The 26-year-old forward has not played in a game since Dec. 7 and has skated in just one of Pittsburgh's past 18 games
The 26-year-old forward has not played in a game since Dec. 7 and has skated in just one of Pittsburgh's past 18 games
The Pittsburgh Penguins took to the ice for their morning skate on Tuesday ahead of their matchup against the Columbus Blue Jackets.
And it looks like someone may make their return to the lineup.
Forward Jesse Puljujarvi - who has played in only one of Pittsburgh's last 18 games and has been a healthy scratch since Dec. 7 - appears primed for a return to the lineup against the Blue Jackets Tuesday evening:
Puljujarvi spoke to reporters today about what he can bring to the lineup if he is, indeed, slotted back in it.
"I try to skate well, get in on the forecheck," Puljujarvi said. "I try to be really strong with the puck, make good plays, good decisions, and that way, help the team to win."
Head coach Mike Sullivan also shared what the expectation is for Puljujarvi should he enter the lineup against Columbus.
"I think when Jesse's at his best, he's a great puck pursuit guy," Sullivan said. "He uses his skating ability, his size, his physical stature, his reach to make it hard on defensemen to make plays. Disrupts breakouts, disrupts timing, creates opportunities for his linemates, and goes to the net. I think that's when he's at his very best, and when he does that, he's an effective player for us."
A little more than a week ago, Puljujarvi was placed on waivers by the Penguins, and he went unclaimed. The Penguins could have optioned him to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton to get regular minutes in an AHL lineup, but with the injury to Philip Tomasino and other factors, he ended up staying with the NHL club after clearing.
Puljujarvi - who has three goals and eight points in 21 games this season - admits the past few weeks have been hard, but he's been perservering and doing his best with what he has to work with.
"It's been extra hard because you don't know where you're going the next day or what happens," Puljujarvi said. "But, I try to be a good person and a good hockey player and do my best off-ice and on-ice."
