simply some roster shuffling by the Blue Jackets.
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Blue Jackets' Emil Bemstrom: Shuffles to taxi squad
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Columbus assigned Bemstrom to its taxi squad Friday.
Bemstrom has gone scoreless while averaging 11:49 of ice time through the first five games of the campaign, so the Blue Jackets have decided to replace him with Nathan Gerbe on the active roster. Bemstrom will likely continue to shuffle between the taxi squad and the active roster throughout the season.
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Blue Jackets' Emil Bemstrom: Looking to build on last year
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Bemstrom feels ready to take a step forward in his development after an up and down rookie season, Brian Hedger of The Columbus Dispatch reports.
The 21-year-old scored 10 goals and 20 points in 56 games during his first taste of the NHL, but Bemstrom had opportunities that he missed as he's still working on finding the right mix of accuracy and aggression with his shot. "He's got a lethal shot," Blue Jackets captain Nick Foligno said. "He's just got to find a way to get it off. I think that's where you saw him fight it last year. He was either getting it off just to get it off, not knowing where it was going, or he wasn't getting it off at all because he was trying to pick a spot. I think he's going to figure out how to blend those two things and hopefully have a lot of success." Bemstrom's coming off a strong offseason that saw him score nine goals and 17 points in 16 games for HIFK in the Finnish Elite League, and while Columbus' forward depth likely relegates him to a bottom-six role this season, skating with a veteran center like Mikko Koivu could help steady Bemstrom's game.
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Blue Jackets' Emil Bemstrom: Loan period ends
Rotowire
Bemstrom loan agreement with Finnish Elite League club HIFK came to an end Monday.
Bemstrom will presumably report back to North America to join the Blue Jackets for the start of training camp. The 21-year-old should be in contention for a bottom-six spot with Columbus after logging 20 points in 56 games as a rookie in 2019-20.
