The National Hockey League (NHL) club, Columbus, also known as the Blue Jackets, made a significant player trade move. This move occurred on the eve of Friday, as per Finnish local time, and involved the transfer of two Swedish strikers between teams.
In the transaction, the Blue Jackets traded away their Swedish forward, Emil Bemström, to the Pittsburgh Penguins. Bemström, aged 24, has spent his entire NHL career with Columbus. During this season, he has managed to score 11 points in a total of 32 games. He is also known for his time with Helsinki IFK during the 2020–21 season.
In return for Bemström, Columbus received another Swede, Alexander Nylanderin, along with a sixth-round pick for the summer of 2026. Nylander, who is 25 years old, has nearly 100 NHL games under his belt, playing for teams such as Buffalo, Chicago, and Pittsburgh. However, he has spent most of his time playing in the American Hockey League (AHL).
This player trade is the first move that Columbus has made since the club decided to let go of its Finnish General Manager (GM), Jarmo Kekäläinen, just last week.
John Davidson, who is currently serving as the GM on a temporary basis, is also the Athletic Director of Columbus. Notably, Davidson was the superior of Kekäläinen during his tenure as the GM of the club.
