Blue Jackets Reassign Mikael Pyyhtia

According to a team announcement, the Columbus Blue Jackets have assigned forward Mikael Pyyhtia to the AHL’s Cleveland Monsters. Pyyhtia was originally recalled on January 7th.

Pyyhtia, 24, is in his fourth season in the North American professional circuit after being selected by the Blue Jackets with the 114th overall pick of the 2020 NHL Draft. The Turku, Finland native had played for the Finnish Liiga’s TPS for a few years after the draft, scoring 28 goals and 55 points in 103 games between the 2021-22 and 2022-23 seasons.

Since moving to Ohio, he has primarily played for the Monsters. Still, after being brought to North America toward the end of the 2022-23 campaign, Pyyhtia featured in two games for the Blue Jackets to close out the regular season, registering one assist.

Throughout the 2023-24 season, he appeared in 17 games with Columbus, tallying two assists while playing in a bottom-six role. He understandably performed much better in the AHL, scoring seven goals and 28 points in 60 games, his highest offensive production to date.

Last season, Pyyhtia enjoyed his longest run in the NHL so far, though it didn’t go particularly well. He finished the campaign with four goals and seven points in 47 games with a -11 rating, averaging 12:06 of ice time per game. Additionally, his possession metrics didn’t indicate any bad luck on the offensive side of the puck, as he finished with a 43.2% CorsiFor% at even strength.

Back in AHL Cleveland this year, Pyyhtia is one of the team’s best performers, scoring seven goals and 22 points in 23 games. This has made him a quick recall candidate whenever the Blue Jackets have needed him. Largely serving as an extra forward, Pyyhtia has tallied one goal in five games with Columbus this season.