Oliver Bjorkstrand had enough twists and turns in his season to make the Mississippi River's famously wandering path through New Orleans seem straight.
He was expected to provide a goal-scoring threat for the Columbus Blue Jackets in 2016-17 but lasted just three games before being sent down to the AHL. He was largely out of sight and out of mind as the Jackets got off to the best start in franchise history, but by the end of the season, he was a key cog in the machine as Columbus reached playoff time.
What did we expect?
Simply put, with Oliver Bjorkstrand, you expect goals.
The young Dane has always scored them, including 50 and 63 in consecutive years with Portland of the WHL, four in five games in the 2015 World Junior Championships and 10 in 17 games – including six game winners and the OT championship clincher – as the Lake Erie Monsters won the Calder Cup in 2016.
Then there was the 12-game cameo late in that 2016 season in which Bjorkstrand showed he had the ability to score goals at the NHL level. Just 20 years old, he made his debut in March of that year and had four goals and four assists, including a two-goal showing in his second career game vs. New Jersey.
What did we get?
Bjorkstrand's playoff performance in Cleveland and late-season showing in Columbus led many in the organization to think he was ready to take the next step, but he quickly fell into the doghouse of John Tortorella.
He didn't score and didn't do much away from the puck either, finishing the first trio of games with zero goals, zero assists, a minus-2 rating and four penalty minutes with just two shots on goal.
That earned Bjorkstrand a trip back to Cleveland, and he would play just two more games in Columbus in December before his eventual return for good in February. The native of Denmark earned his return to the big time with a strong showing in the AHL with 14 goals and 26 points in 37 games.
Once back in Columbus, Bjorkstrand looked like he belonged for good. He quickly showed he deserved to be on a goal-scoring line with his ability to protect and fight for the puck complimenting a wicked wrist shot that handcuffed a fair share of goalies down the stretch. Head coach John Tortorella said the puck seemed to follow the youngster around the ice and called him essentially a key deadline acquisition given his late-season callup.
Though he missed a handful of games down the stretch with a concussion suffered during a hit into the boards by Toronto's Roman Polak, Bjorkstrand did all that could be asked. He scored six goals and six assists in 21 games down the stretch, including a seven-game stretch in which he had four goals and a pair of helpers with a plus-5 rating in early March.
Bjorkstrand had a single assist in five playoff games, but his puck possession metrics were off the chart. That echoed his numbers all season, including 5-on-5 Corsi and Fenwick marks of above 55 percent.
| GP | G | A | P | +/- | PIM | PPG | PPP | SHG | SHP | GWG | OTG | S | S% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| REGULAR SEASON | 26 | 6 | 7 | 13 | 4 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 80 | 12.5 |
| PLAYOFFS | 5 | 0 | 1 | 1 | -2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 10 | 0.0 |
Memorable Moment
Bjorkstrand's first goal of the year didn't really stand out in terms of affecting a game – it merely gave Columbus a 3-0 lead in an eventual February win over Toronto in Nationwide Arena – but it showed exactly what the Blue Jackets wanted to see out of him upon his return.
It was Bjorkstrand's first game back in Columbus and he showed great offensive anticipation and a goal-scorer's touch to beat former teammate Curtis McElhinney. The Jackets forced a neutral zone turnover and Bjorkstrand was off to the races on a breakaway. Not giving away anything, Bjorkstrand skated through the circles to the front of the cage and let go a quick wrister that left McElhinney with no chance.
Getting a goal in his return proved huge for Bjorkstrand, who used the confidence boost to be a major part of the Columbus attack the rest of the season.
Contract Status
According to CapFriendly.com, Bjorkstrand remains on his entry-level deal with a cap hit of $655,833 next season before becoming a restricted free agent. His deal includes maximum performance bonuses of $232,500.
| GRADE | B |
