Jesse Puljujarvi Learns His Suspension Fate From The Department of Player Safety

Jesse Puljujarvi hasn't played much for the Florida Panthers this season, and in his fifth game with the team he laid out Tampa Bay Lightning forward Mitchell Chaffee with a hit to the head, resulting in a hearing with the NHL's Department of Player Safety.

The hit was incredibly unnecessary, with the former top draft pick making contact with nothing but the head of his opponent, and as a result, he's been handed an two game suspension.

Given the inconsistency of the Department of Player Safety in recent times, this is a fairly solid ruling, as it's not the worst hit we've seen in recent times, but it was also forceful with intent, something that the league is trying desperately to stamp out.

Thankfully for the Panthers, this won't effect their lineup heading into the Stanley Cup Playoffs too much, as the team announced before the hearing that they have loaded Puljujarvi to the Charlotte Checkers of the AHL ahead of their push for the Calder Cup.

Regardless of where he plays for the remainder of the season, this isn't the impression that he wanted to leave on the Panthers, as Puljujarvi has played in Edmonton, Carolina, Pittsburgh and now Florida over the past few years, meaning his NHL future is hanging on by a thread.

For now though, he'll take his suspension and look to make an impact in the Calder Cup Playoffs, because if he doesn't, there's a very good chance that we may never see him in an extended role in the NHL again.