After clearing waivers on Wednesday, Puustinen will report to the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins of the AHL. The 25-year-old Puustinen was the 203rd overall pick of the Penguins in the 2019 NHL Entry Draft. He scored two points (1G / 1A) in 10 games with Pittsburgh this season.
With Pittsburgh's 2023-24 season officially in the books, Puustinen has been reassigned to the AHL. The 24-year-old played 52 games with Pittsburgh this season, scoring 20 points (5G / 15A).
Jake Guentzel (upper body) was placed on Injured Reserve on Thursday which cleared up space for Valtteri Puustinen to be recalled from Wilkes-Barre/Scranton (AHL). The 24-year-old shifty winger will return to the Penguins where he thrived earlier in the season with eight points (1G/7A) in 21 appearances
Puustinen was the seventh-round pick of the Penguins in the 2019 NHL Entry Draft and has scored 111 points (49G / 62A) in 163 career games with the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins of the AHL. His call-up coincides with Joona Koppanen and Alex Nylander being reassigned to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton.
Puustinen put up 24 goals, 25 assists, 22 PIMs and a -9 plus/minus through 72 games in 2022-23 to lead the Wilkes-Barre Penguins (AHL) in points and has signed a one-year, two-way extension worth $775,000 through the 2023-24 season. The 24-year-old right-winger was Pittsburgh's seventh round pick (203 overall) in 2019 and has played in one NHL game back during the 2021-22 season with Pittsburgh.
Puustinen was a seventh-round pick in 2019 and has scored 13 goals with 14 assists (27 points) in 40 AHL games this season. The 22-year-old is in his first season in North America and could make his NHL debut on Tuesday after Evgeni Malkin was moved to the COVID-19 protocol list on Monday.
