The Pittsburgh Penguins announced today that they have extended the contract of 24 year old Valtteri Puustinen for one ore year. It is a two-way contract with an AAV of $775,000. This is a prove it year for the 2019 draft pick as he hopes to make the the big club.
According to the press release:
Puustinen, 24, spent the 2022-23 season with the Wilkes Barre/Scranton Penguins of the American Hockey League recording career highs across the board with 24 goals, 35 assists and 59 points in 72 games. His 35 assists and 59 points ranked first on WBS, while his 24 goals only trailed Alex Nylander.
The 5-foot-9, 183-pound forward has played two seasons with WBS, appearing in 145 career AHL games and accumulating 101 points (44G-57A). Since making his AHL debut at the beginning of the 2021-22 season, no player on WBS has more goals (44) or points (57) than Puustinen. He also appeared in one NHL game with the Penguins during the 2021-22 season, recording one assist and was a plus-2.
Prior to his professional debut, the Kuopio, Finland native spent three seasons with HPK of Liiga, Finland’s top professional league, registering 94 points (48G-46A) in 152 games. Puustinen helped HPK win the Liiga Championship in 2019, notching five points (2G-3A) in 16 playoff games.
Pittsburgh Penguins prospect Valtteri Puustinen signs contract extension
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