After being selected fourth overall by the Edmonton Oilers in the 2016 NHL Entry Draft, expectations were high for Finnish forward
Jesse Puljujarvi, but six-and-a-half years later, he hasn't lived up to the hype.
From a contract dispute in 2019 that led to a very successful '19-20 season in Finland, to inconsistent play over the course of his six seasons with the Oilers, it's unclear what will come next for Puljujarvi.
In an interview with Finnish journalist, Puljujarvi mentioned that he's unsure if he belongs in the National Hockey League anymore.
"Of course I'd like to be a productive top-line player," Puljujarvi said in his native Finnish, as translated by Seppala. "But right now, it looks like I can't do that in NHL. Maybe some other league."
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There's no question that the 24-year-old would welcome a fresh start with another franchise and from the Oilers perspective, being able to free up $3 million in salary by moving him would help them leading up to the trade deadline on March 3rd.
Following an arbitration hearing during the summer, Puljujarvi was awarded a one-year contract at $3 million, as mentioned above. Even if he were to be traded by the Oilers, it's not inconceivable to see Puljujarvi return home to Finland when he becomes a restricted free agent in July.
In 26 games this season, Puljujarvi has six points (one goal, five assists), nine penalty minutes and is a minus-12, while playing, on average, 13:52 per game.
Source: SportsnetADS
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