Columbus Blue Jackets place Emil Bemstrom on waivers

The Columbus Blue Jackets placed forward Emil Bemstrom on waivers on Wednesday, according to Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman.

Bemstrom, 24, has three goals and an assist for four points in 12 games so far in 2023-24.

Last season, Bemstrom spent time with both the Blue Jackets and their AHL affiliate, the Cleveland Monsters. In 55 games with the Blue Jackets, he scored seven goals and 15 assists for 22 points. Meanwhile, in 21 games with Cleveland, he scored 14 goals and 17 assists for 31 points.

Through five NHL seasons, Bemstrom has scored 29 goals and 33 assists for 62 points in 184 games. Drafted in the fourth round by the Blue Jackets in the 2017 NHL Entry Draft, Bemstrom spent two more seasons developing in Sweden.

In 2018-19, he scored 23 goals and 12 assists for 35 points in 47 games with Djurgardens IF of the Swedish Elite League. He earned Rookie of the Year honors after the season.

Bemstrom represented Sweden at the 2019 World Junior Championship, scoring four goals and two assists for six points in five games. He also played for Sweden at the 2022 World Championships in Finland, scoring a goal and four assists for five points in eight games.

Following their 5-3 defeat to the Pittsburgh Penguins on Tuesday night, the Blue Jackets have lost six straight games, including 10 of their last 11. They currently sitting last place in the Eastern Conference’s Metropolitan Division with a 4-8-4 record. The team currently has a goal differential of minus-13 with a team save percentage of .894.

Their next game is Thursday night, where they play host to the Arizona Coyotes, followed by weekend road-trip with a game on Saturday against the Washington Capitals and another the next day against the Philadelphia Flyers.