Former Penguins Player Officially Making his NHL Return

Jesse Puljujarvi began the season with Kyle Dubas' Penguins but only scored 3 goals and 9 points in 26 contests before he and the club mutually agreed to terminate his contract.

After the move, many fans expected the former 4th overall pick to return to Europe as his time in the NHL seemed to be coming to a close.

However, he quickly signed a two-way contract with the Florida Panthers in an effort to extend his time in North America.

Now he is set to make his debut with the team as he is expected to be in the lineup as the Panthers take on the Detroit Red Wings this evening.

The game is a critical one for the Panthers, so they aren't putting him in the lineup just for the sake of it.

While the club has already clinched a playoff spot, they remain just two points back of the Lightning for the second spot in the Atlantic, so a win today could move them into a tie.

If they are able to steal that spot back from their cross state rivals, it would have implications on how the playoff seedings would work, potentially changing their first round matchup or at the very least changing who gets home ice advantage.

Puljujarvi is not the only Penguins player to be placed on waivers this season as Kyle Dubas is constantly looking to make moves to improve his club.

Meanwhile, Puljujarvi is hoping to win a Stanley Cup as the Panthers look to win back-to-back championships, matching their Florida rivals in the Tampa Bay Lightning.

The 26-year-old is up to 382 career games of NHL experience split between the Edmonton Oilers, Carolina Hurricanes, and Pittsburgh Penguins.

He has 57 career goals, 127 points, and a career rating of +6.