Mark Letestu Returns to Columbus

Centerman Mark Letestu returns to Columbus after a trade with the Nashville Predators.

The Canadian forward began his professional career with the Pittsburgh Penguins in 2009. He only played 10 games in his debut, but then went on to play 64 games the following season. He dropped back down to 11 games in the next season, when he was picked up by the Blue Jackets.

He was traded from the Pens in 2011 to the Blue Jackets for a fourth-round pick. After Columbus acquired him, he totaled 233 games while with the team. In the four seasons with the club, he racked up a mere 36 penalty minutes.

Letestu has a total of 538 career NHL games, and can boast 90 penalty minutes, 92 goals, and 114 assists for a grand total 206 points. Once he became a free-agent, Letestu signed a three-year contract with the Edmonton Oilers. While in Etown, Letestu had career highs for goals, points, and PPGs in the 2016-2017 season. He's played 220 games with Edmonton.

Letestu started off in Pittsburgh, went to Columbus, then moved on to Edmonton. So how did he end up back in Columbus? Well, they took him off of Nashville's hands. Wait, when did Nashville get involved? They were in the mix for a couple of hours, so it was easy to miss. Edmonton traded Letestu to Nashville for forward Pontus Aberg. Then, Nashville traded Letestu to Columbus for a fourth-round pick in the 2018 NHL Draft. Within just a few hours, Letestu jumped all around the country.

Club Manager Jarmo Kekalainen weights in, "Mark is a very good player who will bring versatility and experience to our lineup. He can play on the power play, kill penalties and is very good in the faceoff circle. He is also a person of very high character who made an impact on and off the ice during his previous time here and we are very happy to bring him back to Columbus."

The forward is expected to start in Monday's game against the Washington Capitals. Letestu will return to his beloved CBJ number of 55. Welcome back, Mark!