Penguins Recall Avery Hayes, Three Out
The Pittsburgh Penguins are facing a shakeup on offense in their final game before the Olympic break. Winger Avery Hayes was recalled to the NHL and will make his NHL debut to help Pittsburgh address absences for Noel Acciari, Rickard Rakell, and Blake Lizotte.
Acciari entered the day with an illness. He was designated as a game-time decision and ultimately scratched. Rakell has been designated as day-to-day with a lower-body injury. It isn’t yet clear if or how that injury will impact his availability for the Olympic games. Finally, Lizotte will be away from the team to attend to the birth of his child. All injury updates come per Josh Yohe of The Athletic.
The lineup shift will leave Penguins forward Benjamin Kindel and Egor Chinakhov as focal pieces of the offense, with the rookie Kindel even earning top power-play reps. Chinakhov has scored six points in his last six games, while Kindel has five points. They will help make up for the glaring holes left by Pittsburgh’s absentees. All three have made their marks felt over the last two weeks, though surprisingly Lizotte and Acciari have proven the hotter hands, with four points to Rakell’s three.
Pittsburgh will get another boost from one of their AHL leading scorers. Hayes has racked up 23 points and 41 penalty minutes in 31 AHL games this season. It’s a ramped up year across the board after the two-way winger posted 23 goals, 42 points, and 58 PIMs in 60 games last season. The undrafted Hayes is in his third AHL season. He was a two-time OHL champion across four years in the league, where he made a name for himself as a plug-and-play winger capable of fitting next to any linemates. Pittsburgh will hope Hayes brings that same flexibility into his first game at the top flight.
Will Depth Players Get Paid Again This Summer?
Something funny was happening in the summer of 2019. Depth players began getting serious term on multi-year deals to a level we’d rarely seen before.
Take the contract for depth forward Brandon Tanev, who signed a six-year, $21MM deal with the Penguins. At the time, that contract raised a lot of eyebrows, as Tanev had topped out at just 14 goals and 15 assists in any single season, and a $3.5MM average annual value was especially steep on such a long-term deal.
The deal was an outlier on July 1, 2019, with no close comparison other than the Panthers signing Brett Connolly to a four-year, $14MM deal. Connolly was coming off a 46-point season, which far exceeded any of Tanev’s offensive contributions.
There was a sense at the time that the NHL might shift, with depth players able to secure longer-term, higher-dollar contracts. When Colton Sissons signed his seven-year extension with the Predators a few weeks later, it certainly looked that way.
Sissons was two years younger than Tanev and an RFA, whereas Tanev was a UFA, yet their eventual contracts were comparable. However, the global pandemic in 2020 stalled the league’s growth and led to a flat salary cap, effectively shutting teams out of paying for depth and fringe players’ big-money deals.
The stars still got their money, as evidenced by 2020 free agency, when Alex Pietrangelo was still paid handsomely (seven years, $61.6MM), while depth players had to take one-year deals at or around the league minimum.
The stars have continued to get their money, and top salaries have escalated over the last few years, while second-line players have also been rewarded handsomely as the salary cap has eventually climbed. But the depth players in the NHL have continued to feel the squeeze to this point, and it does feel like that might change this summer, with another big cap jump coming, multiple teams with loads of cap space, and a very weak free agency market.
In previous summers, solid defenders such as Calvin de Haan and Matt Grzelcyk, as well as forwards Jack Roslovic and Evgenii Dadonov, have been part of a large group of NHL-caliber players who have experienced a very tight free-agent market when they have been available to all NHL teams. Now, it’s not unheard of for players to fall short of salary expectations in free agency, but it has become a common occurrence over the last six years, and it feels like this could be a summer where teams overpay for depth.
There has been a surge in signings in recent weeks, with the most recent being the Penguins locking up fourth-line center Blake Lizotte to a three-year deal worth $6.75MM total, and the Canadiens inking Alexandre Texier to a two-year deal worth $2.5MM per season. These deals were not massive signings, but they show that teams are moving to lock up their depth as they look to the summer UFAs and realize there isn’t much out there.
Center Christian Dvorak is another excellent example, having recently signed a five-year deal with the Flyers after settling for a one-year deal last summer. Dvorak has long been injury-prone and inconsistent, but the Flyers felt they had to ink him to an extension amid a career year in Philadelphia.
So, what depth players will get shocking contracts this upcoming summer, or will they? If you go by the old cliché that a rising tide raises all boats, it sure looks like the players at the bottom of the lineup will finally start to get a bigger slice of the pie.
Could a player like Ryan Shea, Connor Dewar, or Philipp Kurashev get a big-money, multi-year deal this summer? Or will teams continue to show restraint in the lower rungs of the free agency market, even though they have more wiggle room?
It’s hard to believe there won’t be some silly deals on July 1, 2026. There are always head-scratching choices NHL GMs make. But this could be a free agency unlike any we’ve seen in a decade or so.
July 1, 2016, is hard to forget for some teams, as massive mistakes were made that were clearly bad choices at the time. Loui Eriksson signed with Vancouver, Milan Lucic signed with Edmonton, and David Backes signed with Boston. Several other players were given ridiculous contracts relative to their future projections, which wasn’t anything new, especially for players with a history of being top-six NHL players.
However, some general managers watched those errors and learned a valuable lesson that carried through the COVID years, when there was a massive salary-cap squeeze. While teams didn’t have the salary-cap space to make the egregious contract offers, some GMs still did, and they usually paid the price for it.
A good example was Penguins GM Ron Hextall, who made some odd choices in free agency, particularly when he signed a Tanev replacement in the summer of 2021. Hextall inked Brock McGinn to a four-year, $11MM contract that was a poor value for the Penguins and was eventually traded along with a sweetener to the Anaheim Ducks in 2023.
That deal, along with contracts like Pierre Engvall’s, highlighted why many teams stayed away from giving terms to their depth players. But this summer, the stars are aligning for some wild contracts to be handed out to players who likely won’t last the length of the deal in the NHL. For fans of contending teams, or teams on the upswing who think they are just a player away from contention, you just have to hope your favorite team isn’t among the unlucky ones handing out the money.
Penguins Sign Blake Lizotte To Three-Year Extension
The Pittsburgh Penguins have signed depth centerman Blake Lizotte to a three-year, $6.75MM contract extension. The deal will carry an average annual value of $2.25MM. Lizotte was set to become an unrestricted free agent this summer, after spending the last two years on a deal that paid $1.85MM annually.
Lizotte has locked in his spot at the bottom of Pittsburgh’s lineup over the last two seasons. He has racked up 10 points in 35 games this season, to go with 19 shot blocks, 32 hits, and 36 shots on goal. He’s proven to be a chippy, defense-first center often tasked with pushing the Penguins out of their own zone. Lizotte ranks second on the team in defensive-zone shift starts, beginning 82.5 percent of all shifts in his own end. Despite that, Lizotte has posted a plus-six on the year – the third-highest plus-minus on the Penguins behind Ryan Shea and Anthony Mantha. Lizotte also has a 51.4 faceoff percentage, third-best among the team’s centers behind Sidney Crosby and Noel Acciari.
His knack on defense has pushed Lizotte into a prime penalty killing role. He leads the Penguins in shorthanded ice-time per-game. He has been on the ice for six power-play goals against, half as many as top penalty-killing defenseman Parker Wotherspoon. Tenacious defense has proven the marker of Lizotte’s eight-year career in the NHL. He has managed a positive plus-minus in half of those seasons, despite a routine presence on his team’s shorthanded units.
Lizotte was signed by the Los Angeles Kings asa a college free agent in 2019. He broke into the NHL right away and earned 23 points, 20 penalty minutes, and a minus-five in his first 65 career games. That was enough to keep Lizotte at the top level through the shortened 2020-21 season, where he added 10 points and a plus-two in 41 games. He continued to improve with the Kings – netting 24 points in 2021-22 and a career-high 34 points in 2022-23. Those numbers began to falter as Lizotte faced injury and healthy scratches in the 2022-23 season. He only scored 15 points in 62 games of the contract year, prompting L.A. to leave Lizotte unqualified for the 2024 summer. The Penguins signed the depth center out of the open market and have kept his NHL streak alive ever since. Through eight years in the pros, the undrafted Lizotte has only appeared in one AHL game.
It seems that streak will continue on as Pittsburgh dedicates more money to Lizotte’s role. Having his chippy, depth presence has helped the Penguins allow the 10th-fewest goals in the NHL this season, after they ranked in the bottom-three last year. He will continue on in a hard-nosed, aggressive role behind Pittsburgh’s young stars as they adjust into the NHL.
Penguins Activate Blake Lizotte, Reassign Danton Heinen
Dec. 29th: Seth Rorabaugh of the Tribune-Review reports that Heinen has cleared waivers and has been reassigned to AHL Wilkes-Barre/Scranton.
Dec. 28th: The Penguins announced they’ve activated center Blake Lizotte from injured reserve and placed winger Danton Heinen on waivers in the corresponding move. Since Heinen’s waiver placement comes in conjunction with an IR activation, he can be designated non-roster until tomorrow while he’s on the wire to open a roster spot.
Lizotte has been listed as day-to-day with an upper-body injury for the past few weeks. He last played on Dec. 7 against the Stars, then was placed on IR two days later.
The 28-year-old was a pleasant surprise for the Pens last year after inking a two-year, $3.7MM deal in free agency. In 59 appearances, he tied his career high in goals (11) and won 51.2% of his draws while averaging 12:43 of ice time per game.
That offensive production hasn’t quite carried over into this year, but the high-energy pivot has still scored five points in 27 games while serving as part of one of the league’s better checking lines. His unit with Noel Acciari and Connor Dewar may not generate much offensively, but they’ve limited opponents to just 2.10 goals against per 60 minutes at 5-on-5.
Lizotte and Dewar also comprise Pittsburgh’s top penalty kill unit. He’s been a big part of a respectable shorthanded complement that clicks at 81.1%, 14th in the league.
Meanwhile, Heinen lands on the waiver wire for the second time this season. The veteran of 579 NHL games was a surprising cut from Penguins training camp and, as expected, cleared without incident, given his $2.25MM cap hit.
The versatile 30-year-old won’t be happy with today’s news, though. He’s been outright dominant in the AHL, rattling off 17 points in 12 games for Wilkes-Barre/Scranton. He’s gotten a few recalls throughout the year, and although he’s been a healthy scratch in three straight, he’s gotten into 13 NHL contests for Pittsburgh with a goal and an assist.
Heinen’s high cap hit remains a likely deterrent for a claim, but given his minor-league production, it stands to reason he can still be a fourth-line piece at worst on more than a few teams. With a base salary of $775K this season – most of his money was paid out via a preseason signing bonus – he wouldn’t be walking away from much if he refused to report to WBS and triggered a contract termination. That would allow him to catch on with another team down the stretch on a new deal with a lower cap impact.
Metropolitan Notes: Blue Jackets, Horvat, Miller, Lizotte
Blue Jackets defenseman Zach Werenski is listed as doubtful for tomorrow’s game against the Islanders due to a lower-body injury, per team reporter Jeff Svoboda (Twitter link). The veteran missed the final game before the break due to the injury as well. Werenski has been nothing short of dominant for Columbus this season, leading the team in scoring with 14 goals and 26 assists in 35 games while his ATOI of 26:48 is the second-highest in the NHL.
Meanwhile, it appears that the Blue Jackets could get Mathieu Olivier back on Sunday. Svoboda mentions (Twitter link) that the winger feels ready to return and is merely waiting to get clearance from team doctors. He has missed the last month due to an upper-body injury. However, the news up front isn’t all good as Aaron Portzline of The Athletic reports (Twitter link) that center Isac Lundestrom suffered what appeared to be a left leg injury during practice today. He left and did not return; no update was available after practice.
More from the Metropolitan:
- As expected, Bo Horvat will return to the lineup tonight for the Islanders, the team announced. He missed the last five games with a lower-body injury and while the initial thought was that he might miss three weeks, he’s able to beat that timeline by a few days. The 30-year-old has 19 goals and 12 assists in 32 games this season, leading the team in goals and points. Horvat remained on the active roster while out of the lineup so no corresponding moves need to be made.
- Hurricanes defenseman K’Andre Miller is listed as a game-time decision tonight against Detroit, relays team reporter Walt Ruff (Twitter link). He blocked a shot late in Tuesday’s loss to Florida and is being evaluated by team medical staff today. Miller is in his first season with Carolina and has played a big role when healthy, picking up 13 points in 29 games while averaging a career-high 22:31 per night of ice time.
- Penguins center Blake Lizotte returned to a full practice with contact today, notes Seth Rorabaugh of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review (Twitter link). He has missed the last nine games with an undisclosed injury and is a possibility to return on Sunday which would necessitate another roster move first. The 28-year-old is in a contract year but was rather quiet offensively before being injured, tallying just three goals and two assists in 27 games although he was being used in a very heavy defense-first role. If Pittsburgh falls out of the playoff race, he’s a candidate to be moved before the March 6th trade deadline.
Penguins Recall Danton Heinen, Sam Poulin; Evgeni Malkin Out Week-To-Week
9:04 a.m.: Malkin and Lizotte are destined for longer absences than the minimum ones required by IR. The team later announced both have been downgraded to week-to-week with their upper-body injuries.
8:55 a.m.: The Penguins announced they’ve again added forwards Danton Heinen and Samuel Poulin to the NHL roster, marking each player’s second recall of the season from AHL Wilkes-Barre/Scranton. They placed forwards Evgeni Malkin and Blake Lizotte on injured reserve in corresponding moves.
Heinen was one of the most surprising training camp cuts across the league. The 30-year-old is in the back half of a two-year, $4.5MM deal he signed with the Canucks as a free agent in 2024. After scoring six goals and 18 points in 51 games for Vancouver, he was sent to Pittsburgh in the deal that saw the Nucks acquire Marcus Pettersson and Drew O’Connor. Heinen was a familiar pickup for the Pens, having scored a career-high 18 goals for them in the 2021-22 season.
For his $2.25MM cap hit, he was reasonably productive down the stretch. He totaled a 3-8–11 scoring line in 28 games and was viewed as likely trade bait entering this season as the Pens looked to clear out some veterans. After all, the 2014 fourth-round pick has been an NHL fixture for years now and hadn’t seen extended time out of the lineup since spending most of 2016-17, his first professional season, in the minors.
Pittsburgh hasn’t shown a propensity to keep veterans in the lineup for the sake of doing so this season, though. With Heinen not serving as much of a fit in their long-term plans – or short-term ones, for that matter – they opted to waive him at the beginning of this season with no desirable trade options on the table. The 6’2″, 187-lb forward has proved he still has NHL talent, lighting up the scoresheet in Wilkes-Barre/Scranton for a 6-12–18 scoring line in just 12 appearances.
Heinen spent most of November on the NHL roster as a result of injuries to Noel Acciari and Justin Brazeau, both of whom were recently activated from IR. He was returned to WBS on Nov. 30 after scoring one assist in nine games. He saw 12:15 of ice time per contest, getting some occasional reps on both special teams. While his production wasn’t impressive, his two-way impacts were spectacular. Among players with at least 50 5-on-5 minutes for the Pens this year, Heinen boasts the highest share of shot attempts (58.2%), expected goals (59.7%), scoring chances (60.0%), and high-danger chances (61.1%). He managed that with a 43.8 offensive zone start percentage, 17th out of 26 skaters.
Poulin has been similarly productive in the minors. He’s the only WBS skater with more points than Heinen this season, on track for a career year with nine goals and 20 points in 21 games. The 2019 first-round pick is now 24 years old and has aged out of being a top prospect, but he’s proving he can hold down a job as solid organizational depth and be a reliable call-up. He got into two games for the Pens last month on his call-up, recording a -2 rating and six shot attempts while averaging 13:49 of ice time.
Both will be on hand to add to their games-played totals this season tonight against the Ducks as the injury bug continues to bite Pittsburgh’s forward group. Malkin already missed Sunday’s game against the Stars with an upper-body injury and remains listed as day-to-day. Before landing on IR, the future Hall-of-Fame had rattled off two goals and three assists in his last two games. The IR placement technically only rules him out of tonight’s game. Since his last appearance was on Dec. 4, he’ll be eligible to be activated ahead of Thursday’s game against the Canadiens.
Lizotte’s IR placement comes as a surprise. He played nearly 14 minutes in Sunday’s shootout loss in Dallas, recording an assist in the process. He didn’t leave the game, and it’s unclear when he got banged up. The team hasn’t assigned any injury designation other than his IR placement. He’s not eligible for reinstatement until Dec. 14, so whatever’s going on with him will cause him to miss at least three games.
Lizotte, who turns 28 on Saturday, signed a two-year, $3.7MM pact with Pittsburgh in 2024 after being non-tendered by the Kings. He tied his career-high 11 goals last season despite being limited to 59 games and has continued to be quite valuable in a fourth-line role this season. He’s managed a +1 rating despite being used almost exclusively in the defensive zone at 5-on-5 and has contributed a 3-2–5 scoring line in 27 showings. He’s averaging 13:57 of ice time per game and is the Pens’ top penalty-killing forward, likely influencing their decision to add Heinen back into the fold. With Joona Koppanen in the minors and Filip Hallander and Rickard Rakell still on IR, Heinen is ticketed for a job on Pittsburgh’s top two shorthanded units.
Penguins Listening To Trade Offers For Most 2026 UFAs
The Penguins are open to trading nearly every name on their roster entering the final season of their contract in 2025-26, aside from franchise center Evgeni Malkin, Josh Yohe of The Athletic writes Tuesday.
That list is comprised of forwards Noel Acciari, Kevin Hayes, Danton Heinen, and Blake Lizotte; defenseman Vladislav Kolyachonok; and goaltender Alex Nedeljkovic. Among that group, Acciari, Hayes, and Nedeljkovic are the ones Pittsburgh general manager Kyle Dubas would most like to extract some value from rather than hanging onto them in the final years of their deals. There is one other soon-to-be pending UFA not included above. That’s depth defenseman Ryan Shea, who signed a one-way extension for 2025-26 a few months ago and is expected to slot into a consistent third-pairing slot next season – if not higher – given the organization’s dearth of blue-liners.
It’s unsurprising news about a team labeled as the league’s only true seller entering the 2025 offseason. Moving on from the forwards listed above wouldn’t pose much of an issue for the Pens, who have more youngsters available up front who can handle internal promotions next year, whether that’s out of the gate or closer to the trade deadline. Filip Hallander, Ville Koivunen, Rutger McGroarty, and Samuel Poulin are all forwards under 25 years old who can likely handle full-time or fringe NHL duties next season after spending most of 2024-25 in the minors or in Europe.
Of the group mentioned, it appears Lizotte is the only name Dubas would consider extending to continue serving as a depth piece amid what will likely be a years-long retool if no trade materializes. While not “untouchable,” the Penguins like the above-average offense he provided in a fourth-line role this past year (11-9–20 in 59 GP) and could be open to keeping him around for another year or two.
None of those names should be expected to garner the Penguins anything more than a decent mid-round draft pick. Heinen was the best of the bunch offensively for the Pens in 2024-25, producing at a 32-point pace after being re-acquired from the Canucks in the Marcus Pettersson trade. The 29-year-old does have spotty 15-to-20-goal upside and is usually good for around 30 points, so he could be well-positioned to generate the most valuable return, speculatively as high as a late second-round pick or similarly valued prospect.
Moving on from Nedeljkovic would cause the most significant domino effect on the NHL roster, but according to Yohe, that isn’t an obstacle for a move. The team would be perfectly “content” from trading the veteran backup (or higher-priced struggling starter Tristan Jarry instead) while promoting top prospect Joel Blomqvist to a full-time NHL role in 2025-26 and letting 21-year-old Sergei Murashov take over as the minor-league starter in AHL Wilkes-Barre/Scranton.
East Notes: Bruins, Greaves, Cousins, Penguins
The Bruins are shutting down defenseman Charlie McAvoy and center Mark Kastelic for the final week of the season, relays Boston.com’s Conor Ryan (Twitter link). Interim head coach Joe Sacco indicated that both players are making progress from their respective injuries but will run out of time before the year comes to an end. McAvoy has missed the last two months with a shoulder injury sustained during the 4 Nations Face-Off; his year comes to an end with just 23 points in 50 games, the lowest point total of his eight-year NHL career. As for Kastelic, he has missed the last three weeks with an upper-body issue. He finishes with a career-best 14 points in 61 games while chipping in with 128 hits, earning him a three-year, $4.7MM extension in early January.
Elsewhere in the East:
- With Elvis Merzlikins unavailable for tonight’s must-win game against Buffalo, the Blue Jackets announced the recall of Jet Greaves from AHL Cleveland on an emergency basis. The 24-year-old has been up with Columbus several times this season, posting a 2.83 GAA and a .905 SV% in six outings heading into today’s action. He has a 2.62 GAA and a .910 SV% in 40 games with the Monsters and with Daniil Tarasov struggling, Greaves got the start against the Sabres.
- Senators winger Nick Cousins was a full participant in practice today and hasn’t been ruled out of Friday’s game against Montreal, relays Postmedia’s Bruce Garrioch. Originally expected to miss at least three months after suffering a knee injury in late January, it looks like the 31-year-old will be able to beat that by a couple of weeks at least. Ottawa will have to make a roster move in order to activate Cousins off LTIR as they don’t have the cap space to add him back to the roster otherwise. Cousins has 13 points and 80 hits in 47 games this season.
- The Penguins announced (Twitter link) that forwards Noel Acciari, Blake Lizotte, Rutger McGroarty, Matthew Nieto, and Thomas Novak are all being shut down for the final few games of the season. Those players being out provide the context for the three players Pittsburgh recalled earlier today. Of the absences, McGroarty is the most notable as he had been given a bigger role since being recalled late last month, logging over 16 minutes a night while playing on the top line as the Penguins hoped to give one of their top prospects a good look down the stretch but that look winds up being shorter than expected.
Metro Notes: Hamilton, Hurricanes, Penguins
Heading into the 2025 Stanley Cup playoffs, the New Jersey Devils will be without their top forward and defenseman. However, it may not be long before the latter returns. Earlier today, Peter Baugh of The Athletic relayed a note from the Devils’ head coach, Sheldon Keefe, indicating Dougie Hamilton could return for Round One.
Originally, Hamilton had been ruled out for the regular season in mid-March, with a projected return date of Round Two of the postseason. A week ago, TSN’s Pierre LeBrun reported that Hamilton was recovering faster than expected, with the likelihood of a Round One return increasing exponentially now that he’s returned to skating.
There’s no question the Devils could use him. Hamilton scored nine goals and 40 points in 63 games for New Jersey this season, with 15 coming on the team’s powerplay. The Devils have slowed down since Hamilton and forward Jack Hughes exited the lineup, while their projected Round One opponent, the Carolina Hurricanes, have managed a 9-4-0 record since the trade deadline, meaning New Jersey will need every advantage available.
Other notes from the Metropolitan Division:
- Speaking of Carolina, the Hurricanes are expected to welcome forwards Jordan Staal and Andrei Svechnikov back to the lineup for tonight’s contest against the Buffalo Sabres. Staal and Svechnikov had missed a handful of games for Carolina over the past week. Unfortunately, in the report from Chip Alexander of The Raleigh News & Observer, the Hurricanes are expected to be without center Jesperi Kotkaniemi for the next week. Still, Alexander did reiterate a sentiment from head coach Rod Brind’Amour indicating it’s not a serious ailment for Kotkaniemi.
- Earlier today, Seth Rorabaugh of The Tribune Review contextualized Matthew Nieto‘s emergency recall last night. Rorabaugh reports that forward Philip Tomasino has been diagnosed with a concussion, and forward Blake Lizotte is considered day-to-day with an undisclosed injury. Unfortunately, the concussion will likely result in the end of Tomasino’s 2024-25 season. Still, he’s had a promising run with the Penguins since being acquired from the Predators earlier in the year, scoring 10 goals and 20 points in 48 contests with the new organization.
Penguins Reassign Valtteri Puustinen, Activate Blake Lizotte
11/27: According to a team announcement, the Penguins have successfully reassigned Puustinen to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton and activated forward Blake Lizotte in advance of their matchup against the Vancouver Canucks tonight.
11/26: The Pittsburgh Penguins are creating additional room for their recent trade acquisition, Philip Tomasino. Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reported that the Penguins have placed Valtteri Puustinen on waivers to eventually assign him to their AHL affiliate, the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins.
It’ll be the first time Puustinen’s been on waivers after being a frequent call-up of the Penguins last season. He’s had an impressive pathway to the NHL after being the 203rd overall pick of the 2019 NHL Draft.
After being drafted, Puustinen put together an exceptional two-year stretch with HPK of the Finnish Liiga. He scored 38 goals and 81 points in 105 games from 2019 to 2021 while also suiting up in two games for Finland’s 2021 IIHF World Championship team.
He made his NHL debut the following season despite playing mostly for the AHL Penguins. Puustinen scored 20 goals and 42 points in 73 games during his rookie campaign in the AHL while tallying another three assists in six postseason contests. He improved dramatically the next year scoring 24 goals and 59 points in 72 games and became a legitimate prospect within the Penguins organization.
Puustinen saw an increased opportunity in the NHL last season. He suited up in 52 games for Pittsburgh throughout the regular season and produced respectably with five goals and 20 points overall. He posted adequate possession numbers with a 56.9% CorsiFor% at even strength and wasn’t a concern on the defensive side of the puck.
He quickly became a popular candidate for a consistent middle-six role with the Penguins this season. Unfortunately, it hasn’t gone to plan with Puustinen only mustering two points in 10 games for the Penguins to start this season.
His performance this season may disinterest clubs from giving him a roster spot during his time on the waiver wire. Still, teams that could use an offensive jolt like the Boston Bruins, Chicago Blackhawks, Nashville Predators, and New York Islanders may claim Puustinen by tomorrow if they believe they can get his offensive production back on track.