Mikael Pyyhtia Hits Waivers as Blue Jackets Look to Send Him to Cleveland

The Blue Jackets’ attempt to send Mikael Pyyhtia to Cleveland puts a productive AHL winger back at a familiar crossroads: he has shown he can drive offense in the minors, but hasn’t secured a regular NHL role. Columbus placed the 24-year-old forward on waivers with the intention of assigning him to the Cleveland Monsters, Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reported on October 6, 2026. The assignment depends on him clearing waivers.

Friedman’s report on X listed Pyyhtia among the players placed on waivers that day. For Columbus, the move creates a path to return him to the Monsters, where he was one of the club’s leading scorers last season. For Pyyhtia, it also leaves open the possibility that another NHL team could claim him before an assignment is completed.

A roster spot was difficult to find

Pyyhtia’s bid to make the Blue Jackets had a narrow margin from the start. The source reports that Columbus entered camp with 13 forwards on NHL-only contracts, while Luca Del Bel Belluz, one of the organization’s top prospects, also needed a spot on the NHL roster because he required waivers to be sent down. That left limited room for a forward trying to move from depth duty into a regular lineup role.

Then a lower-body injury cut into Pyyhtia’s training camp. He is now healthy, but the lost preparation time arrived at an awkward point in a crowded roster competition. The injury details and timing beyond that description aren’t specified in the source, so the clearest immediate consequence is the one it states: Pyyhtia had less camp time to make his case.

Waivers give other NHL clubs the opportunity to claim a player before his team assigns him to the AHL. Until that process is resolved, Cleveland is the intended destination rather than a completed assignment. If Pyyhtia clears, the Blue Jackets can return him to the Monsters; if another team claims him, his next opportunity could come elsewhere.

Cleveland gets a proven scorer if he clears

The appeal for Cleveland is straightforward. Pyyhtia recorded 48 points in 59 games for the Monsters last season, finishing second on the team in scoring. Del Bel Belluz was the only player ahead of him, according to the source. If Pyyhtia returns, he would be the highest-scoring returning player from that group.

That production gives the Monsters a forward with an established place in their offense, not a player arriving without a record of success at the level. Pyyhtia is listed at 6-foot and 177 pounds, and the source describes his game as solid in both directions. Those traits could make him a prominent winger in Cleveland, where he’d have a chance to build on last season’s output and stay ready for another NHL call.

The assignment would also put his situation in sharper focus. Pyyhtia has spent parts of four seasons with Columbus, appearing in 71 NHL games and recording five goals and six assists for 11 points, with a minus-19 rating, according to his Blue Jackets statistics. Those appearances show he has received opportunities at the top level. They haven’t yet turned into a full-time place in the lineup.

The next step will define the opportunity

There’s a gap between being a high-end AHL contributor and earning steady NHL minutes. Pyyhtia’s 48 points suggest he can produce against AHL competition, while his NHL totals show that his impact in Columbus has so far been more limited. A return to Cleveland could give him regular games and a central role, but it would not, by itself, settle whether he can translate that work into a lasting NHL job.

Columbus signed Pyyhtia to a two-year contract extension over the summer, according to the source, even though he cleared waivers around this time last year. Those details make the current move notable: the organization has kept him under contract while again seeking an AHL assignment. The contract’s financial terms aren’t provided, so the reported length is the extent of what can be established here.

At 24, the 2020 fourth-round pick is at a point where his development is less about prospect status and more about proving where his game fits. The “4A” label used in the source describes the challenge: a player who can stand out in the AHL but has yet to establish himself in the NHL. It’s a judgment that regular opportunity can still change, particularly for a forward whose recent minor-league production gives him a clear foundation.

First comes the waiver result. If Pyyhtia clears, Cleveland gains one of its most productive returning forwards, and he’ll have another chance to make his case through sustained play. If he’s claimed, the next chapter starts with a different NHL club. Either way, his AHL record and the crowded Columbus depth chart explain why this move matters for both sides.