2020-21 Teams: JYP (Liiga)
Selected with Carolina’s first of three third-round picks (73rd overall) in 2019, Puistola was lauded by many around the industry as a solid value pick for a player who slid down the board a bit on the second day of the draft. In his draft year, Puistola averaged over a point per game as a 17-year-old in the Mestis, Finland’s version of the AHL after receiving his first taste of Liiga, playing 16 games for a loaded Tappara team.
Last season, he played his first full season in Liiga, splitting time between three different organizations and posting 12 points in 45 games.