Blue Jackets sign Mikael Pyyhtia to one-year contract

On Wednesday, Columbus Blue Jackets general manager Don Waddell announced that the team has signed forward Mikael Pyyhtiä to a one-year, two-way contract.

According to Aaron Portzline of The Athletic, Pyyhtiä’s new deal carries an NHL cap hit of $775,000, with a minor-league salary of $100,000. $140,000 is guaranteed to the Finnish winger. Pyyhtiä came to the end of his three-year, entry-level contract this past season. That deal had an NHL AAV of $925,000, with an American Hockey League salary of $80,000.

“Mikael Pyyhtia is a highly competitive player that brings high-end speed, reliable two-way play and a strong work ethic to a lineup,” Waddell said in a release. “We look forward to seeing his continued growth with the Blue Jackets organization.”

After establishing himself as a solid prospect with Finnish squad TPS in Liiga, Pyyhtiä came over to North America near the end of the 2022-23 season, playing a couple of games with Columbus, as well as seven with the organization’s primary affiliate, the Cleveland Monsters.

The 2023-24 campaign saw the Turku native spend the majority of his season with Cleveland, scoring a career-high seven goals and 21 assists for 28 points. He also notched two assists in 17 games with the Blue Jackets. Pyyhtiä played a lot more with the Blue Jackets this past year, appearing in 47 games with the big club. He scored his first NHL goal on Oct. 28 against the Edmonton Oilers, and ended up posting four goals and three assists for seven points, averaging over 12 minutes of ice time while registering a plus/minus of -11.

Pyyhtiä’s efforts led to him cracking the Finnish National Team squad at the 2025 IIHF Men’s World Championship. The 23-year-old didn’t score a point in three games. Along with his most recent international experience, he also won gold with Finland at the 2021 IIHF World Junior Championship.

Pyyhtiä was originally taken by the Blue Jackets in the fourth round, 114th overall, of the 2020 NHL Draft.