Wild claim forward Pulkkinen off waivers
The Minnesota Wild are throwing another talented Finnish forward into the mix.
The Wild claimed winger Teemu Pulkkinen off waivers from the Detroit Red Wings on Tuesday, adding a former AHL scoring champ with room to grow.
"I know him well. I think he's a good player," Wild forward Mikael Granlund said. "He can shoot the puck and score goals."
The Wild also sent two players to the AHL, assigning forward Christoph Bertschy and goaltender Alex Stalock to Iowa.
A fourth-round pick of Detroit in 2010, Pulkkinen has totaled 11 goals and 20 points through 70 career games with the Red Wings and led the AHL in scoring during the 2014-15 season with 34 goals.
"Teemu's been a prolific goal scorer at every level," GM Chuck Fletcher said in a statement. "It's hard to score goals in this league and we thought his talent is high-end and worth the waiver claim."
Pulkkinen is one of four Finnish players on the team, joining Granlund, captain Mikko Koivu and forward Erik Haula.