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Teemu Pulkkinen is available on waivers again

Minnesota Wild v New York Islanders

NEW YORK, NY - OCTOBER 23: Teemu Pulkkinen #17 of the Minnesota Wild skates against the New York Islanders at the Barclays Center on October 23, 2016 in the Brooklyn borough of New York City. The Islanders defeated the Wild 6-3. (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images)

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It was a pretty busy day for the NHL’s waiver wire on Sunday with four players -- Florida’s Greg McKegg, Minnesota’s Ryan Carter, Zac Dalpe and Teemu Pulkkkinen -- being placed on waivers.

The Wild being responsible for three of those players is obviously what sticks out there, but Carter, who just signed a one-year, two-way contract to return to the team on Sunday, must pass through waivers before he is able to join the team.

The Star-Tribune‘s Michael Russo has some thoughts on the decision to place Dalpe, who has appeared in nine games for the Wild this season.

Dalpe was placed on waivers I’m guessing to reset his waiver clock. He’s at nine games, so if the Wild wants to send him down after tomorrow’s game, he’d need waivers (and you can’t waive anybody past Wednesday, so the Wild wouldn’t want to get stuck).

If he gets taken tomorrow, at least the Wild can react. I can’t imagine the Wild would want to find out somebody grabbed him on waivers Wednesday -- three hours before the deadline, so that’s why you do it today.


Pulkkinen, however, is the most interesting name here, not only because he has been on the waiver wire multiple this season, but because he is still a talented player that could be intriguing for a team looking to take a cheap chance on somebody that still seems to have at least a little bit of potential. At 25 he isn’t a prospect anymore, and this is the age where you would expect him to be established as a regular NHLer, but there is still talent here.

The Wild claimed Pulkkinen on waivers just before the season began from the Detroit Red Wings, then waived him again just 17 days later. He went unclaimed.

He has only appeared in nine games for the Wild this season, scoring one goal. He has 12 goals and nine assists in 79 games with the Red Wings and Wild.He has only appeared in one NHL game since the middle of October (a Dec. 17 game against the Arizona Coyotes). He has spent most of this season playing for the Iowa Wild of the AHL where he has 35 points (18 goals, 17 assists) in 46 games.