The Detroit Red Wings have signed Teemu Pulkkinen to a one-year contract worth $812,500 for the 2016-17 season, per General Fanager. The 24-year-old right winger has been very impressive at the AHL level to this point in his career, but he’s been limited in the NHL so far. Pulkkinen played in just 36 games with Detroit last season due to injury, but he managed to put up six goals and 12 points in that time.
UPDATE: The Detroit #RedWings today re-signed RW Teemu Pokémon to a one-year contract: https://t.co/5krS3tHNqa pic.twitter.com/E5EKDGWbon
— Detroit Red Wings (@DetroitRedWings) July 13, 2016
Pulkkinen was originally drafted by the Red Wings in the 4th round of the 2010 NHL Entry Draft, and he’s shown that he has the potential to be a mid-round steal. Pulkkinen’s AHL totals have been among the best in the league over the last two seasons. The Finnish-winger scored 31 goals and 59 points in 71 games, followed by 34 goals and 27 assists for 61 points in 46 games in the last two seasons respectively.
With the Detroit Red Wings recently losing Pavel Datsyuk to the KHL, they will certainly need some of their youth to step up and produce offensively. Pulkkinen has as good a chance as anybody on the Detroit roster to immediately step right in and take a bigger role on the roster. While Pulkkinen’s play through 70 NHL games still leaves a lot to be determined, there’s no questioning the potential that he has.