Blue Jackets announce roster moves, Atkinson activated off IR

The Columbus Blue Jackets have activated right wing Cam Atkinson and defenseman Andrew Peeke off Injured Reserve and assigned Peeke, defenseman Gabriel Carlsson, goaltender Matiss Kivlenieks and center Ryan MacInnis to the Cleveland Monsters, Columbus' American Hockey League affiliate, Blue Jackets General Manager and Alternate Governor Jarmo Kekalainen announced today. The team also has recalled goaltender Veini Vehvilainen from the Monsters.
Atkinson, 30, missed the past 12 games due to an ankle sprain suffered vs. the Los Angeles Kings on December 19. The Riverside, Connecticut native has registered nine goals and 12 assists for 21 points in 35 games this season, including 5-2-7 in his last eight games prior to the injury. The club's sixth round pick, 157th overall, at the 2008 NHL Draft has registered 195-168-363 and 142 penalty minutes in 562 career NHL games. The two-time All-Star has scored 20 or more goals in each of the past six seasons.
Peeke, 21, missed the past 13 contests due to a broken finger suffered at Detroit on December 17. He has posted 0-1-1, two penalty minutes and a +3 plus/minus rating in seven games with the club, making his NHL debut on December 5 vs. the NY Rangers and collecting his first NHL point with an assist on December 16 vs. Washington. The Parkland, Florida native has added 5-7-12 with four penalty minutes and a +3 plus/minus rating in 21 games with Cleveland in 2019-20. Columbus' second round pick, 34th overall, at the 2016 NHL Draft, he registered 12-40-52, 62 penalty minutes and a +20 plus/minus rating in 119 career outings at the University of Notre Dame (Big Ten) from 2016-19.
Carlsson, 23, has recorded 0-3-3 and eight penalty minutes in 23 career NHL games with the Blue Jackets since making his league debut at the end of the 2016-17 campaign. He collected two penalty minutes in six appearances this season. The Orebro, Sweden native has also tallied 5-22-27, 40 penalty minutes and a +6 plus/minus rating in 131 career AHL outings with the Monsters, including 1-8-9, 10 penalty minutes and a +6 plus/minus rating in 28 contests in 2019-20. He was selected by Columbus in the first round, 29th overall, at the 2015 NHL Draft.

Kivlenieks, 23, was recalled from Cleveland on December 30 but did not appear in a game. He is 7-6-2 with a 3.04 goals-against average, .894 save percentage and one shutout in 15 games with the Monsters in 2019-20. A native of Riga, Latvia, he has posted a 25-31-7 record, 3.26 GAA, .888 SV% and three shutouts in 72 career AHL outings with Cleveland since making his professional debut in 2017-18. He was signed by Columbus to an entry level contract on May 25, 2017.
MacInnis, 23, posted 0-1-1 and was +1 with 11 shots on goal in seven contests with the Blue Jackets. He made his NHL debut on December 21 vs. New Jersey and collected his first career assist two games later on December 27 at Washington. He has added 3-12-15 and 16 penalty minutes in 28 contests with the Monsters in 2019-20. The St. Louis, Missouri native has recorded 21-49-70 and 127 penalty minutes in 228 career AHL games with the Monsters, Tucson Roadrunners and Springfield Falcons since making his pro debut in 2015-16. MacInnis was selected by the Arizona Coyotes in the second round, 43rd overall, at the 2014 NHL Draft and was acquired by the Blue Jackets via trade on July 18, 2018.
Vehvilainen, 22, ranks fifth in the AHL in goals-against average, seventh-T in shutouts and eighth in save percentage with an 8-10-1 record, 2.22 GAA, .918 SV% and two shutouts in his first pro season in North America. A native of Jyvaskyla, Finland, he went 64-30-21 with a 1.83 GAA, .926 SV% and 13 shutouts in 119 career games with Karpat, Sport and JYP in the top Finnish professional league (Liiga) from 2015-19. Columbus' sixth-round pick, 173rd overall, at the 2018 NHL Draft, he captured back-to-back Urpo Ylonen Awards as the league's best goaltender in 2017-18 and 2018-19. He led the Liiga in wins, goals-against average, save percentage and shutouts in 2018-19 after going 25-8-5 with a 1.58 GAA, .933 SV% and six shutouts in 38 contests with Karpat.