Tuesday night, against the New York Islanders, Columbus Blue Jackets' Right Winger Oliver Bjorkstrand scored in the third period as his team attempted to bounce back from a 4-1 deficit. Ultimately the comeback failed with Columbus going down 4-3, but that goal was Bjorkstrand's 24th on the season - the most he has ever scored in one campaign.
Last season, Bjorkstrand looked to be taking a step forward during the Covid 19-shortened 56 game season, posting a career high 44 points on 18 goals and 26 assists. He has done this in as many as 26 less games than he has played in previous seasons, putting him at a career best .79 points per game. His goals, assists, and points all were also team highs, last year, as well.
Coming into this season, the Jackets were hoping that the forward out of Denmark would take yet another step in his development as a player and a team leader. The coaching staff saw enough growth from him during the summer in order to make him an alternate captain for the 2021-22 campaign. Bjorkstrand is also in his seventh season for Columbus, making him the second longest tenured Blue Jacket behind only Captain Boone Jenner, helping to give him a platform for leadership in the second youngest locker room in the NHL.
no biggie, just a career-high in goals for Ollie pic.twitter.com/yRAtl2sM8w
— Columbus Blue Jackets (@BlueJacketsNHL) March 30, 2022
The team as a whole has stepped up its offensive production this year, going from 2.45 goals per game in 2020-21 to 3.27 gpg in 2021-22, and with that several Blue Jackets have taken steps forward in their offensive games. One such player is Patrik Laine, and his re-emergence as one of the premier point scorers in the NHL has caused Bjorkstrand to take somewhat of a backseat this season. Though, even with Ollie no longer leading the team in goals or points, he has continued to develop into a key piece for this franchise as it rebuilds/retools.
As mentioned before, Bjorkstrand just set his personal record of 24 goals in a single season with 15 games still to go. He has come on strong as of late with half of those goals and 21 of his career best 50 points coming in the last 23 games. Also, while number 28 will never be mistaken for a physically imposing forward, he has stepped up that side of his game as well this year with quite a few more hits and takeaways than any previous season.
As the the Blue Jackets continue to develop its players as well as add players through trades, the draft, and free agency, this offseason and beyond. Look for Bjorkstrand to continue to be one of the cornerstones on which this franchise lays its foundation.
