Of all of the moves the Blue Jackets have made in the past year, one that hasn't really been talked about is the signing of Isac Lundestrom this past offseason.
Don Waddell signed the Swedish forward to a two-year, $2.6 million contract ($1.3 million AAV) on the first day of free agency. Columbus was hoping that Lundestrom could serve as a depth forward with a solid defensive game.
Isac Lundestrom was the team's best penalty killer
When looking at his stats from the past season, his four goals and eight assists don't jump off the page. You may even think that he didn't have a good season.
But what you don't realize is that Lundestrom was hands-down the Blue Jackets' best defensive forward, and was a great asset when the team was shorthanded.
Out of all forwards that played on the penalty kill, Lundestrom allowed the least expected goals, shot attempts, and high-danger chances from opponents per 60 minutes, according to MoneyPuck.
His active feet and stick combined with his smart spacing and awareness in his own end really limited opponents' opportunities from the perimeter. This often forced teams to make aggressive plays to the middle of the ice that would usually be broken up by a teammate.
While he didn't provide much offensively, ranking last on the team in most analytical categories in terms of scoring goals, and not living up to our lofty expectations, his solid work on defense kept the struggling penalty kill afloat.
He also earned the trust of Rick Bowness down the stretch when consistency and effort became increasingly crucial during the team's push to make the playoffs.
Lundestrom is still pretty young at just 26 years old and has room to grow next year. With an established role and foundation defensively, I'm hoping that he can work on his offense and try to come close to the 16 goals and 29 points that he posted in his first full NHL season.
Even if he doesn't, we should be in store for another year of great defensive play from a young player who turned out to be a pretty solid signing.
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