Is Teemu Pulkkinen really that bad, that he is just not good enough for the NHL?

[Artorius Horus T]

He's already playing pro hockey, that's what the AHL is.

But yeah from what i've seen he's ineffective 5 on 5 in the NHL. Doesn't have the needed speed, doesn't have the size, doesn't have the hands, he's not a dynamic player. Basically he's a non-factor. (this is all at the NHL level, doesn't mean he's slow or has stone hands, just not enough to beat the best players in the world)

He has a cannon of a slapper but at least he used to struggle with getting shots off quickly in tight spaces. In the NHL you don't have time to wire it up.

Basically he doesn't have much going for him at the highest level. For Pulkkinen to succeed he has to be a threat on the ice, but so far it's been more like survival which doesn't give the coach much confidence to keep him in the lineup.

That doesn't make him bad though.. If you're a great scorer in one of the best leagues you're a pretty good hockey player. It's just that he never took the needed step forward.

I watched him play in the pre-season with Vegas and he wasn't able to really make a difference. He wasn't bad, but he's like right there in that "not quite good enough" zone. I think he would be able to score every once in a while if he got a regular spot with some NHL team but that's not going to be enough for a good team to find a spot for him - and he's not that young anymore. It's easy for teams to choose to give their prospects a spot over him.

Good post. Good read.

One thing though, not that young? When the season started he was 25 years old,
I know NHL is getting younger and younger these days,
but in my mind, 25 is still young. 26 even.

Yes, compared to 19&20 year old's he is younger, but he is still young.

 

[izzy]

29, scored 2 tonight. scored almost 70 points this season
and overall, he has been awesome this season,
by far his best season in the minors.

id say 14/15 was pretty impressive

 

[Uncle Scrooge]

Good post. Good read.

One thing though, not that young? When the season started he was 25 years old,
I know NHL is getting younger and younger these days,
but in my mind, 25 is still young. 26 even.

Yes, compared to 19&20 year old's he is younger, but he is still young.

For a scoring forward 25-26 isn't that young anymore from development standpoint for a team to invest in you. In most cases you'd prefer to give your prospects looks in the NHL to let them gain experience and get better that way.

Of course there are exceptions, like Marchessault for instance, but generally what you see is what you get.

Aside from that 1 season couple years ago his numbers in the AHL are pretty much the same today as they were 3 years ago in his first AHL season so he's not really making any noise to make teams interested. If he wants 1 more shot in the NHL he probably has to put up the type of numbers teams can't ignore and show he's hit a new level.

 

[Goalie guy]

His shot is all he has and he only hits the net 3 out of 10 tries so no he is not good enough.

 

[Artorius Horus T]

id say 14/15 was pretty impressive

Indeed it was. He has worked his overall game a lot since though,
i think today he is much better player, he has been really good this season.

This season, might be the season when he is able to lead his team to
league title, be one of the key players in the upcoming play-offs.

 

[Artorius Horus T]

For a scoring forward 25-26 isn't that young anymore from development standpoint for a team to invest in you. In most cases you'd prefer to give your prospects looks in the NHL to let them gain experience and get better that way.

Of course there are exceptions, like Marchessault for instance, but generally what you see is what you get.

Aside from that 1 season couple years ago his numbers in the AHL are pretty much the same today as they were 3 years ago in his first AHL season so he's not really making any noise to make teams interested. If he wants 1 more shot in the NHL he probably has to put up the type of numbers teams can't ignore and show he's hit a new level.

I disagree.

 

[Uncle Scrooge]

I disagree.

I mean, i can't think of many 26 year old minor league scorers who became solid NHL players in the end.

 

[East Coast Icestyle]

I mean, i can't think of many 26 year old minor league scorers who became solid NHL players in the end.

Marchy is pretty much the only recent one. I think we'd have to go back quite a few years to find more.

OP are you sure you're not just desperate as a Finnish person to have him succeed? He is what he is. At his age, most players do not develop. They may get a little more responsible play wise, but their skills and talents are what they are. He's an AHL player and he has more than enough NHL games under his belt across multiple teams to show it. How can so many teams all look at him and think he's not good enough if he actually is?

I'll be honest I'm surprised there's even a thread on this guy anymore.

 

[Sylfan]

As a fellow finn I assume you know that Ilari Filppula also scored 64 points in the AHL and we all know why he didn't make it to the NHL. Same thing with Pulkkinen. Just lacks something. Pulkkinen also is a really bad skater.

 

[Eple]

Gotta give some credit to Pulkkinen for determination... No doubt he could have a serious payday if he switched to KHL, yet he keeps on chasing the dream riding the bus in the AHL.

 

[BinCookin]

Many people have made good points about Pulkkinen. As a Red Wings Fan, I have probably seen him play the most. (several years).

Pulkkinen is a star AHL player. He puts up massive amounts of points, so why he has not made it in the NHL can be confusing. However some skills just do not transfer well to the NHL.

Pulkkinen's #1 skill is Shot Power. He has an Ovechkin power slapshot.
there is one problem though, he does not have Ovechkin level Accuracy. Missing the net on a PP, ringing it around the boards and out of the zone, is a PP killer. You pretty much have to hit the net for a rebound. Pulks shoots high, and misses often. He is also shooting too hard for people to tip his shot. And too high for people to tip his shot.

Pulkkinen is a small player. this is a problem for all small players. But if you are going to be small, you need a great talent to overcome that: Great Speed, Great PuckHandling, or Great Hockey IQ.

Pulkkinen is OK in these categories, but not good enough to not get hit. And when he gets hit, he is completely seperated from the puck. Pulkkinen basically cannot forecheck at all. It makes him an ineffective 4th liner.

the other main key is Pulkkinen doesn't make his decisions fast enough. NHL defenders are destroying him (deflecting all his shots, or forcing him into the corner etc). AHL defenders just are not good enough to stop pulks from winding up for a slapshot... which is decidedly deadly. NHL defenders can deflect it. It neutralizes his 1 superpower. Without, pulks is not an NHL player.

If NHL teams created 4th lines of small scoring forwards, than Pulks would be in the NHL, but sadly Size is an issue... its his main issue. And Quite frankly, if you want to play NHL hockey and be 5 foot something, you better think / skate or pass at an elite level.

Pulks is an AHL star, but he just can't transfer that to the NHL.

 

[Hostile Offer]

His shot is all he has and he only hits the net 3 out of 10 tries so no he is not good enough.

Pretty much this. He is not really NHL calibre in anything outside of his shot.

 

[RoyalDoubleMcCheesie]

Basically in the AHL he had more time and space to use his shoot like many have said it's what he is known.
But when he was in NHL defenders took that time and space from him and he would rush his shot miss the net and if I remember as well had a big wind up for his slapper.
In all he couldn't adapt to the quicker faster pace of NHL defenders to produce like he has in the AHL

 

[MightySelanne8]

He is quite soft, not a very good skater and eventho his shot is powerful, the accuracy is quite bad and release is slow. Take it from someone whos followed him since juniors when he and MG were touted as the next Koivu-Selänne.

He should just return to Jokerit, make some savings and enjoy hockey again.

 

[FinRuutu]

Too weak.

 

[GigaChad]

Pulkkinen gets the puck and it takes him 5 seconds to wire up the shot. Then if he manages to shoot, the puck won't hit the net. Like never.
He is very usable player in any other league, but not in the NHL. If he ever wants to stick in the NHL, he must become faster in releasing the puck and he must bulk up.

 

[Shaman464]

I think if he makes the NHL he's going to be one of those 27-33 players who make the game late and plays 5-6 years and goes back to Finland. He was one of my favorite Wing's prospects, but he was badly utilized by the team. In the end he is either going to be a career AHL player or a third liner/PP specialist. And that's still not too bad.

 

[AKL]

He just lacks 'it'. Same thing when he was in Minnesota. Great AHL player, but just can't put it together at the NHL level.

 

[NotCommitted]

As I recall he did get a shot in Detroit early on, and actually it seemed to be working OK for him, but then he got injured and never managed to get the spot back. At least that's how I remember it...

After that, I dunno, just hasn't seem to come together for him and never a big player on the national team either. Sadly, I believe if he had been able to carry that momentum forward during his early Detroit days, he would be a solid NHLer now, but it didn't happen and since then he's got sidetracked. I believe it's really tough to rebuild that career momentum and gets tougher every year for him and other players like him who are borderline and getting to the age where you are no longer a promising future prospect. If he had the skills, he'd be in the NHL but on the other hand I'm 100% sure there are a lot worse players in the big league, who just were in the right place in the right time and had things go their way.

 

[glovesave_35]

I disagree.

25-26 may not be old but it's basically well past "prospect" status for a winger. So in that sense he is definitely not a young player. He is at that point where European guys usually head back across the pond if they haven't cemented at least a semi-regular spot in an NHL lineup.

 

[teravaineSAROS]

OP are you sure you're not just desperate as a Finnish person to have him succeed?

Yes, the Finns are desperately in need of a young Top 6 scoring winger so we don't have to rely on 18-21 year old career AHLers like Laine, Rantanen, Tolvanen, Teravainen or Aho.

 

[teravaineSAROS]

25-26 may not be old but it's basically well past "prospect" status for a winger. So in that sense he is definitely not a young player. He is at that point where European guys usually head back across the pond if they haven't cemented at least a semi-regular spot in an NHL lineup.

Yea I think he could do well in the KHL where he would have more space to shoot, he can't create space for himself to do what he's good at in the NHL

 

[TheOtherOne]

Had plenty of opportunity in Detroit and couldn't put pucks on net.

 

[Rabid Ranger]

Reid Boucher is his brother from another mother.

 

[ClydeLee]

The Wolves this year are full of these borderline great Ahl scorers but their offensive and full ice games lack speed and quick smart plays to do that in the nhl. Though they can fill well if the team needed a 2nd line scoring winger type to not worry about their full ice game