Feb. 9: Puljujärvi went unclaimed and will have his deal terminated, Friedman reports.
Feb. 8: According to Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman, the Pittsburgh Penguins have placed forward Jesse Puljujärvi on unconditional waivers to terminate his contract. Puljujärvi would become an unrestricted free agent should he go unclaimed over the next 24 hours.
It is an anticipated conclusion to a relationship that has seemingly deteriorated over the past two months. The Penguins placed Puljujärvi on regular waivers on December 30 and officially reassigned him on January 14th, a few weeks later.
The former fourth-overall selection in the 2016 NHL Draft has been reassigned for a second time recently. Over the past month, he has primarily played with the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins in the AHL. His performance has been respectable, recording one goal and three points in four AHL games. However, the Penguins have decided to move forward without him in their organization.
Unfortunately, Puljujärvi’s potential as a prospect has drastically diminished. Since returning to the NHL for the 2020-21 season, he has scored 40 goals and 90 points in 243 games for the Edmonton Oilers, Carolina Hurricanes, and Pittsburgh Penguins.
His production will ultimately limit his traction as an unrestricted free agent. Some teams may offer the Älvkarleby, Sweden native a bottom-six role down the stretch but Puljujärvi may be limited to more of a taxi role if he chooses to stay in North America.
Not saying that there is much more in there, I don’t think there is, but I don’t think we’ve given him enough of a chance to prove he should be given up on.
Same thing with Glass.
Our center injuries are giving him a chance now.
He’s probably all he’ll be, but the sample size isn’t big enough to say that for sure.
100% agree
8 seasons isn’t a big enough sample size?
Likely is, but…it’s been few years since he got a real chance, instead of glimpses amidst bottom six minutes.
Wish we could have seen a 6 to 8 game stretch of real top 6 with PP time to let him get some rhythm and timing and comfort, etc. to really evaluate.
Instead it was a half a game here or 2 games there. No extended looks to find his footing.
Same with Glass.
We’re in the point in our window where we need to shine up some reclamation projects to enhance their trade value and gain assets. We haven’t done a great job of giving them a solid environment to sink or swim.
His inconsistent play didn’t justify top 6 minutes. If he was going to carve out an NHL career it would have been finding a niche in a bottom six role.
He’s got a deal in place with Karpat in Finland.
Off to Karpat, because his NHL career is Ka-put!!!
I remember when Jarmo (CBJ) got absolutely roasted by the draft analysts for passing on Puljujarvi at the #3 spot in the draft.
Nice place to play for sure. Hopefully he does well.
Puljujarvi is just another player in the long list of first overall disasters in Edmonton Oilers draft history.
Do you mean first round? Puljujarvi wasn’t selected first overall.
Don’t blame the Oilers, all the physical gifts you can ask for with zero hockey sense.
Edmonton Oilers first overall picks. Yamamoto, Yakupov, Paajarvi, Gagner, Puljujarvi, etc……
Obviously you don’t know what “first overall” means……
@Wilf, only 1 of those you mention was a 1st overall. And pretty much everyone in that draft year was a bust.
I made it clear by saying the Oilers top first round pick in that year’s draft.
No, you clearly state 1st overalls. 1st overalls are different than 1st rounders. And a lot of teams have poorer history. Check out the flames 1st round draft history.