According to Gold Star Hockey player agent Dan Milstein, the New York Islanders Jesse Pulkkinen The deal is a three-year, entry-level contract. As with most contracts from the Islanders organization, the financial terms of the deal have not been disclosed and likely will not be revealed until later in the summer.
Pulkkinen has spent the past five years developing in the Finnish Liiga's JYP system and was selected 54th overall in the 2024 NHL Draft. He played in 18 games with JYP's U20 team, scoring 11 goals and 28 points, and also played in 29 games with JYP's first Liiga team, scoring two goals and eight points. He played in 12 games as a U20 member of the Finnish team last year, scoring four goals and eight points overall.
Multiple scouting reports on Pulkkinen have noted that the Finnish defenseman has above-average puck-handling skills and is not afraid to use his body on the play. Pulkkinen frequently used his puck-handling ability to lead the forecheck, using his 6-foot-6 frame to his advantage against opponents.
There has been criticism of Pulkkinen's ability to read the ice and make a good first pass. As a second-year player who is draft-eligible in the 2024 NHL Draft, it may take a few years for Pulkkinen to make an impact in the Islanders' organization. If he can continue to develop and address his weaknesses, there's no doubt Pulkkinen has a chance to crack the top four in New York in the future.
