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Puempel has not played in an NHL game since April of 2017. However, last season, he produced 57 points (23 goals, 34 assists) in 62 AHL contests between Hartford and Grand Rapids. Despite ending the season near the cellar, the WIngs were actually pretty solid on the left wing -- with contributions from young up-and-comers like Anthony Mantha, Tyler Bertuzzi and Andreas Athanasiou -- and the talent pool only got deeper following the 2018 draft. The Wings selected Filip Zadina with the sixth overall pick, for example, so Puempel is unlikely to crack the NHL lineup in 2018-19; he should be viewed as more of a depth piece for the organization.
Puempel departed from Ottawa last season to join the Rangers, and while his production improved -- he managed nine points in 27 games with New York after collecting just six over the course of 52 career games as a Senator -- he still played fourth-line minutes, which projects to once again be the case in 2017-18. The 24-year-old also picked up a couple concussions, giving prospective fantasy owners extra cause for concern, though he appears to be healthy heading into the season.
Puempel finally earned a spot in Ottawa's lineup late in the 2014-15 season, after posting an eye-opening 42 goals in his last two seasons in AHL Binghamton. Unfortunately, his time with Ottawa was short, as a high-ankle sprain limited his NHL debut to just 13 games. The 22-year-old winger will fight for a 2015-16 roster spot in training camp, but it's not likely that anything more than limited minutes in a third- or fourth-line role will await him.
Puempel had a nice season for AHL Binghamton last year, and is certainly a candidate to have an impact at the next level this season. He racked up 30 goals, 18 assists, and 94 PIM in 78 games wih the B-Sens in 2013-14, and will still be 21-years-old when the season starts. His scoring touch is exactly what last year's Senators lacked, and he'll probably get a shot to play in the top-six when he gets called up. It's not worth picking up Puempel quite yet, but he's certainly a winger to keep an eye on for the future.
Puempel racked up 35 goals and 12 assists in 51 games with Kitchener, but failed to crack the scoresheet in the two games he played AHL Binghamton after his season ended with Kitchener (OHL). He likely needs a year or two of professional experience before the Sens give him a legitimate shot at the NHL. He could get called up for a couple games in 2013-14, but he's more of a player to keep an eye on as he develops for the future.
Puempel, Ottawa's third pick (24th overall) in the 2011 NHL Entry Draft, is a pure goal scorer who also plays with a nice edge to his game. A hip injury shortened his 2010-11 season with the Peterborough Petes, but he still put up 34 goals and 35 assists in 55 games on a weak Petes squad. He'll likely spend the next two season with Peterborough before making the jump to the pro level. Puempel projects as a goal scoring winger who'll fit in nicely on a young Ottawa squad in a few years time.