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2025 CBJ Top 25 Under 25: Mikael Pyyhtia is the chicken of the sea of the bottom six

Posted on by Pale Dragon
Jan 18, 2025; New York, New York, USA; Columbus Blue Jackets left wing Mikael Pyyhtia (82) attempts a shot at New York Rangers goalie Igor Shesterkin (31) while New York Rangers right wing Reilly Smith (91) defends during the second period at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Danny Wild-Imagn Images

Thank you to the 70 readers who voted in this year’s countdown of the 25 best players in the Columbus Blue Jackets system under the age of 25. Today we continue with #16:

#16 Mikael Pyyhtia

Voting

16th out of 40
Total Points: 1239
Average Placement: 17.451
Last Year: 20th (+4 difference)

Biography

Birthdate: December 17, 2001
Birthplace: Turku, Finland
Height: 6’0″
Weight: 176 lbs
Position: Winger
Shoots: Left
Acquired: Drafted in Round 4 (#114 overall) in 2020 by Columbus

2024-25 Season

In this series last year, I wrote about Pyyhtia that “There’s not a spot for him on the NHL roster currently, but he has the opportunity to earn the first call-up.” As it turns out, a strong camp/preseason plus some unexpected injuries (including to Boone Jenner) opened up a forward spot. The kid they call “Tuna” was in the opening day lineup and remained there until mid-November. Even when he got sent down to Cleveland, he was back within a week or two. His final game in Columbus was the outdoor game, and then he was returned to Cleveland for good.

While he was here, Pyyhtia played the majority of his season (47) games in Columbus and scored four goals and three assists in an average of 12:06 minutes per game. He’s not a star player, of course, but he’s exactly what you want out of a bottom six winger: he hustles and he makes the little plays that help his team each shift. There were few obvious blunders.

His performance this season earned him a spot on the Finnish national team for the World Championships.

2025-26 Outlook

Ironically, Pyyhtia actually took a pay cut this summer. He earned an NHL base salary of $833,000 the last two seasons as part of his entry level contract, but his new deal gives him a base of $775,000. On the other hand, his minors salary increases from $80,000 to $100,000. With the arrival of a player like Miles Wood with multiple years left on his contract, that could push Pyyhtia down the depth chart and mean more time spent with the Monsters this season. But, once again, he should be one of the first names to be called up, and could play his way into sticking around.

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