Penguins Prospect Watch: Valtteri Puustinen returns from quarantine

While the NHL and many leagues in North America are in the the midst of their offseasons because of the coronavirus pandemic, several leagues in Europe and the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League have already opened play for the 2020-21 season.

Fifteen of the Penguins’ prospects or minor leaguers are currently playing, primarily in Europe. Here is a weekly look at their progress:

• After being quarantined for the better part of three weeks, forward Valtteri Puustinen returned to the lineup for HPK in Finland’s Liiga on Friday in a 7-2 road win against Pelicans and scored two goals, including a nifty one-timer at 43 minutes, 36 seconds in the third period.

A seventh-round pick in 2019 (No. 203), Puustinen, 21 , followed that up on Saturday with an assist in a 7-2 home loss to Pelicans. Puustinen had been under quarantine after two unidentified members of HPK had been exposed to family members who tested positive for the coronavirus.

• Goaltender Emil Larmi has yet to suit up for HPK after being loaned to that club on Thursday. An undrafted free agent who is entering the second-year of a two-year entry-level contract, Larmi must go through quarantine protocol before he can play in his native Finland.

• Forward Kasper Bjorkqvist had his season-opening scoring streak snapped at six games after he failed to record a point during a 4-1 home win with KooKoo against Jukurit on Saturday. He did pick up a goal and an assist, however, in a 4-1 road win against Jukurit on Friday.

A second-round pick in 2016, Bjorkqvist, 23, is tied for 10th in the Liiga’s scoring race with eight points (four goals, four assists) in seven games.

• According to Finnish newspaper Etela-Suomen Sanomat, defenseman Niclas Almari is expected to be sidelined for six to eight weeks because of an undisclosed ailment. A sixth-round pick in 2016 (No. 151 overall), Almari 22, has appeared in three games for Pelicans and has no points. He is entering the second year of a three-year entry-level contract with the Penguins.

• Forward Jan Drozg had a productive pair of games for Ljubljana Olimpija HK, a team based in his native Slovenia which operates in the multi-nation Alps Hockey League. During an 8-3 home win against Steel Wings Linz on Thursday, Drozg had two goals, including the game-winning score, and an assist. He followed that up with two assists during a 6-3 road victory against HC Gherdeina.

• Defenseman Jesper Lindgren leads MODO of Sweden’s HockeyAllsvenksen league in scoring with five points (all assists) in seven games. He recorded two assists in a 6-1 road win against Vita Hasten on Friday.

• Elsewhere in the HockeyAllsvensken, goaltender Calle Clang made 36 saves on 37 shots for Kristanstands IK in a 2-1 overtime win against Mora IK on Tuesday. Clang, 18, was the Penguins’ third-round pick (N0. 77 overall) in this year’s draft.

• Goaltender Joel Blomqvist made 25 saves on 27 shots for Hermes in Finland’s Mestis league during a 3-2 shootout win against RoKi on Friday. Blomqvist, 18, was the Penguins’ second-round pick in this year’s draft (No. 52 overall).

• Also with Hermes, defenseman Antti Palojarvi recorded his first point of the season with that team, picking up an assist in a 5-4 road win against RoKi on Friday. Palojarvi, 21, was a sixth-round pick (No. 186) in the 2017 draft.

• Defenseman Cam Lee signed with HC Slovan Bratislava in the Slovak Extraliga on Wednesday. He is scheduled to make his debut for that team Sunday against HC Nove Zamky. Lee, 23, joined the Penguins as an undrafted free agent, signing a two-year entry-level contract in March.

• Forwards Sam Poulin (Sherbrooke Phoenix) and Nathan Legare (Baie-Comeau Drakkar), each 19, remain sidelined until Oct. 28 at the earliest as the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League has suspended play in its two Quebec-based divisions as a precaution because of the coronavirus. Poulin (first-round, No. 21 overall) and Legare (third round, No. 74 overall) were each drafted in 2019.

• Forward Radim Zohorna (BK Mlada Boleslav) remains sidelined as the Czech Republic’s ELH league, as well as all sports in that country, have been halted indefinitely due to an outburst in coronavirus cases. The undrafted Zohorna, 24, joined the Penguins on a one-year entry-level contract in April.

• Defenseman Santeri Airola, a seventh-round pick in 2019 (No. 211 overall), has yet to play a game this season with Ilves in the Liiga. The 20-year-old has been sidelined since suffering an undisclosed injury during the preseason.

Statistics

Forwards and defensemen

Goaltenders

*-Current team

(All figures are through Monday.)

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