What It Means:

The surgery carries an expected recovery time of four-to-six months, which implies that Pulkkinen would miss at least the beginning of the season, and possibly much more than that. The 24 year-old is a restricted free agent since Detroit gave him a qualifying offer. Despite only playing 36 games last season and posting 12 points (six goals, six assists), both were career highs.

Pulkkinen was outstanding at driving possession last season. His Corsi For Percentage was 57.8 and his Relative Corsi For Percentage at Even Strength was 6.7. It's a small sample size, but Pulkkinen has shown his ability to be effective when on the ice.