Based on his first workout with the team, Emil Bemstrom will quickly get a chance to demonstrate what he’s capable of in a Penguins sweater.
Bemstrom, whom the Penguins acquired Thursday night from the Columbus Blue Jackets in exchange for forward Alex Nylander and a conditional 2026 sixth-round draft pick, skated on the team’s third line and with the second power play during Saturday morning’s practice in Cranberry.
Should those roles hold for Sunday’s game against the rival Philadelphia Flyers, Bemstrom will not only make his team debut but also be thrust into a prominent position for a key Metropolitan division matchup.
“It’s a great opportunity for me here now, and I’ve just got to prove myself,” Bemstrom said. “I have the opportunity, too, to show that. So we’ll just go from there.”
Coach Mike Sullivan, as well as other players who have a bit of familiarity with his game, complimented Bemstrom for his offensive capabilities. In 204 career NHL games — all with Columbus — Bemstrom has totaled 31 goals and 38 assists.
After observing Bemstrom up close during his first Penguins practice and familiarizing himself more with the winger’s game, Sullivan noted he can shoot the puck quite well.
“I think that’s one of his strengths, and he has good offensive instincts,” Sullivan said. “He skates pretty well, so he could help us in a number of different ways. He could help us on the offensive side. He can play on power play. He’s got a really good shot. I think that’s one of his biggest strengths.”
The 24-year-old Bemstrom, a fourth-round pick in the 2017 NHL draft, has been a much more prolific goalscorer at the AHL level, though, recording 47 points in 33 career games. A native of Nkoping, Sweden, Bemstrom’s game is one a handful of Penguins are already familiar with.
Fellow Swede Marcus Pettersson played with Bemstrom during the 2022 IIHF world championship. Bemstrom impressed Pettersson then, as well as during the handful of meetings between the Penguins and Blue Jackets over the past few years.
“He’s a great young player,” Pettersson said. “He’s got a really good shot.”
In working on the third line during practice, Bemstrom is the latest in a line of rotating wings that have skated on Lars Eller’s line. The veteran center said he plans on talking with Bemstrom tomorrow in an effort to, along with the coaching staff, help get him up to speed.
“We’ll try to make him feel comfortable, make him feel as part of the team so new guys can come in and feel like they can be themselves,” Eller said. “I think that’s the key to get the most out of everybody just on a basic human level.”
Sullivan, as he often has this season, commended Eller for taking on such responsibilities as constant shuffling has gone on around him. But having skated in parts of five seasons with the Blue Jackets, Bemstrom has much more NHL experience than other linemates of Eller’s this season like Valtteri Puustinen and Radim Zohorna, among others.
“He knows how to play the game. He’s a good player,” Eller said of Bemstrom. “You don’t make it to here unless you have a really good skill set, and hopefully, we can get that out of him.”
Outside of Pettersson, Bemstrom isn’t terribly familiar with the rest of the players in the Penguins dressing room. But because Pettersson has a rough idea of what kind of a player Bemstrom can be for the Penguins, he interpreted president of hockey operations Kyle Dubas’ latest move as a positive one.
“It for sure sent a message,” Pettersson said, “that he’s trying to find something that clicks and trying to spark something.”
For the Penguins’ sake, it would behoove them if Bemstorm not only has a quick acclimation period but can be an effective offensive contributor in a bottom-six role.
With less than 30 games in their season remaining and two weeks to go until the NHL trade deadline, the Penguins sit seven points out of a playoff spot, though the Penguins do have four games in hand on the Tampa Bay Lightning, currently slotted at eighth in the Eastern Conference standings.
Pettersson, as do the rest of the Penguins, recognizes the importance of each game should they want to creep into playoff position, a daunting task at this juncture. He hopes Bemstrom will serve as an impactful reinforcement in aiding the Penguins in that cause.
“I don’t think anybody on this team is going to give up until it’s really over,” Pettersson said. “We’re going to play every game like we’re going to win. It sends us a message that we’ve got to push. We’re right there. We’ve got to push.”
Around the boards
Jake Guentzel, sidelined with an upper-body injury until at least March 10, will travel with the team for its upcoming road trip to Western Canada. Guentzel took the ice in street clothes prior to Saturday’s practice, shot a puck and then returned to the dressing room. ... Puustinen bumped up to the second line to take Matthew Phillips’ spot. Phillips rotated in with the third line.
Andrew Destin: adestin@post-gazette.com and @AndrewDestin1 on X
First Published: February 24, 2024, 7:19 p.m.
Updated: February 25, 2024, 1:19 a.m.
