TPS made a splash in the transfer market – a familiar top defender is back in Turku!
TPS has acquired a familiar reinforcement for its defense. Otto Salin, 22, joins the Turku club on a loan agreement for the remainder of the season from NHL team Los Angeles Kings.
Salin signed a three-year NHL entry-level contract with the Kings in spring 2025 and headed to North America. Last season, he played 43 AHL games for the club’s farm team, Ontario Reign, with a scoring line of 3+2=5.
This season, Salin has not yet been able to get into action. The defender suffered a minor injury at the beginning of the season but is now back in playing condition.
Salin is already a familiar player for TPS. He moved to the Turku team from HIFK during the 2023–24 season and also represented the club in the following season.
Particularly, the 2024–25 season went efficiently for Salin. He finished with a scoring line of 8+20=28 in 56 regular season games. In five playoff games, the defender also collected stats of 2+2.
TPS’s sports director Mika Suoraniemi states that the negotiations leading to Salin’s return progressed quickly.
– Ode’s opportunity to return to Europe came up over the weekend and quickly initiated the negotiations. Based on good discussions, we found a common understanding that the loan for the remainder of the season serves both the player’s and the team’s needs. Ode is a familiar player to us, bringing puck-handling expertise to our defense and providing the coaching staff with more options for deploying defenders, Suoraniemi says in TPS’s statement.
Salin is pleased to return to the club where he took significant developmental steps before heading to North America.
– It’s always nice to come back to Turku, and I learned how to look at the Aura River from the right angle. I succeeded well in Turku and took the next step in my career from there. That’s why it became a bit like a second home, and it was easy to choose Turku and TPS now that I’m returning to Europe for this season. I aim to get my playing rhythm back quickly and be able to help the team with my puck-handling skills. At least there’s plenty of enthusiasm, Salin says.
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