The Blue Jackets traded forward Emil Bemstrom to the Pittsburgh Penguins in exchange for forward Alex Nylander and a conditional sixth-round pick in 2026, the team announced on Thursday. If Bemstrom scores six goals with Pittsburgh this season, the pick becomes a third-round selection, according to The Athletic's Aaron Portzline. Nylander has been recalled to the NHL roster and is expected to join the club ahead of Friday's game against the Sabres.
Nylander, whom the Sabres selected with the No. 8 overall pick in the 2016 NHL Draft, has posted 17-15--32 in 43 AHL games this season with the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins and 0-0--0 in five NHL games with Pittsburgh. In 2022-23, he posted 25-25--50 in 55 AHL games and 1-1--2 in nine AHL games with the Pittsburgh organization. In 98 career NHL games with the Sabres, Blackhawks, and Penguins, he's recorded 14-20--34. The 25-year-old's one-year, one-way contract carries a cap hit of $775k and he's scheduled to be a restricted free agent with arbitration rights after this season.
Bemstrom, whom the Blue Jackets selected with the No. 117 overall pick in the 2017 NHL Draft, has registered 5-6--11 in 32 NHL games and 10-4--14 in eight AHL games this season with the Blue Jackets organization. In 2022-23, he posted 14-17--31 in 21 AHL games and 7-15--22 The 24-year-old forward has posted 31-38--69 in 204 NHL games, all with Columbus. He's in the final year of a two-year deal that carries a $900k cap hit and is scheduled to be a restricted free agent with arbitration rights after this season.
The Blue Jackets play the Sabres at 7 p.m. ET on Friday at Nationwide Arena on Bally Sports Ohio.
