Valtteri Puustinen has been a pleasant surprise for the Pittsburgh Penguins over the past month. He was recalled to the NHL roster on December 8th when the Penguins were desperate for talented right-wingers.
Rickard Rakell and Bryan Rust were injured, and Alex Nylander was struggling to make a substantive impact in the Penguins' top six. Puustinen made his NHL debut 637 days before his December call-up, a single-game stint where he picked up a secondary assist against the Vegas Golden Knights.
The Penguins have given the 24-year-old Finnish forward a longer look this time around. Puustinen has played 11 games, scoring seven points (1G-6A) while moving around the lineup and even playing on the team's top power play at points.
With Rakell and Rust returning to the lineup, Puustinen has seen his role shrink in recent games. He was bumped off the power play and moved to the third line with Lars Eller and Drew O'Connor. Puustinen has seen the least ice time of any Penguins player in the team's two most recent games against the Islanders (7:34 TOI) and Capitals (7:37).
For now, it appears Valtteri Puustinen's spot in the lineup is secure, mainly due to the sharp regression of Radim Zohorna over the past month, but it may not be for long.
The Penguins signed right wing Jesse Puljujarvi to a minor league professional tryout with the Wilkes-Barre Scranton Penguins yesterday. Puljujarvi had been with the Penguins on a free agent tryout but had been paying his way after the first ten days on that deal.
Puljujarvi is recovering from double hip resurfacing surgery but appears to be in the Penguins' short-term plans this season. When speaking with Sportsnet Pittsburgh's Josh Getzoff on "The GM Show," Pittsburgh Penguins general manager Kyle Dubas didn't mince words about what he's hoping to see from Puljujarvi.
"That would be a massive boost for us," Dubas said. "If he (Puljujarvi) could get back to his form of a season or two ago with the Oilers and what he was able to bring for them."
Puljujarvi will play in a game for the first time since May 7th, when he was a member of the Carolina Hurricanes. He can play up to 25 games at the AHL level on his tryout deal, but the Penguins will likely decide on him before then.
The Penguins have utilized conditioning stints at Wilkes-Barre more often in their first year under Kyle Dubas than under previous leadership.
John Ludvig and P.O. Joseph each played a pair of games with the AHL Penguins when working their way back from injuries this season. Goaltender Alex Nedeljkovic also played a game there on a conditioning stint, scoring a goal in a 4-2 win over the Providence Bruins.
Considering Puljujarvi's lack of game action over the past eight months, it will likely take more than two games to get up to game speed, but his promotion to the NHL may not be far off.
With Rust, Rakell, and Jeff Carter are likely secure in their lineup spots, Puustinen may be holding down a position earmarked for Puljujarvi if the Penguins sign him to the active roster.
Puustinen has proven he can perform at the NHL level, and even if he is re-assigned to the AHL this season, it won't be long before he becomes a more permanent fixture in the Penguins lineup.
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