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Valtteri Puustinen #48 of the Pittsburgh Penguins skates against the New York Islanders at UBS Arena on December 27, 2023 in Elmont, New York.
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Valtteri Puustinen earns new contract from Penguins after becoming NHL regular this spring

Bruce Bennett/Getty Images

Valtteri Puustinen earns new contract from Penguins after becoming NHL regular this spring

Valtteri Puustinen showed this past season that he could be counted on to fill a regular role in Pittsburgh. Now the winger is getting a chance to build on that.

The Penguins on Friday announced that they had signed Puustinen, a Group 6 free agent, to a two-year contract worth $775,000 per season at the NHL level.

It’s an opportunity for Puustinen to be part of the team’s youth movement. And for the Penguins, it is a low-cost signing that comes with little — if any — risk.

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The 24-year-old split last season between the NHL and the American Hockey League. He finally claimed a permanent spot in Pittsburgh after Jake Guentzel was injured in February. He finished the season with five goals and 20 points in 52 games. He was a plus-4 and averaged just under 12 minutes per game.

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In addition to his contributions on the score sheet, the 5-foot-9, 183-pound right winger garnered praise from coach Mike Sullivan for his work on the forecheck and efforts to improve his conditioning, enabling him to play with more pace.

Puustinen, a former seventh-round pick, has been selected to represent Finland at the IIHF world championship in Czechia. The tournament begins Friday.

He is the second pending free agent to get a new contract from the Penguins this offseason. Sam Poulin, another forward, also received a two-year deal.

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Among their remaining restricted free agents are Jack St. Ivany and Pierre-Olivier Joseph.

Matt Vensel: mvensel@post-gazette.com and @mattvensel on X

First Published: May 10, 2024, 4:01 p.m.

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Valtteri Puustinen #48 of the Pittsburgh Penguins skates against the New York Islanders at UBS Arena on December 27, 2023 in Elmont, New York.  (Bruce Bennett/Getty Images)
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