Penguins recall winger Emil Bemstrom from Wilkes-Barre/Scranton of AHL

The Pittsburgh Penguins recalled forward Emil Bemstrom from Wilkes-Barre/Scranton of the American Hockey League ahead of Friday’s game at the New York Rangers.

Bemstrom, through 37 AHL games, is Wilkes-Barre/Scranton’s leading scorer, with 19 goals and 22 assists.

This season, the 25-year-old was named an AHL All-Star.

The Penguins reassigned forward Jesse Puljujarvi to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton on Wednesday, creating a need for an extra forward.

Friday represents Bemstrom’s first call-up to the NHL club this season.

Acquired last February from the Columbus Blue Jackets in exchange for Alex Nylander, Bemstrom played 24 games for the Penguins, scoring three goals with two assists in 8 minutes, 47 seconds of nightly ice time.

Bemstrom, used mainly in a bottom-six capacity, was absent from the lineup three times as a healthy scratch as the season approached its conclusion.

A veteran of 228 NHL games, 204 of which came with Columbus in parts of five seasons between 2019-24, Bemstrom has scored 34 career goals with 40 assists.

The Nykoping, Sweden, native carries a salary cap hit of $775,000 through 2024-25.

Note: Penguins captain Sidney Crosby has been ruled out vs. the Rangers. Coach Mike Sullivan told reporters in New York that the Penguins would take things day by day with Crosby, who partook in morning skate Friday but continues to nurse a suspected arm injury suffered Feb. 4 against the New Jersey Devils. Crosby’s team-best and career-best streak of 229 consecutive games played, dating back to April 9, 2022, is set to come to an end.