One of the more notable European free agent signings will get his first taste of North American pro hockey this season in the AHL. The Columbus Blue Jackets activated Joona Luoto from season-opening injured reserve on Sunday morning and subsequently assigned him to the AHL’s Cleveland Monsters, according to a team release.
Luoto, 25, sustained a lower-body injury during the preseason and missed the first month of the regular season. Now healthy, Luoto heads to a Cleveland team that’s only been held back by goaltending, accomplishing a 7-5-0 record with many key scorers hovering around a point-per-game pace. Led by a nice blend of burgeoning Blue Jackets prospects such as Kirill Marchenko and Trey Fix-Wolansky, as well as seasoned AHL veterans like Brendan Gaunce, Luoto should provide solid reinforcements to Cleveland. Given the multitude of strong performers already in Cleveland, though, it will be a challenge for Luoto to work his way back up the organizational depth chart into a potential call.
The product of Tampere, Finland spent last season with his hometown team in the Liiga, capturing a championship and the playoffs’ best player award with 17 points in 14 games. Luoto last appeared in the NHL in 2019-20, skating in 16 games with the Winnipeg Jets. He’s still looking for his first NHL point. Across the 2019-20 and 2020-21 campaigns with AHL Manitoba, the bulky winger collected two goals and six assists for eight points in 29 games.