Penguins forward Jesse Puljujarvi rejoins lineup

This time a year ago, Jesse Puljujarvi was taking the first steps toward recovering his once-promising career.

These days, he is just happy to be in the Pittsburgh Penguins lineup.

Such was the case in Tuesday’s home game against the Columbus Blue Jackets.

A healthy scratch for 17 of the past 18 games and the previous 12 contests before Tuesday, Puljujarvi returned to the ice, opening the contest on the right wing of the third line with Kevin Hayes at center and Drew O’Connor on the left wing .

“I try to skate well,” Puljujarvi said when asked what he can provide the team. “Get the good forecheck in. I try to be really strong with the puck, make good plays, good decisions and that way, help the team win.”

It was questionable if Puljujarvi would be part of the team last week after he was waived Dec. 30. But none of the NHL’s other 31 teams made a claim on Puljujarvi, who is in the final year of a contract with a frugal salary cap hit of $800,000.

After formally clearing waivers on New Year’s Eve, Puljujarvi has remained on the Penguins’ NHL roster.

“It’s been (uncertain) because you don’t know where you’re going the next day or what happens,” he said. “But I try to be a good professional hockey player and do my best off ice and on ice.”

Puljujarvi — who underwent surgery to each of his hips in June of 2024 — formally joined the Penguins’ organization, signing a professional tryout contract at the American Hockey League level with Wilkes-Barre/Scranton in January 2023. By February, he signed an NHL contract with the Pittsburgh Penguins and has been in and out of the lineup as he tries to reestablish himself in this league.

“Jesse deserves a ton of credit,” coach Mike Sullivan said. “He’s worked extremely hard to overcome that injury. That’s not an easy injury that he overcame. That’s a long process in that return to play. He deserves a lot of credit for how hard he’s worked to get himself back to the playing shape that he has. He had a terrific training camp, he had a great start to the season for us.”

But starting Nov. 27, Puljujarvi began his string of healthy scratches.

“The biggest point of contention that I’ve had with Jesse — and him and I have had this discussion — is just in the details of the game away from the puck and having a level of trust with respect to positional play and decisions and things of that nature,” Sullivan said. “It’s never from a lack of effort from Jesse. He’s a hard-working guy. He cares about his own game. He cares about winning.

“When he’s at his very best, he has the ability to make an impact on the game just using his size, his reach, his strength, his skating ability. He can be really hard to play against because of that. He does have the ability to create some offense. He can make plays and he has the ability to score.

“But the overall complete game is the element that we’re trying to work with Jesse on. When he brings that game … he’s a guy that can make a positive impact on the game.”

Compared to where he was a year ago, just being in a game is a triumph for Puljujarvi.

“It’s been an exciting year for sure,” Puljujarvi said. “Many things happen. After a big surgery, I find a way to (become) a good player again.”

Family feud

Chaz Palla | TribLive

Penguins defenseman Owen Pickering was 21st overall selection in the 2022 NHL Draft.

Penguins rookie defenseman Owen Pickering faced his cousin, Blue Jackets defenseman Denton Mateychuk, also a rookie, for the first time in their young NHL careers.

But it is hardly the first instance of the 20-year-olds being on the ice together.

“He’s from like 35 minutes away, my house,” said Pickering, a native of St. Adolphe, Manitoba, “So, we played on the same teams growing up from the time we were like 8 years old. The whole way up until 15, we played on the same team. Then we were rivals in the (Western Hockey League). They ended up knocking us out in the playoffs last year, which was pretty tough.”

Pickering served as captain of the Swift Current Broncos the past two seasons while Mateychuk wore the C for the Moose Jaw Warriors each of the previous two campaigns.

Beyond common leadership roles, they shared the same draft day, each being selected in the first round of the 2022 NHL Draft that was staged in Montreal’s Bell Centre.

“We had a ton of family there,” said Pickering, who was the 21st overall selection. “Hopeful we both went Day 1. It was a pretty packed section for our family. A pretty special day for everybody. When he went (No. 12 overall), I was pumped for him.

“As soon as I got picked, saw him backstage and just hugging it out. Pretty cool. I see him in the summer, too. We train together every day. We spend every day together. We golf together. We’re going to live together this summer. It’s a pretty cool relationship. To be able to play each other for the first time in the NHL in the first time is pretty cool.”