The Columbus Blue Jackets have signed center Kevin Stenlund to a one-year, two-way National Hockey League/American Hockey League contract for the 2020-21 season, club General Manager and Alternate Governor Jarmo Kekalainen announced today. The team also announced it has loaned defenseman Jacob Christiansen to the Bratislava Capitals in the Austrian League (ICEHL). He is expected to rejoin the Blue Jackets prior to the start of the 2020-21 NHL season.
Stenlund, 24, posted six goals and four assists for 10 points with eight penalty minutes and a +2 plus/minus rating in 32 regular season games and 1-0-1 in two playoff outings with the Blue Jackets in 2019-20. He ranked second among team rookies in shot percentage (10.5) and time on ice (13:59) and third-T in goals. He made his season debut with Columbus on December 16 vs. Washington and notched his first career goal a day later at Detroit (Jonathan Bernier). The forward added 6-12-18 and 24 penalty minutes in 33 appearances with the AHL's Cleveland Monsters during the campaign.
A native of Stockholm, Sweden, Stenlund has registered 6-4-10, 12 penalty minutes and a cumulative +2 plus/minus rating in 36 career NHL games with the Blue Jackets, including making his NHL debut on Jan. 12, 2019 at Washington. He has collected 21-24-45 and 40 penalty minutes in 99 career AHL outings with the Monsters since making his North American professional debut at the end of the 2017-18 campaign.
The 6-4, 209-pound center was drafted by the Blue Jackets in the second round, 58th overall, at the 2015 NHL Draft. He registered 22-23-45 and 66 penalty minutes in 151 career games with HV71 in the Swedish Hockey League from 2014-18.
FULL KEVIN STENLUND STATS
CBJ sign C Kevin Stenlund to one-year, two-way contract extension
Team also loans D Jacob Christiansen to ICEHL's Bratislava Capitals
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