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Valtteri Puustinen

Minor Transactions: 4/18/25

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There will be several small roster moves today as playoff teams recall their required third goalie for practice and emergency backup purposes, and non-playoff teams conduct some end-of-season roster trimming. We’ll cover all those moves here:

  • The Blues announced they’ve recalled goaltender Will Cranley from ECHL Florida to serve as their emergency backup. St. Louis selected the 23-year-old in the sixth round of the 2020 draft. He was previously added to the Blues’ practice roster for a day during the 4 Nations break while Jordan Binnington was traveling back from the tournament. He finished his second professional season with a 2.71 GAA, .896 SV%, two shutouts, and an 11-9-3 record in 23 ECHL games. He also logged a .867 SV% in a pair of appearances for AHL Springfield, the first of his career.
  • The Stars added defensemen Lian Bichsel and Alexander Petrovic back to the active roster after reassigning them to AHL Texas yesterday for cap purposes. They needed the space to activate Tyler Seguin from long-term injured reserve for the final game of the regular season. They’re expected to serve as the third pairing in Game 1 of the first round against the Avalanche tomorrow, per Sam Nestler of DLLS Sports. It’ll be the postseason debut for Bichsel, Dallas’ first-round draft choice in 2022. They also recalled goaltender Ben Kraws from ECHL Idaho as their EBUG. An undrafted free agent signing out of St. Lawrence last year, the 24-year-old impressed with a 2.88 GAA, .910 SV%, five shutouts, and a 23-12-5 record in 40 games for Idaho. He also posted a 3.01 GAA and .889 SV% in three appearances for AHL Texas, logging a 2-1-0 record.
  • Serving as the Avalanche’s EBUG will be Kevin Mandolese, the team announced. The 24-year-old has spent the year as Trent Miner’s backup with AHL Colorado after being acquired from the Senators over the offseason. He has a 2.87 GAA, .903 SV%, 11-6-0 record, and one shutout in 19 games.
  • Since the Wild’s AHL affiliate is one of the few to miss the cut for the Calder Cup Playoffs, they’re going with a higher-profile option for their EBUG. Top prospect Jesper Wallstedt will fill the role for them, according to a club announcement. The 2021 first-rounder is expected to succeed the retiring Marc-André Fleury as Filip Gustavsson’s backup next season, but is coming off a disastrous injury-plagued campaign with Iowa. He finished the year with a 3.59 GAA, .879 SV%, one shutout, and a 9-14-4 record in 27 showings.
  • The Panthers summoned Evan Cormier from ECHL Savannah to be their EBUG, per George Richards of Florida Hockey Now. The 27-year-old struggled with a 3.38 GAA, .887 SV%, one shutout, and a 17-13-4 record in 36 showings in 2024-25. He filled the same duties for the Cats in the first half of last year’s playoff run, signing a two-way deal at the trade deadline for the second season in a row.
  • The Penguins returned forwards Ville Koivunen, Joona Koppanen, Vasiliy Ponomarev, Samuel Poulin, Valtteri Puustinen, and defenseman Filip Král to AHL Wilkes-Barre/Scranton after their late-season call-ups. They’ll aid the Baby Pens as they aim to capture a Calder Cup. Not joining them is top prospect Rutger McGroarty, who sustained a lower-body injury last week and isn’t yet ready to return.
  • The Flames assigned forward Sam Morton and defenseman Hunter Brzustewicz to AHL Calgary after they made their NHL debuts in last night’s regular-season finale. Morton scored his first NHL goal in the outing, while Brzustewicz impressed with a plus-two rating. They’ll join the Wranglers for the postseason.
  • The Toronto Maple Leafs have recalled enforcer Ryan Reaves from the minor leagues. Reaves recently played in his first AHL games since the 2010-11 season. He recorded one goal and, surprisingly, no penalty minutes in three games of play. The 38-year-old also recorded two assists and 28 penalty minutes in 35 NHL games this season. He’ll provide a boost of muscle to the Leafs lineup as they head towards a First Round matchup against the Ottawa Senators.
  • Defenseman Emil Andrae has been reassigned to the minor leagues after holding down a routine role on the Philadelphia Flyers lineup since early March. Andrae split his time between the major and minor rosters this season, with seven points in 42 NHL games and 16 points in 25 AHL games. He was primarily a minor-leaguer last season and managed a stout 32 points, 66 penalty minutes, and minus-10 in 61 games. With the Flyers season over, Andrae will look to again support the Lehigh Valley Phantoms in a late-season push.
  • The Edmonton Oilers have recalled depth forward Derek Ryan from the minor leagues. Ryan split time between the NHL and AHL this year, with one goal and six points in 36 games in the Oilers lineup. He also managed eight points in 13 AHL games. Ryan has played in the Stanley Cup Playoffs on five different occasions, racking up 10 points in 60 games. That includes appearing in 19 games of Edmonton’s run to the Stanley Cup Finals last season. Ryan contributed one assist to the effort. He’ll now be returned to the NHL roster to support another long run.
  • The Rochester Americans are getting a wave of strong recruits, as the Buffalo Sabres have reassigned each of Jiri Kulich, Tyson Kozak, Noah Ostlund, and Isak Rosen back to the minor leagues. Rosen leads Rochester in scoring this season with 28 goals and 55 points in 60 games. Ostlund has 36 points in 44 games, while Kozak has 14 points in 31 games. Kulich has been the only of the bunch to spend the bulk of the season in the NHL. He carved out a top-six role through points of the season. Kulich finished what was his rookie NHL season with 15 goals and 24 points in 62 games.

This page will be updated throughout the day.

Penguins Recall Emil Bemström, Vasiliy Ponomarev, Valtteri Puustinen

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The Penguins announced today they’ve recalled forwards Emil Bemström, Vasiliy Ponomarev, and Valtteri Puustinen from AHL Wilkes-Barre/Scranton on an emergency basis. Their roster size now stands at 28 ahead of tomorrow’s game against the Devils, including a remarkable 19 forwards.

Recalling three players indicates they’re dealing with more new injuries on offense than just rookie Rutger McGroarty, who did not return to Tuesday’s win over the Penguins after blocking a shot with his left foot in the second period. He was in a walking boot postgame, per Matt Vensel of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. The team has yet to update his status, but Vensel adds that McGroarty is absent from today’s practice. Veteran winger Matthew Nieto was also not practicing today after being promoted from WBS on an emergency basis Tuesday and suiting up against the Blackhawks. It’s unclear if he sustained an injury in the win or was returned to the minors in a corresponding transaction.

Injuries are taking a significant toll on the Penguins, who are mathematically eliminated from playoff contention, in the season’s final weeks. In addition to McGroarty and Nieto, they’re also without Bokondji Imama (biceps surgery, out for the season), Blake Lizotte (lower body, day-to-day), Thomas Novak (lower body, indefinite), and Philip Tomasino (concussion, day-to-day).

Up comes reinforcements from the Baby Pens, who have already clinched their place in the Calder Cup Playoffs. The 25-year-old Bemström has been a key part of their success, checking in as the only WBS player with over a point per game (21-25–46 in 45 GP). His availability has been limited due to a few late-season NHL call-ups, resulting in him posting one assist in 13 games for Pittsburgh since making his season debut in February.

The former Blue Jacket continues to serve as a dominant minor-league force without being able to force his way into a consistent NHL role. While he posted 10 goals and 20 points in only 56 games for his rookie season in Columbus back in 2019-20, his offense has been spotty since – especially since Pittsburgh acquired him last season. He’s posted just 3-3–6 in 37 NHL appearances since the swap.

Ponomarev, 23, was a key piece of the return from the Hurricanes when Carolina acquired Jake Guentzel at last year’s trade deadline (along with Ville Koivunen, who has three assists in his first five NHL games since being called up late last month). He’s appeared in four games for Pittsburgh this year across a pair of call-ups in November and February but has yet to record a point while averaging 9:13 per game. His lone career goal and assist came during his NHL debut with the Hurricanes in January 2024. The Russian pivot ranks fourth on WBS in scoring, posting 15-25–40 in 54 games with a plus-six rating.

Puustinen splits the difference between Bemström and Ponomarev in terms of big-league experience. The 25-year-old frequently participated in NHL matchups for the Penguins last year, recording 5-15–20 in 52 games in a primarily bottom-six role. However, he’s not commanded the same deployment this year and has spent most of the campaign in the minors. He has a goal and an assist in 10 showings, all of which came in the season’s first two months. He’s done well in Wilkes-Barre, posting 16-19–35 in 47 games, but he’s undoubtedly disappointed not to see more NHL minutes after signing a two-year, one-way extension worth $1.55MM last May.

Penguins Reassign Valtteri Puustinen, Activate Blake Lizotte

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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.

Metropolitan Notes: Jarvis, Fehervary, Puustinen

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Hurricanes winger Seth Jarvis remains unsigned, a situation that several key forwards coming off their entry-level deals currently find themselves in.  Despite that, Luke DeCock of the Raleigh News & Observer suggests that the likelier outcome remains that a long-term agreement will get done instead of the sides pivoting to a short-term bridge agreement.  A long-term pact for the 22-year-old should fall between the $7MM and $8MM per season range.  DeCock notes that Andrei Svechnikov’s $7.75MM contract could be viewed as the ceiling for a player signing long-term coming off his entry-level agreement which could be part of the reason it’s not done yet if Jarvis’ camp is seeking more than that.  Jarvis had a career-best 33 goals and 34 assists in 81 games last season (ranking second on the team in points) while adding nine points in their 11 playoff contests.

More from the Metropolitan:

  • Capitals defenseman Martin Fehervary has been named to Slovakia’s roster for the upcoming Olympic Qualifying Tournament but he might not be able to suit up after all. The 24-year-old indicated to NHL.com’s Nick Cotsonika (Twitter link) that he’s dealing with a minor injury and that while he’d like to play in the tournament which begins in less than a week, he and the team are in agreement that if he’s not fully healthy by the start, he shouldn’t play.  Fehervary had 16 points in 66 games for Washington last season while picking up 188 hits and 109 blocked shots in 19:38 per night and projects to have a big role on their back again once again in 2024-25.
  • With the Penguins adding some extra forward depth over the summer, Matt Vensel of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette suggests that winger Valtteri Puustinen is no lock to make Pittsburgh’s roster in training camp. The 25-year-old became an NHL regular in December and picked up 20 points in 52 games after that, a respectable point total considering he averaged less than 12 minutes a game.  Signed for two years at the league minimum, Puustinen could be an intriguing potential waiver claim should he not break camp with Pittsburgh.

Penguins Sign Valtteri Puustinen To Two-Year Extension

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The Penguins have signed winger Valtteri Puustinen to a two-year contract extension, general manager Kyle Dubas announced Friday. It’s a one-way deal carrying the league minimum base salary of $775K each season, indicating the team intends on him making the opening night roster next season.

Puustinen, 25 next month, encroached on NHL regular territory for the first time this season. The 2019 seventh-round pick of the Pens spent most of the season on the NHL roster, signed to a two-way deal ($775K/$385K) after spending all of 2022-23 with AHL Wilkes-Barre/Scranton.

He proved himself as one of Pittsburgh’s better depth point producers among a bottom six that otherwise struggled to score. Making 52 of his 53 career NHL appearances, Puustinen notched five goals and 15 assists for 20 points. Despite averaging less than 12 minutes per game, his 0.38 points per game ranked eighth among Penguins forwards, excluding Jake Guentzel, who was dealt to the Hurricanes at the trade deadline.

The 5’9″ Finn was waiver-exempt this season, but that designation will lapse on July 1. In the unlikely event that Puustinen doesn’t crack Pittsburgh’s opening night roster in October, they’ll need to expose him to waivers to assign him to the AHL. Signing him to a one-way contract with a bit of term slightly lowers the probability that he’d be claimed, but a league minimum cap hit still makes him an attractive target for other teams looking for depth scoring.

Despite his age, Puustinen was a pending Group Six unrestricted free agent because he’d logged fewer than 80 NHL games while playing three or more professional seasons. The Penguins would not have controlled his signing rights if they had not agreed on an extension before July 1.

Notably, Puustinen also had above-average possession metrics this season, with a 52.3 CF% and 52.7 xGF% at even strength, per Hockey Reference. If he can again comfortably tackle bottom-six minutes next season, this is a tidy bit of work from Dubas to lock in some extremely cheap depth scoring for the next two years.

Puustinen will be a true unrestricted free agent when his new deal expires in 2026. The Penguins now have 32 of a maximum 50 standard player contracts signed for next season.

Team Finland Announces Final 2024 World Championship Roster

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Team Finland has finalized their roster for the 2024 IIHF World Championship, with the additions of Jesse Puljujarvi and Valtteri Puustinen bringing the lineup to a full 23 skaters and three goalies. The lineup isn’t too deep with NHL talent, though it does feature top 2024 NHL Draft prospect Konsta Helenius, who joined the Men’s squad after posting seven points, all assists, in five games at the World U18 Championship. Helenius will have a chance to learn from San Jose Sharks centerman Mikael Granlund – who plays a similar pass-first, high-tempo style. Finland will hope the duo can click, with the support of NHL wingers, as they chase their third gold medal over the last five World Championships.

The full roster is as follows:

F Hannes Björninen (Örebro, SHL)
F Mikael Granlund (Sharks, NHL)
F Konsta Helenius (Jukurit, Liiga)
F Arttu Hyry (Kärpät, Liiga)
F Jere Innala (Frölunda, SHL)
F Juha Jääskä (HIFK, Liiga)
F Pekka Jormakka (Jukurit, Liiga)
F Oliver Kapanen (KalPa, Liiga, Canadiens)
F Saku Mäenalanen (SCL, National League)
F Ahti Oksanen (Oskarshamn, SHL)
F Iiro Pakarinen (HIFK, Liiga)
F Patrik Puistola (Jukurit, Liiga)
F Jesse Puljujarvi (Penguins, NHL)
F Valtteri Puustinen (Penguins, NHL)

D Oliwer Kaski (HV71, SHL)
D Mikko Lehtonen (ZSC, National League)
D Olli Määttä (Red Wings, NHL)
D Jesper Mattila (KalPa, Liiga)
D Juuso Riikola (SCL, National League)
D Rasmus Rissanen (Örebro, SHL)
D Vili Saarijärvi (SCL, National League)
D Veli-Matti Vittasmäki (Tappara, Liiga)

G Emil Larmi (Växjö, SHL)
G Lassi Lehtinen (MoDo, SHL)
G Harri Säteri (Biel, National League)

The World Championship is set to kick off in Ostrava and Prague, Czechia beginning on May 10. Finland will once again be commanded by head coach Jukka Jalonen set to coach in his 10th World Championship. Jalonen has also manned the Finnish bench at the World Juniors and served as a coach in the KHL and Liiga. He now works with Finland’s Men’s team full-time, building out this year’s roster with general manager Jere Lehtinen. Lehtinen, an 875-game veteran of the NHL and former Stanley Cup winner, has served as the GM for Finland’s men’s team for the last nine seasons.

Penguins Place Ryan Shea On Waivers, Assign Three

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April 19: Shea has cleared waivers and can head to AHL Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, per CapFriendly.

April 18: The Pittsburgh Penguins have placed defenseman Ryan Shea on waivers (Twitter link). It’s his second time on waivers this season, after passing through unclaimed in December. The Penguins also assigned Valtteri Puustinen, Radim Zohorna, and Jack St. Ivany to the minor leagues (Twitter link).

Shea has served as one of many rotating through Pittsburgh’s seventh defenseman role, ultimately slotting into 31 games. He recorded just one point – an April 4th goal – in those appearances this season, though he did manage six points in 22 AHL games.

Shea made his NHL debut earlier this year, joining the Penguins as an unrestricted free agent last summer. It was the first move of Shea’s young career, after spending his first three pro seasons with the AHL’s Texas Stars. Shea was originally drafted in the fourth round of the 2015 NHL Draft by the Chicago Blackhawks but went on to sign with the Dallas Stars after going unsigned by the Blackhawks. He managed 66 points in 163 games with the Texas Stars.

These assignments come after the Penguins’ 2023-24 season ended with no playoff berth. Shea will, if he clears waivers, join the trio of assignees as reinforcements to the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins, who are bound for a strong playoff spot of their own, currently ranked third in the AHL’s Atlantic Division.

Penguins Likely To Move Alex Nedeljkovic, Make Several Roster Moves

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The Penguins moved out Jake Guentzel last night and it appears he won’t be the only rental on the move.  Rob Rossi of The Athletic reports (subscription link) that they’re likely to move goaltender Alex Nedeljkovic before the 2 PM CT deadline.

Nedeljkovic spent most of last year in the minors but has been a full-timer with Pittsburgh this season, faring relatively well in the backup role.  Through 21 games so far this season, the 28-year-old has a 2.87 GAA and a .908 SV%, his best numbers since his rookie campaign back in 2020-21.

While the goalie market has had a few big names in there, talk of some of those names moving has started to die off.  Instead, the goalies that move might be short-term rentals and Nedeljkovic on an expiring $1.5MM contract fits right into that category.  There are playoff-bound teams that could use an upgrade at the backup goalie position and he would fit the bill so GM Kyle Dubas should be able to find a suitable return for his services.

While not consequential after the 23-player roster limit that was lifted this morning, they also cleared a roster spot by placing winger Jansen Harkins on injured reserve, per CapFriendly. The 26-year-old winger has just four points in 43 games this season and did not return to last night’s game against the Capitals after a fight.

Meanwhile, CapFriendly reports (Twitter link) that forwards Valtteri Puustinen, Joona Koppanen, and Jonathan Gruden were all assigned to AHL Wilkes-Barre/Scranton.  Those moves were needed to get them back into salary cap compliance after losing Guentzel’s LTIR buffer in the swap yesterday.  Puustinen has played in 31 games with Pittsburgh so far this season, notching 13 points and seems like a likely candidate to be recalled after the trade deadline if they have cap room.  Gruden, meanwhile, has a goal in nine NHL appearances while Koppanen has been held off the scoresheet in his four contests.

Penguins Place Jake Guentzel On Injured Reserve, Recall Three

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In an announcement coming from the Pittsburgh Penguins, the team has placed forward Jake Guentzel on injured reserve while recalling Jonathan Gruden, Vinnie Hinostroza, and Valtteri Puustinen from their AHL affiliate, the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins. In a subsequent announcement, Chris Johnston of TSN reports that Guentzel is expected to be out for around a month, putting his trade deadline candidacy into question.

Ultimately, Guentzel’s injury status will likely not steer any teams away from acquiring his services by March 8th, given that his playoff track record has been so strong since he first entered the league. As a team already on the bubble of the 2024 Stanley Cup playoff race, the absence of Guentzel will almost certainly hurt Pittsburgh’s playoff hopes.

If the Penguins wait until March 8th to trade Guentzel, the acquiring team will only be missing Guentzel for about a week, unless there is an unexpected setback with his current injury. Because he may only miss a few games on a new team, Guentzel’s price tag likely won’t drop by the time the trade deadline rolls around.

In regards to the trio of players recalled in this transaction, Gruden and Hinostroza have both been in the AHL for a month or more. Of the three, Puustinen has been the most successful playing in Pittsburgh this season, scoring one goal and eight points in 21 games serving in a depth role.

Penguins Notes: Puustinen, Ludvig, Shea

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The Pittsburgh Penguins have assigned forward Valtteri Puustinen to their AHL affiliate the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins. Puustinen began his NHL recall on a tear in December with a goal and five assists in his first eight games. However, since his early surge he has posted just two assists in his last 13 NHL games.

Puustinen’s skill set is much better suited to play in the team’s top six and he posted very good numbers while playing alongside center Evgeni Malkin. However, once top six wingers Bryan Rust and Rickard Rakell returned from injury it bumped Puustinen to the third line where he hasn’t been able to produce much in the way of offense.

Puustinen’s move to the AHL is likely a paper move but it will also afford him the opportunity to play in a scoring role once again and maybe re-capture some of the confidence he displayed early in December.

In other Penguins notes:

  • The Penguins also announced that they’ve sent defenseman John Ludvig to the AHL on a conditioning loan. The 22-year-old has been working his way back from an upper-body injury in recent weeks and has been on the injured reserve. Yesterday Ludvig began practicing in a regular contact jersey but didn’t dress in last night’s game. With the Penguins on a break until February 6th Ludvig will have a chance to practice regularly with Wilkes-Barre/Scranton and get into game action if he is healthy enough.
  • The Penguins also assigned defenseman Ryan Shea to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton of the AHL. Shea had been on recall since January 17th but did not dress during the recall as he served as the team’s seventh defenseman. Shea has dressed in 22 NHL games for the Penguins this season but is unlikely to be the team’s first defensive recall after the break as Ludvig is most likely destined to occupy that spot should he be healthy by February 6th.

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