Valtteri Puustinen admitted that things were a "little hard" for him after learning that the Penguins were sending him down to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton back in November.
"I want to stay here," he told me after the Penguins' morning skate this morning here in New Jersey. "My dream and focus is to play here."
Puustinen only had 10 games in the NHL this season prior to the re-assignment, picking up just a goal and an assist. He flourished in the AHL over the last few months, racking up 35 points (16 goals, 19 assists) in 47 games. And after the Penguins were hit hard by injury at forward over the last week, Puustinen was rewarded with another shot back up in the NHL. And while the Penguins only have three games left this season, he's hoping to take advantage of this opportunity and put himself in a good spot heading into next season.
"I had a good feeling the last maybe, 30 games there," Puustinen said. "I'm ready to play here. It's a really good feeling, I'm so excited for tonight. I'm ready for the game to start."
Puustinen's biggest problem in the NHL this season (and really in his time last season, too) was not shooting the puck. He'd often defer, not taking advantage of one of his own biggest strengths in his shot. He had just six shots in his 10 games.
In Wilkes-Barre, Puustinen was thrust back into a top-six role, skating on the right side of the top line immediately before his recall. He found his shot again, averaging over two shots on goal over the course of his 47 AHL games, but especially as of late. In his last 10 AHL games, he averaged exactly three shots per game. He just found his confidence again at that level, and it helped his game.
"It helped me," he said. "I just want to play, I don't want to watch the games. It was better to play there if I can play more ice time and more power play. I think I am now ready."
Puustinen skated on the third line in Thursday's practice, alongside Connor Dewar and Kevin Hayes. He also worked with the second power play unit, taking turns at the left circle -- his "office" at the AHL level.
Mike Sullivan said that they're trying to put these players in positions where they can play their roles and find success, and for Puustinen, a key element of that can be the power play. But as he looks to bring offense, he's got to still be responsible.
"Puusty is a guy who might be able to help us on the power play," Sullivan told me. "He's got decent offensive instincts. He thinks the game pretty well. We want him to bring that element. Having said that, we don't want him to turn into a high-risk player, because he's trying to generate offense. We just want him to play the right way when there are plays to be made. He has the ability to create offense different ways."
Puustinen is already signed through next season, still on a contract worth the league-minimum $775,000. He's still relatively young, too, at 25. The Penguins have a number of young forwards working their way up through the system and pushing for spots, and the door is still open for Puustinen to make that full-time jump to the AHL roster. How he plays over these next three games could go a long way toward Puustinen's chances going into next season.
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THE ASYLUM
Taylor Haase
5:49 pm - 04.11.2025Newark, N.J.Puustinen 'so excited for tonight'
Valtteri Puustinen admitted that things were a "little hard" for him after learning that the Penguins were sending him down to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton back in November.
"I want to stay here," he told me after the Penguins' morning skate this morning here in New Jersey. "My dream and focus is to play here."
Puustinen only had 10 games in the NHL this season prior to the re-assignment, picking up just a goal and an assist. He flourished in the AHL over the last few months, racking up 35 points (16 goals, 19 assists) in 47 games. And after the Penguins were hit hard by injury at forward over the last week, Puustinen was rewarded with another shot back up in the NHL. And while the Penguins only have three games left this season, he's hoping to take advantage of this opportunity and put himself in a good spot heading into next season.
"I had a good feeling the last maybe, 30 games there," Puustinen said. "I'm ready to play here. It's a really good feeling, I'm so excited for tonight. I'm ready for the game to start."
Puustinen's biggest problem in the NHL this season (and really in his time last season, too) was not shooting the puck. He'd often defer, not taking advantage of one of his own biggest strengths in his shot. He had just six shots in his 10 games.
In Wilkes-Barre, Puustinen was thrust back into a top-six role, skating on the right side of the top line immediately before his recall. He found his shot again, averaging over two shots on goal over the course of his 47 AHL games, but especially as of late. In his last 10 AHL games, he averaged exactly three shots per game. He just found his confidence again at that level, and it helped his game.
"It helped me," he said. "I just want to play, I don't want to watch the games. It was better to play there if I can play more ice time and more power play. I think I am now ready."
Puustinen skated on the third line in Thursday's practice, alongside Connor Dewar and Kevin Hayes. He also worked with the second power play unit, taking turns at the left circle -- his "office" at the AHL level.
Mike Sullivan said that they're trying to put these players in positions where they can play their roles and find success, and for Puustinen, a key element of that can be the power play. But as he looks to bring offense, he's got to still be responsible.
"Puusty is a guy who might be able to help us on the power play," Sullivan told me. "He's got decent offensive instincts. He thinks the game pretty well. We want him to bring that element. Having said that, we don't want him to turn into a high-risk player, because he's trying to generate offense. We just want him to play the right way when there are plays to be made. He has the ability to create offense different ways."
Puustinen is already signed through next season, still on a contract worth the league-minimum $775,000. He's still relatively young, too, at 25. The Penguins have a number of young forwards working their way up through the system and pushing for spots, and the door is still open for Puustinen to make that full-time jump to the AHL roster. How he plays over these next three games could go a long way toward Puustinen's chances going into next season.
Want to participate in our comments?
Want an ad-free experience?
Become a member, and enjoy premium benefits! Make your voice heard on the Steelers, Penguins and Pirates, and hear right back from tens of thousands of fellow Pittsburgh sports fans worldwide! Plus, access all our premium content, including Dejan Kovacevic columns, Friday Insider, daily Live Qs with the staff, more! And yeah, that's right, no ads at all!
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