Boston Bruins Should Claim Teemu Pulkkinen From Red Wings After Talented Forward is Placed on Waivers

The Boston Bruins are a team in transition. While their biggest deficiency comes from the defensive side of the ice, there’s no denying their right wing depth is thin. With the exception of David Pastrnak, the Bruins are left with Jimmy Hayes, and Seth Griffith (who was just placed on waivers today in an effort to send him back to Providence).

One talented, right-handed winger who is now available through the waiver-wire, however, is Red Wings forward Teemu Pulkkinen. While the 24-year-old is a natural left winger, his right-handed shot certainly makes him interesting to the Bruins. At 24-years-old, Pulkkinen has played in just over 30 games in each of the last two NHL seasons. He has spent a lot of time in the AHL as well, however, where he’s garnered a ton of recognition.

Another interesting tidbit about Pulkkinen is his very impressive goal-scoring ability. In the 2013-14 season, Pulkkinen scored 31 goals and 59 points in 71 games. In 2014-15, Pulkkinen led the AHL in scoring with 34 goals and 61 points in 46 games. In the playoffs with Grand Rapids. Pulkkinen also scored 14 goals and 18 points in 16 games.

A Realistic Option for Boston

The Bruins could use a goal-scoring winger to add to their lineup. Pulkkinen wouldn’t cost them anything if the team claimed him on waivers. Claiming players from the Red Wings is nothing new to Boston, either, as they claimed Landon Ferraro from the Red Wings last season following his return from injury.

One thing to monitor with Pulkkinen is the shoulder surgery he underwent last June. The original schedule for recovery was four-to-six months, but the Finnish forward ended up being ready by training camp for Detroit.

At this point, Pulkkinen hasn’t yet found his groove at the NHL level. He scored scoring five goals and eight points in his first 31 games two years ago. Last season, Pulkkinen scored six goals and 12 points in 36 games. With that being said, Pulkkinen is closer than not to being NHL ready and could be primed for a breakout year at the NHL level.