The Columbus Blue Jackets have inked a three-year deal with Oliver Bjorkstrand that will keep him with the team through the 2020-21 National Hockey League season, as announced by General Manager Jarmo Kekalainen on Sunday.
At 23 years old, Bjorkstrand showcased his skill with 11 goals and 29 assists, accumulating a total of 40 points, along with 9 penalty minutes and a +4 plus/minus rating in eighty-two games during the 2017-18 season with Columbus. He ranked 4th in assists and 6th in points for the team while appearing in every regular season game. In the Stanley Cup Playoffs, he contributed 1 goal and 2 assists in six games.
Kekalainen praised Bjorkstrand, stating, “Oliver is a talented player with exceptional shooting ability and natural scoring instincts. He has shown consistent improvement in his first three pro seasons. We believe he has the potential to become a dynamic offensive force for our team.”
Bjorkstrand was chosen by the Blue Jackets in the 3rd round, 89th overall, in the 2013 NHL draft. He has played 120 NHL games in his career, recording 21 goals, 40 assists, 15 penalty minutes, and a +14 plus/minus rating. Additionally, he posted 4 goals and 4 assists with six penalty minutes in 12 games during the 2015-16 season with Columbus, and 17 goals, 12 assists, and two penalty minutes in 51 games with the Lake Erie Monsters of the American Hockey League.
His standout performance came in the 2016 Calder Cup championship, where he tallied 10 goals and 6 assists in seventeen playoff games, leading the Monsters to victory and earning the title of playoff Most Valuable Player. Bjorkstrand split the 2016-17 season between Columbus and Cleveland, scoring 6 goals and 7 assists in twenty-six games with the Blue Jackets and 14 goals and 12 assists in thirty-seven games with the Monsters.
