In the fourth round of the 2017 NHL Entry Draft, the Columbus Blue Jackets selected Emil Bemstrom from Sweden. Bemstrom was the Blue Jackets third of seven selections at this year’s entry draft.
Emil Bemstrom is an 18-year old forward who played junior hockey in his home country of Sweden in 2016-17. In 28 games with Leksands IF J20, he put up 33 points (21 goals, 12 assists) which allowed him to stand out as a possible Columbus Blue Jackets draft selection.
Player profile
Bemstrom was featured in thedraftanalyst.com’s “10 Draft Prospects You Should Know About” in January. They described him as a, “Hard-nosed speedster,” while praising his vision. His playmaking and shooting abilities were also noted in the feature.
Jackets take two-way scorer C/W Emil Bemstrom. High on him all year.
— Steve Kournianos (@TheDraftAnalyst) June 24, 2017
He was ranked as the No. 42 European skater heading into the draft by NHL Central Scouting. Additionally, hockeyprospect.com had him rated as the No. 71 overall prospect in the draft.
The talent Bemstrom displayed this past year allowed him to play for the Sweden’s under-18 World Junior Championship team. There, he picked up 2 points (1 goal and 1 assist) in 7 games played.
Team Sweden finished fourth in the tournament, losing to Russia in the bronze medal game.
What’s next for Bemstrom?
The No. 117 overall pick is likely headed back to Leksands IF J20 to further his development next season. Despite making five appearances in the SHL, Sweden’s premier hockey league, last year, he isn’t quite ready to make a full time jump to pro hockey.
Being a mid-round selection, staying in Sweden for the next year or two will be good for Bemstrom. That’s pretty typical for a mid-round pick, so don’t expect to hear much news about Bemstrom, outside of development camp, for the next two seasons.
Want a taste of what Bemstrom is like on the ice? Watch him and other Columbus Blue Jackets prospects scrimmage at development camp here.
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Expect Bemstrom to head over to North America in two seasons. The first ever Bemstrom to don a Cleveland Monsters jersey starting in 2020.