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Joona Luoto

Snapshots: Henrique, Brandsegg-Nygard, Luoto, Eriksson

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Before he ultimately re-signed with Edmonton, the Jets took a run at signing center Adam Henrique on the opening day of free agency, notes Postmedia’s Scott Billeck.  Winnipeg was eyeing the 34-year-old as a replacement for Sean Monahan, who turned down an offer from them to ink a five-year deal with Columbus.  Henrique had a solid showing last season, notching 51 points in 82 games between Anaheim and Edmonton and could have slotted in behind Mark Scheifele to anchor the second line but opted to return to play a lesser role with the Oilers.

Elsewhere around the hockey world:

  • After inking his entry-level deal on Thursday, Red Wings prospect Michael Brandsegg-Nygard told Nitten’s Wegard Bakkehaug that no decision has been made regarding where he’ll play next season. The 18-year-old acknowledged that breaking camp with Detroit isn’t realistic but he is eligible to play with AHL Grand Rapids or play with SHL Skelleftea.  Brandsegg-Nygard suggested his preference might be to play in Sweden and that Detroit will give him a chance to have a say in where he winds up.
  • Former NHL winger Joona Luoto is expected to sign with HV71 of the SHL, reports Johan Svensson and Jacob Johannesson of Sport Expressen. The 26-year-old has 23 career NHL contests under his belt between Winnipeg and Columbus but became a Group Six free agent in 2023 and elected to sign a contract in Switzerland over another two-way deal in North America.  Luoto had 18 goals and nine assists in 47 games with SC Bern last season.
  • Generally speaking, NHL prospects typically prefer to play at the top level possible overseas. However, that’s not the case for Panthers youngster Linus Eriksson who told Hockey Sverige’s Uffe Bodin that he turned down interest from multiple SHL teams to remain with Djurgarden in the second-tier Allsvenskan.  The 18-year-old was the 58th-overall pick by Florida after he put up 11 points in 29 games at that level last season.  Eriksson was much more productive at the junior level, collecting 21 points in 25 games with them and added seven points in seven games for Sweden at the World Under-18s.

Minor Transactions: 11/09/23

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It’s a busy night on the NHL schedule with 11 games, including an Original Six matchup featuring two teams off to surprising starts in the Montreal Canadiens and Detroit Red Wings. Overseas, however, there’s some news to focus on, mainly in Switzerland, where a pair of teams have made high-profile moves early Thursday. We’re keeping track of all of today’s notable minor transactions right here:

  • Longtime AHL sniper Martin Frk’s stint with Swiss National League club SC Bern is over after just 11 games despite signing a two-year deal this summer. However, he won’t need to travel very far to find his next opportunity – he’s staying in the NL with SC Rapperswil-Jona Lakers on a contract for the remainder of 2023-24, according to a team release. The team has been hit with injuries to their import players, including former NHL forward Brett Connolly, who will miss the rest of the season after undergoing hip surgery. That opened up a spot for a non-Swiss-born player, so the Czech goal-scorer will enter the lineup. Frk, 30, had three goals and four assists for seven points with Bern until his tenure with the team ended today.
  • With Frk off the roster, SC Bern has exercised the option of another import player with NHL experience – Finnish winger Joona Luoto, who will remain in Bern through the end of the season after signing a tryout contract in September. Luoto, 26, is currently sidelined with an undisclosed injury but is expected to return to the team in December. He’s off to a strong start this year, recording seven goals and four assists for 11 points in 17 games, leading the team in goals. He made seven NHL appearances with the Columbus Blue Jackets last season, failing to register on the scoresheet.
  • Former Florida Panthers forward prospect Henry Bowlby is on his way overseas, signing a contract with Rögle BK of the Swedish Hockey League for the remainder of 2023-24. In doing so, Bowlby terminates the one-year AHL deal he had signed this season with the Colorado Eagles after scoring one goal and three points in seven games. The 26-year-old hasn’t shown the ability to produce much more than an average middle-six AHL forward since turning pro in 2020 and will now try his hand in the European ranks of pro hockey.

This page may be updated throughout the day.

Joona Luoto Signs In Swiss League

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Free agent forward Joona Luoto has signed a three-month try-out contract with NL club SC Bern, according to a team release. The deal contains a built-in option to extend through the end of the 2023-24.

Luoto, 25, spent last season in the Columbus Blue Jackets organization. While he did record a goal (his first in the NHL) in seven games with Columbus, he spent most of 2022-23 in the minors with the AHL’s Cleveland Monsters. There, he tied for fourth on the team in goals with 14 and added 11 assists for 25 points in 45 games.

That was Luoto’s second attempt to stick in North America. The Winnipeg Jets signed him as a free agent from Liiga club Tappara before the 2019-20 season, but he disappointed with no points in 16 NHL contests and just four assists in 18 AHL games with the Manitoba Moose. Things didn’t go much better for him in the second year of his entry-level deal, playing just 11 AHL games thanks to the COVID-shortened 2021 campaign, recording four points yet again.

The disappointing stint led to Luoto returning to Tappara for the 2021-22 campaign, where he appeared to figure things out by season’s end. His nine goals and 14 points in 27 regular-season games didn’t jump off the page, but he exploded to lead the team in postseason scoring (17 points in 14 games) and won the Jari Kurri Award for the best player in the Liiga playoffs en route to a championship with Tappara. He then landed a deal with Columbus last summer on the heels of that performance.

His production with Cleveland was arguably his most promising and consistent professional showing. However, now 25, it’s becoming clear there isn’t enough runway left for an NHL future for the 6-foot-3, 201-pound winger.

Luoto will now try and stick his landing in Europe once again, joining a Bern team looking to rebound after a handful of disappointing seasons. It’s a team chock full of recent NHLers such as Martin Frk, Julius Honka, Dominik Kahun, Corban Knight, Patrik Nemeth, and Colton Sceviour.

Blue Jackets Assign Six Players To AHL

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Following the conclusion of their regular season last night, the Blue Jackets wasted little time making some roster moves.  Following that contest, they announced (Twitter link) that they’ve returned defensemen Samuel Knazko, Stanislav Svozil, and Billy Sweezey along with forwards Tyler Angle, Joona Luoto, and Mikael Pyyhtia to AHL Cleveland.

Knazko made his professional debut in North America this season and has suited up in 49 games with the Monsters this season, picking up a goal and 20 assists.  He got into two contests with Columbus this month, averaging a little under 16 minutes per night of playing time.

Svozil spent most of this season with Regina of the WHL where he had a very productive season, picking up 11 goals and 67 assists in 56 games; his 78 points were the third-highest in the league.  He actually has yet to play in the AHL but also has suited up twice for Columbus, recording an assist in his debut on Thursday while logging over 20 minutes a night.

As for Sweezey, he has had a bit more experience in Columbus, suiting up in nine games for them this season, picking up an assist along with 39 hits and 20 blocked shots in his first taste of NHL action.  He has 11 assists in 55 contests in the minors this year.

Angle is nothing if not consistent.  He has 11 goals with Cleveland this season, matching his output from 2020-21 and 2021-22 in the process.  He also now has his first NHL tally in the books after scoring on Friday against Buffalo.

Luoto has been back and forth between the two clubs in recent weeks.  He got into seven games with the Blue Jackets this year in his first NHL action since the 2019-20 campaign with Winnipeg while he has collected 14 goals and 11 assists in 45 games with the Monsters.

Lastly, Pyyhtia spent the bulk of the year playing in Finland with TPS Turku of the SM-liiga before being assigned to Cleveland last month.  He has played in six games with the Monsters so far, scoring three times while he picked up an assist in his two games with Columbus.

All six players will have an opportunity to play in two more games this weekend as the Monsters wrap up their season.  However, with none of them available to play for Cleveland last night, they lost to Utica, eliminating them from playoff contention.

Blue Jackets Recall Four Players

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A day after sending four players to the AHL to suit up for Cleveland, the Blue Jackets have recalled four players for tonight’s contest against the Rangers.  However, there are some different faces rejoining the team as defenseman David Jiricek and winger Trey-Fix Wolansky are both getting the nod, joining blueliner Marcus Bjork and winger Joona Luoto who were among those sent down yesterday.  All four recalls are classified as emergency moves and won’t count against the post-deadline limit of four regular recalls.

Jiricek is the headliner among the group as the sixth-overall pick has had a strong first season in North America.  The 19-year-old has 38 points in 51 games with the Monsters and didn’t look out of place in a pair of NHL appearances earlier in the year.  With Columbus only having four games left, he’s not in danger of burning the first season of his entry-level deal if he stays up with them for the final week of the season.

Fix-Wolansky was sent down last Saturday after missing a team meeting.  The 23-year-old has been one of the top scorers at the AHL level this season, notching 28 goals with 41 assists in 57 games, good for fifth in the minors in scoring.  Fix-Wolansky has seen action in seven games with the Blue Jackets so far this season but is still looking for his first point.

Bjork has been back and forth several times this season, effectively splitting the year between Columbus and Cleveland.  At the NHL level, the 25-year-old has 11 points in 32 games while logging over 18 minutes a night, numbers that aren’t bad for someone in his first season in North America.  Bjork’s numbers are similar with the Monsters as he has 13 points in 41 contests.

As for Luoto, he scored his first career NHL goal on Thursday which is his only point in 20 career appearances at the top level.  The 25-year-old has been productive in Cleveland, however, tallying 14 goals and 11 assists in 44 contests.  He returned to North America as an unrestricted free agent last summer and will once again be eligible to test the market in July.

Columbus Blue Jackets Assign Four To AHL

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The Columbus Blue Jackets announced Friday that they have reassigned four players to their AHL affiliate, the Cleveland Monsters. The team has sent defensemen Marcus Bjork and Billy Sweezey and forwards Joshua Dunne and Joona Luoto to the Monsters, as announced in a team release.

As noted by The Athletic’s Aaron Portzline, the transaction gives the Monsters some serious reinforcements ahead of the team’s biggest game of the season tonight against the Laval Rocket, their adversary for the final playoff spot in the AHL’s North Division.

Bjork, 25, most recently joined the Blue Jackets on emergency recall from Cleveland on April 1 but has split his time between leagues almost evenly during his first season of pro hockey in North America. He has played 32 games with the Blue Jackets, recording three goals and eight assists for 11 points and 42 penalty minutes. The Umea, Sweden-born Bjork has also played 40 games with the Monsters this season, posting six goals, seven assists, and 13 points with 18 penalty minutes.

Dunne has recorded eight penalty minutes and ten shots on goal in 13 career games with the Blue Jackets since making his NHL debut in 2020-21, but the undrafted free agent signing out of Clarkson University is still looking for his first NHL point. The 24-year-old is enjoying his first full, healthy season with the Monsters, sitting second on the team with 20 goals and 36 points in 59 games.

Luoto, 25, has collected a single goal in 20 career NHL games with the Blue Jackets and Winnipeg Jets since making his NHL debut in 2019-20. He has skated in four games with Columbus in 2022-23, recording his first career goal on April 6 after spending last season with Tappara in Finland’s top men’s league. The Tampere-born Finn has also played in 72 games with the Monsters and Manitoba Moose over two AHL stints from 2019-23, adding 16 goals, 17 assists, 33 points, and 32 penalty minutes.

Sweezey made his NHL debut on February 26 and has played seven games with Columbus this season, registering one assist and nine penalty minutes. It’s been an unexpected rise from the minors for the 27-year-old, who got his first taste of NHL hockey due to injuries decimating the Columbus blue line. In 59 games between the Blue Jackets and Monsters this year, he’s yet to record a goal.

With a lack of healthy players available on the Columbus roster to replace the players mentioned above in the lineup, expect Columbus to recall some or all of Bjork, Sweezey, Dunne, and Luoto to the roster tomorrow ahead of their game against the New York Rangers.

Blue Jackets Recall Three, Assign Trey-Fix Wolansky To AHL

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Between injuries and illness, the Blue Jackets are currently dealing with a thinned-out roster.  Accordingly, they are bringing up more players from the minors as they announced that forwards Joona Luoto and Justin Richards plus defenseman Marcus Bjork are all being recalled from AHL Cleveland.  They will be taking the place of Jack Roslovic and Lane Pederson (both injured) and Adam Boqvist (illness).  Meanwhile, after oversleeping and missing a team meeting, winger Trey Fix-Wolansky has been assigned back to the Monsters.

Luoto will get his first taste of NHL action tonight since the 2019-20 campaign when he played in 16 games with Winnipeg.  After spending last season in Finland, the 25-year-old signed a two-way deal with Columbus last summer.  He has 14 goals and 11 assists in 43 games with Cleveland this season and will be set to hit Group VI unrestricted free agency in July.

As for Richards, his NHL experience is even more limited as he made just a single appearance for the Rangers back in 2021, recording his first career NHL assist along the way.  The 25-year-old is also in his first year with the Blue Jackets and has been much more productive in the minors this season, picking up 10 goals and 25 assists in 54 games after putting up just six goals and eight helpers a year ago.  He’s also eligible for Group VI free agency this summer.

Bjork, meanwhile, certainly hasn’t looked out of place in his first season in North America.  He has played in 28 games with the Blue Jackets this season, picking up 11 points while logging nearly 19 minutes a night on the back end.  The 25-year-old has also suited up in 40 games for the Monsters, tallying 13 points.  He will be a restricted free agent this summer.

Fix-Wolansky had averaged over 13 minutes a night in his last three games in Columbus and was getting a chance to play higher in the lineup due to the injuries so this mistake is a costly one for him as it gets him taken off the roster.  He has been quite productive in the minors, however, notching 26 goals and 41 assists in just 53 games and will be a big addition to a Monsters team that finds themselves one point out of a play-in spot heading into tonight’s action.

Columbus Blue Jackets Activate Joona Luoto; Assign To AHL

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One of the more notable European free agent signings will get his first taste of North American pro hockey this season in the AHL. The Columbus Blue Jackets activated Joona Luoto from season-opening injured reserve on Sunday morning and subsequently assigned him to the AHL’s Cleveland Monsters, according to a team release.

Luoto, 25, sustained a lower-body injury during the preseason and missed the first month of the regular season. Now healthy, Luoto heads to a Cleveland team that’s only been held back by goaltending, accomplishing a 7-5-0 record with many key scorers hovering around a point-per-game pace. Led by a nice blend of burgeoning Blue Jackets prospects such as Kirill Marchenko and Trey Fix-Wolansky, as well as seasoned AHL veterans like Brendan Gaunce, Luoto should provide solid reinforcements to Cleveland. Given the multitude of strong performers already in Cleveland, though, it will be a challenge for Luoto to work his way back up the organizational depth chart into a potential call.

The product of Tampere, Finland spent last season with his hometown team in the Liiga, capturing a championship and the playoffs’ best player award with 17 points in 14 games. Luoto last appeared in the NHL in 2019-20, skating in 16 games with the Winnipeg Jets. He’s still looking for his first NHL point. Across the 2019-20 and 2020-21 campaigns with AHL Manitoba, the bulky winger collected two goals and six assists for eight points in 29 games.

Columbus Blue Jackets Sign Joona Luoto

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After just seeing his last NHL contract terminated in 2021, Joona Luoto is back. The young forward has signed a one-year, two-way contract with the Columbus Blue Jackets. The contract carries a $750K salary in the NHL and a $300K salary in the AHL, according to Brian Hedger of the Columbus Dispatch.

Luoto, 24, played 16 games for the Winnipeg Jets in 2019-20 but was limited to minor league work the following season and then ended up terminating his entry-level deal in September after it was clear he wouldn’t be making the squad. That led him back to Finland, where he played for his hometown Tappara Tampere and showed exactly why he was an interesting undrafted signing in the first place.

In 14 playoff games, Luoto scored eight goals and 17 points, winning the Jarri Kurri award as the best postseason player. His club won the league championship (his second Liiga title), and now he’s joining a new NHL organization with obvious ties to Finland. Not only does general manager Jarmo Kekalainen hail from there but Tampere is also the hometown of Blue Jackets star Patrik Laine. In fact, the two played for years together at the minor and junior levels.

Whether he makes an impact at the NHL level next season remains to be seen, but Luoto will at least get another chance on this side of the pond. If he scores even a single point, he will have eclipsed his time in Winnipeg; he was held scoreless in all 16 appearances so far.

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