Penguins A to Z: Next season might be Valtteri Puustinen's last chance

With the Pittsburgh Penguins entering the offseason for a third consecutive year without a playoff appearance, TribLive will offer Penguins A to Z, a player-by-player look at all 58 individuals signed to an NHL contract — including those whose deals do not begin until future seasons — with the organization.

Starting with Noel Acciari and going on through to Philip Tomasino (regrettably, there is no Z on the payroll), every player will be profiled in alphabetical order.

This series is scheduled to be published Mondays through Saturdays leading up until June 26, a day before the start of the NHL Draft. In the event of a transaction, that schedule will be altered as necessary.

(Note: All contract information courtesy of Puckpedia.)

Valtteri Puustinen

Position: Right winger

Shoots: Left

Age: 26

Height: 5-foot-10

Weight: 182 pounds

2024-25 NHL statistics: 13 games, three points (two goals, one assist), 9:54 of average ice time per contest

2024-25 AHL regular season statistics: 48 games, 35 points (16 goals, 19 assists)

2024-25 AHL postseason statistics: Two games, zero points (zero goals, zero assists)

Contract: In the first year of a two-year contract with a salary cap hit of $775,000. Pending unrestricted free agent in 2026.

Acquired: Seventh-round (No. 203 overall) draft pick, June 22, 2019

This season: After doing quite a bit to prove he was ready to be a full-time NHLer in 2023-24, Valtteri Puustinen entered 2024-25 with a wonderful opportunity to further validate that postulate.

Due partially to needing to go through waivers in order to be sent to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, Puustinen started the regular season on the NHL roster but was a healthy scratch for eight of the team’s first nine games.

With top-six right winger Bryan Rust hobbled due to an undisclosed injury, Puustinen got into the lineup on a regular basis by late October. And he showed off some scoring acumen during a 5-3 home loss to the Minnesota Wild on Oct. 29.

Power play goal for Pittsburgh!

Scored by Valtteri Puustinen with 08:24 remaining in the 1st period.

Assisted by Matt Grzelcyk and Sidney Crosby.

Pittsburgh: 1
Minnesota: 0#MINvsPIT #LetsGoPens #mnwild pic.twitter.com/VKG99nwhO5

— NHL Goals (@nhl_goal_bot) October 29, 2024

Puustinen was unable to maintain any traction offensively and was a healthy scratch again by Nov. 16. After clearing waivers Nov. 27, Puustinen was assigned to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton and remained with that team for the better part of four-plus months.

A two-time 20-goal scorer in the American Hockey League, Puustinen largely resumed that scoring pace at that level while seeing time on both wings and the top three lines.

The feed from Bo, the finish from Puusty *chef’s kiss* pic.twitter.com/QlkKMYUscb

— Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins (@WBSPenguins) March 2, 2025

When trades and injuries depleted the NHL lineup, Puustinen was recalled on April 10 and generated a goal over the team’s final three games of the season.

Power play goal for Pittsburgh!

Scored by Valtteri Puustinen with 18:55 remaining in the 2nd period.

Assisted by Evgeni Malkin and Matt Grzelcyk.

New Jersey: 2
Pittsburgh: 2#PITvsNJD #NJDevils #LetsGoPens pic.twitter.com/RS7Q9OwMNf

— NHL Goals (@nhl_goal_bot) April 12, 2025

Sent back to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton on April 18, Puustinen skated in both of the squad’s postseason games and did not generate a point.

The future: With a new coaching staff and a new franchise-wide focus on developing younger talent for the benefit of the long-term future, Puustinen might be in a better position to stake a more permanent role as an NHLer moving forward.

That said, Puustinen has had plenty of opportunity under current management to make that case and all he has to show for it is 65 NHL games over the past two seasons, including only 13 in 2024-25.

The skill is there as evidenced by the production he has enjoyed in the AHL. It just has never translated to the NHL level on a consistent basis.

Puustinen is entering the final year of his contract while the organization is starting to develop legitimate prospects on the wing who are only getting closer to the NHL.

Next season may be his last chance with the Penguins.