Penguins Sign Jesse Puljujärvi

The Penguins have signed forward Jesse Puljujärvi, the team announced today. The contract will run through the 2024-25 season at an average annual value of $800 thousand.

Quite a bargain for a player taken fourth overall in the 2016 Entry Draft.

Funny, but when I learned this morning Puljujärvi had been held out of the Baby Pens’ 3-1 victory over Leigh Valley on Saturday night I thought…oh, no…he’s had a setback. Thankfully, the healthy scratch was due to Jesse’s pending promotion.

I’ve been intrigued by Puljujärvi ever since Pens GM Kyle Dubas extended a tryout offer to the hulking Swedish-born Finn back in December. Paving the way for what proved to be a very successful and productive 13-game conditioning assignment with the Baby Pens (four goals, nine points and a healthy plus-8).

After all, Jesse’s huge (6’4” 201) by black-and-gold forward standards, he’s only 25, and he’s had some success at the big-league level, tallying 51 goals in 334 NHL games. And let’s face it…you don’t get drafted fourth overall unless you’ve got some bonafides.

Needless to say, I’m really pulling for the kid to do well, both for the team and for his own personal gain. It took no small amount of courage to submit to risky resurfacing surgery on one hip, let alone both.

Speaking of risk, a ton of credit goes to Dubas for this shrewd, low-risk and potentially high-reward move. If Jesse can pot pucks at a 12-15 goal pace while being a force on the forecheck, I’d call it found money.

Roster Shuffle

Along with Puljujärvi, forward Reilly Smith and rookie rearguard John Ludvig were full participants in Sunday’s practice. On the flip side of the coin, Valtteri Puustinen has yet to be recalled from the Baby Pens.

Since he would likely be the odd-man out, it makes more sense for Puusti to receive precious ice time in Wilkes-Barre/Scranton rather than it would for him to dine on press-box nachos here.

Still, in my book the 24-year-old Finn did a really nice job…when placed in his proper role. However, recently he’d been shunted to the third line by Mike Sullivan, an assignment that doesn’t fit Puusti’s skill set. His ice time all-too-predictably waned as well.

I’ll bite my tongue and refrain from spewing any criticism about Sullivan and the way he handles kids…or the way they seem to curdle under his watch. I understand he’s looking for guys to fill certain roles. That’s why Jansen Harkins continues to dress every game.

Still, it’s awfully hard to score from the end of the bench.