Saarela, 22, has appeared in five games with the Rockford Icehogs of the American Hockey League, registering one assist.
In 2018-19, the 5-foot-10, 200-pound native of Helsinki, Finland, produced 54 points and a team-leading 30 goals for the Charlotte Checkers (AHL) over 69 regular season games. Saarela won the 2019 Calder Cup with Charlotte, notching 15 points (7-8-15) over 17 postseason games.
Over 152 career AHL regular season games, Saarela has amassed 108 points (61-47-108), while recording 18 points (9-9-18) over 30 career AHL playoff games. Saarela was originally selected by the New York Rangers in the third round (89th overall) of the 2015 NHL Draft.
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