The Arizona Coyotes and John Chayka remained active on the trade market, acquiring Teemu Pulkkinen from the Minnesota Wild for future considerations.
Arizona Coyotes GM John Chayka loves to make deals.
Today he made another, acquiring forward Teemu Pulkkinen from the Wild.
I’m guessing Chayka and Wild GM Chuck Fletcher are on a first name basis at this point, after the Hanzal deal yesterday and now another trade today.
The acquisition of Pulkkinen is a curious one from a few perspectives.
For one, the return for Minnesota is “future considerations”. Those future considerations generally don’t amount to much. Furthermore, while Pulkkinen is highly affective in the AHL he hasn’t quite put it together at the NHL level.
Perhaps that’s why Fletcher was willing to give him away for nothing, more or less.
For the Yotes, Pulkkinen will likely provide another scorer to a depleted Tucson Roadrunners lineup that is lacking in depth after the promotion of so many prospects and the illness of Craig Cunningham.
Tucson is knee deep in a playoff race and I’d imagine the Arizona Coyotes brass would love to see them stay in it to get several of the team’s prospects feet wet with actual playoff hockey.
Arizona Coyotes
Trading for Pulkkinen helps in that regard, much like acquiring Brendan Ranford did in the Justin Peters trade.
Michael Russo of the Star Tribune felt similarly regarding Pulkkinen’s purpose:
"Even if Pulkkinen isn’t an NHLer on at least this Wild roster, it is interesting that the Wild was willing to trade him away for probably nothing when Iowa’s in a playoff race."
What the Iowa Wild won’t have the Tucson Roadrunners can now enjoy, and reports are Pulkkinen is going to meet the Coyotes in Boston so he should get a shot with the big club as well.
Here’s the Yotes’ press release on the Pulkkinen trade:
"GLENDALE, ARIZONA – Arizona Coyotes General Manager John Chayka announced today that the Coyotes have acquired forward Teemu Pulkkinen from the Minnesota Wild in exchange for future considerations.The 25-year-old Pulkkinen has registered 1-0-1 with two penalty minutes (PIM) in nine games with the Wild this season. He has also collected 18-18-36 and 36 PIM in 47 games with the Iowa Wild (AHL) in 2016-17. Pulkkinen was selected to participate in the 2017 AHL All-Star Game.The 5-foot-10, 185-pound native of Vantaa, Finland has totalled 12-9-21, a plus-six rating and 28 PIM in 79 career NHL games with the Wild and Detroit Red Wings.Pulkkinen was originally drafted by the Red Wings in the fourth round (111th overall) in the 2010 Entry Draft."
Next: Hanzal Trade Was Unfortunate, But Necessary For Coyotes And Chayka
He may be too old at 25 to become a solid NHLer, but the move cost Chayka nothing.
If it ultimately results in more development for the youth, that’s nothing well spent.