The Penguins have signed forward prospect Valtteri Puustinen to a two-year entry-level contract which will begin at the start of the 2021-22 season.
According to Cap Friendly, Puustinen’s deal will carry a salary cap hit of 842,500.
A seventh-round pick (No. 203 overall), the 21-year-old Puustinen enjoyed a productive 2020-21 with HPK of the Liiga, the top-tier league in his native Finland. Appearing in 51 games, he had 41 points, including 21 goals, the eighth-best total in the league.
Capable of playing either wing, the right-handed Puustinen (5-foot-9, 183 pounds) has spent he past three seasons with HPK.
“There’s a high offensive hockey IQ that he has,” Penguins director of player personnel Scott Young said earlier this year. “He’s fast. He can shoot it. He’s got creativity in the offensive zone. Offensively, really like the upside.”
