Roster Hopeful Puts Penguins on Notice in Preseason Opener

The Pittsburgh Penguins might have to make space on their roster for a forward who impressed in the preseason opener.

Sep 21, 2024; Buffalo, New York, USA; Pittsburgh Penguins right wing Jesse Puljujarvi (18) looks to take a shot on goal as Buffalo Sabres defenseman Owen Power (25) defends during the third period at KeyBank Center. Mandatory Credit: Timothy T. Ludwig-Imagn Images / Timothy T. Ludwig-Imagn Images

The Pittsburgh Penguins may have brutally lost their preseason opener to the Buffalo Sabres, but one roster hopeful stood out from the crowd. The Sabres walked away with a 7-3 victory, but each of the Penguins’ goals was scored by forward Jesse Puljujarvi.

Heading into the 2024-25 season, Puljujarvi’s spot in the Penguins lineup isn’t guaranteed. President and general manager Kyle Dubas worked all summer to add veteran depth and young talent, each player adding to Puljujarvi’s competition.

Puljujarvi joined the Penguins on a professional tryout agreement during the 2023-24 season, and even after signing a full deal, he wasn’t a regular in the lineup. In 22 games played, he scored three goals and added an assist for four total points.

While averaging 9:11 of ice time per game, it was clear Puljujarvi was still working on recovering from double hip surgery the previous offseason.

Head coach Mike Sullivan remarked that Puljujarvi entered training camp a lot stronger and raved about the amount of work that was put by the player to get to this point.

The former fourth overall pick never reached his potential as an offensive juggernaut with the Edmonton Oiler, but he’s molded his game to fit nicely in a team’s bottom six. In 356 career games, he’s scored 54 goals and 64 assists for 118 total points.

Puljujarvi’s big night in Buffalo started early when he recorded the first goal of the game. On a power play opportunity just over a minute into the contest, Puljujarvi deflected a shot from Ville Koivunen.

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— Pittsburgh Penguins (@penguins) September 22, 2024

The Sabres scored the next seven goals, but Puljujarvi bookended the contest in style. He notched another power play tally by utilizing his long reach on a partial break. He looked hobbled after crashing into the boards following the goal, but he got right back on the horse and scored his third of the game just 20 seconds apart.

It may only be preseason, but the Penguins iced a mostly AHL roster against most of the Sabres’ starting lineup. The score certainly reflected that, but Puljujarvi's performance made sure his name stays in the Penguins roster conversation.

Puljujarvi entered this training camp needing to impress and stand out to earn a spot in the lineup. So far, he’s off to a great start.

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