The Blue Jackets put forward Mikael Pyyhtia on waivers this afternoon with the intent of assigning him to the Cleveland Monsters, according to an initial report from Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman.
Pyyhtia’s path to a roster spot was always going to be a steep one at camp. Columbus had 13 forwards on NHL-only contracts, and with one of the club’s top prospects, Luca Del Bel Belluz, also needing waivers, the numbers were already working against the 24-year-old Finn.
Then came the lower body injury that cut into his training camp. Once healthy, the plan shifted back toward Cleveland, where Pyyhtia has little left to prove.
That’s a welcome outcome for the Monsters. Pyyhtia finished second on the team in scoring last season with 48 points in 59 games, and if he clears waivers and reports back down, he would be the highest-scoring returning player from that group, with Del Bel Belluz the only one who finished ahead of him.
At 6'0" and 177 pounds, Pyyhtia brings a dependable two-way game that should keep him near the top of the AHL lineup. The question now is simply whether he gets through waivers first.
His NHL resume in Columbus is still modest: 71 games over the past four years, with a 5-6-11 line and a minus-19 rating. He’s had several brief stints with the Blue Jackets, but he still hasn’t locked down a full-time role.
That reality is part of why waivers exist, of course. Another team could decide Pyyhtia fits its roster better and claim him for the season.
Still, that seems like a long shot. He cleared waivers around this time last year, which makes the Blue Jackets’ decision to give him a two-year contract extension over the summer a little more interesting.
He’s no longer really a prospect, and he’s not yet established himself as an NHL regular. For now, Pyyhtia looks like the kind of player stuck in that tough middle ground - too good for the AHL, not quite there in the NHL.
In Other News...
Blue Jackets May Have A Prospect Rising Faster Than Expected
Alessandro Di Iorio is giving Columbus something worth tracking in a hurry. The Blue Jackets picked him 94th overall, and the early returns with the Sarnia Sting have been encouraging, with the center already making an impact as the junior season opens and helping a team that looks sharper than it did a year ago.
Di Iorio is still wearing the captains letter for Sarnia, which matters almost as much as the production itself. For Columbus, the appeal is obvious: a prospect who is not only putting up offense, but also driving results in a bigger role and starting to look like more than a long-term project. [Read more 🡒]
Bruins Suddenly Have A Pavel Zacha Decision They Wanted To Avoid
Pavel Zachas name has been in the Bruins trade conversation before, and the timing matters now. NHL insider Pierre LeBrun reported Boston weighed the idea of moving him in a potential deal that would have involved Kirill Marchenko and the Columbus Blue Jackets, though nothing came together. With one year left on his contract, Zacha is heading toward unrestricted free agency, which already put the Bruins in a delicate spot with a player they would rather not have to sort through midseason.
The larger issue is that Boston may not get a clean resolution anytime soon. Extension talks have stalled, and if the Bruins stumble this season while Zacha still lacks a new deal, the front office could be pushed back toward the same uncomfortable decision near the trade deadline. For Columbus, it is another reminder that Marchenkos name has been valuable enough to surface in bigger league conversations, even when those talks never get over the finish line. [Read more 🡒]
Blue Jackets Early Surge Comes With One Clear Warning Sign
The early returns around Columbus have been encouraging enough to justify a closer look, especially in the wake of the clubs recent games. Matthew Knies has fit in quickly on the top line and has already added to the offense, while the Blue Jackets are also leaning hard on their blue line depth as injuries have pushed young defensemen like Mateychuk into bigger minutes than anyone would prefer this early.
Zach Werenskis workload has been especially heavy, a reminder that the Jackets are still operating with an incomplete roster and some obvious strain points. It is still a very small sample, and the column makes clear that the picture should change as injured players filter back in, with Damon Severson among the names expected to help stabilize things if he gets through the week without any setbacks. [Read more 🡒]