Rick Osentoski-USA TODAY Sports
The Detroit Red Wings officially announced a one-year deal worth $735,000 with forward Teemu Pulkkinen on Tuesday. The deal might not seem like much, but the biggest takeaway from the agreement is that it cements that Pulkkinen will be on the NHL roster to start the season.
Pulkkinen is known for his right-handed slapshot, which helped him to the AHL scoring title with 34 goals last season with the Grand Rapids Griffins. The fact that Pulkkinen played 31 games at the NHL level and still managed to lead the AHL in goals just adds to the impressive accomplishment.
The one-year deal with the 23-year-old sniper is the best-case scenario for the Red Wings for multiple reasons. They sign a young forward who adds immediate firepower to the bottom six rotation, they keep the term of the contract to a one-year trial at the NHL level to allow the player to prove himself on the big stage and the salary cap hit of the contract is minimal.
Pulkkinen projects to be a fourth-line winger, but he will have to improve his defensive zone skills if he is going to become a mainstay at the NHL level. At 5-foot-10 and 185 pounds, he won’t be counted on as a physical presence, but his right-handed slapshot will give him an opportunity on the second power-play unit at the next level.
I expect Pulkkinen to be a double-digit goal scorer in the upcoming season. He has all the offensive skills to help elevate the scoring ability of a fourth-line that often includes defensive-minded players like Drew Miller and Luke Glendening. If Pulkkinen can prove himself as a plus-player on his own end of the ice, his one-year deal will be quite the bargain for general manager Ken Holland and company.
Josh VanDyke covers the Detroit Red Wings for RantSports. Follow him on Twitter.
