With their 4th round pick (117th overall), the Columbus Blue Jackets select center Emil Bemstrom, from Sweden.
We just lost a Swedish center in William Karlsson, so why not add another, right? Bemstrom is still a couple years away from coming over to North America but so far while playing against other Swedish juniors he is averaging better than a point per game. Last year he had 21 goals in 28 games.
Our own Ville A had this to say:
Emil Bemstrom is another fast, skilled player with a good shot. He has really developed quickly this past year and has loads of upside. See a theme here?
Scouting Report from our friends at All About the Jersey:
Emil Bemstrom is the type of player you will often see go in the middle rounds of the draft. He is not a fully realized product at this point, so to speak, but to hear scouts tell it, he has the tools to potentially become a scorer in the NHL. As ever, it’s tough to get too worked up about a stat line from a European junior league, but 21 goals in 28 games is certainly nothing to sneeze at. Bemstrom’s top attributes seem to be his speed and his shot, which are certainly not terrible places to start for any prospect. Reports on his play describe someone with the proverbial “nose for the net,” as he is able to find creases and angles to get pucks on net, with a pretty good shot to go along with it. One thing you don’t hear too much about, though, is his play away from the puck. That doesn’t necessarily mean he’s particularly bad in that department, but it doesn’t seem to be a strength for him. Along with that, while some will vouch for his playmaking, 12 assists in 28 games doesn’t necessarily scream that he is a top passer or setup man.