The San Jose Sharks on Wednesday placed defenseman Valtteri Pulli on unconditional waivers for the purpose of terminating his NHL contract.
“Valtteri requested to play in Europe and we mutually agreed to terminate his contract,” Sharks assistant general manager Joe Will said in a statement. “We want to thank Valtteri for his contributions to the organization and wish him all the best.”
Pulli, 23, was signed to a two-year, two-way contract by the Sharks in May 2023 after he played three seasons with TPS Turku of the Finnish League. The 6-foot-5, 215-pound Pulli never played for the Sharks, but had 10 points in 59 games for the San Jose Barracuda of the AHL last season.
Pulli was healthy again this season but only dressed for two Barracuda games, both in October. He had one assist in an Oct. 19 game against the Iowa Wild.
The Barracuda have several new defensemen this season, including rookies Luca Cagnoni and Jake Furlong, and veterans Jimmy Schuldt and Joey Keane. Pulli fell down the depth chart and was usually unable to crack the team’s lineup. Pulli didn’t play again after prospect defenseman Shakir Mukhamadullin was reassigned by the Sharks to the Barracuda on Oct. 22.
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Cagnoni is fourth among all AHL defensemen in scoring with 18 points in 21 games. The Sharks recalled Mukhamadullin on Tuesday.
It was not immediately clear what European team Pulli will be joining.
The Barracuda (14-6-0-1) are in second place in the Pacific Division and start a five-game road trip on Thursday in Coachella Valley.