Columbus Blue Jackets Release Forward from PTO

The Columbus Blue Jackets have released James Neal from his PTO.

After recording just four points in 19 games for the St. Louis Blues last season, Neal was sent down to the AHL. With the Springfield Thunderbirds, the 35-year-old winger did quite well, as he scored 14 goals and had 26 points in 28 games. Although that was not enough for him to land another call-up from the Blues, his strong play did lead to his PTO from Columbus. Unfortunately, it was not enough for him to get a contract for the year.

Now, we will have to wait and see what happens next with Neal. In 869 career games, he has 296 goals, 263 assists, and 559 points. Let's see if he gets the chance to improve upon these career totals in 2022-23 from here.