Welcome back (again), Mark Letestu.
Just days after being released from a professional tryout agreement with the Florida Panthers, the Blue Jackets have brought the veteran center back into the fold.
The 33-year-old joined the Blue Jackets for a second time down the stretch last spring, after a trade with the Nashville Predators and Edmonton Oilers that landed him in Columbus for the team's playoff run. Originally acquired from the Pittsburgh Penguins in a November 2010 trade, Letestu has played 253 games with the Blue Jackets in two stints from 2011-15 and 2017-18.
The Blue Jackets placed Letestu on waivers at noon today for purpose of assignment to the Cleveland Monsters, where he'll presumably begin the season.
From the club's release:
The Elk Point, Alberta native tallied 9-14-23 and 10 penalty minutes in 80 contests with the Oilers and Blue Jackets in 2017-18, including 1-3-4 in 20 appearances with Columbus after being acquired in a trade on February 25. In 2016-17, he posted NHL career highs in goals, points and power play goals with the Oilers, collecting 16-19-35, 17 penalty minutes and 11 power play tallies in 78 games. Letestu was originally acquired by Columbus in a trade from Pittsburgh on Nov. 8, 2011 and posted three-straight campaigns of 10 or more goals and 24 or more points from 2011-14. He was signed by the Penguins as a free agent in March 2007 after spending 2006-07 at Western Michigan University.
The Blue Jackets play their penultimate preseason game tomorrow night, the "dress rehearsal" game at Nationwide Arena against the Pittsburgh Penguins.
