Oilers former 4th overall draft pick resurfaces in Pittsburgh
By Paul Taylor
Yet to fulfil the potential which persuaded the Oilers to pick him fourth in the 2016 draft, Jesse Puljujarvi now gets an opportunity with the Penguins.
Mention the name Jesse Puljujärvi around an Oilers fan, and you could get any number of reactions. To say he’s a polarising figure in Edmonton, would be an understatement.
However, like it or not, Puljujärvi is back, at least in a manner of speaking. As per Sportsnet, he has joined the Penguins on a tryout.
The Penguins announced the news on Sunday morning. The 25-year-old underwent double hip surgery during the offseason and has been rehabilitating ever since, working towards his return to the NHL.
The Oilers traded Puljujärvi to the Hurricanes ahead of last season’s deadline, in exchange for Patrik Puistola. The Hurricanes subsequently decided not to make him a qualifying offer after the season, making him a free agent.
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There are those who believe the Oilers didn’t develop the Sweden native properly. That they wasted his combination of talent, size and strength, which could have been a long-term asset for the team.
However, this is countered by critics who contest Puljujärvi was given more than enough opportunities and just never really took full advantage. This included plenty of chances alongside Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl but still not approaching what he was capable of, which speaks volumes when you’re playing with those two.
Muddying the waters, were reports the 2016 fourth overall draft pick didn’t make use of the English lessons arranged by the Oilers. As per Hockey Feed, he was too stubborn to attend the lessons and this only created more of a barrier between him and the organization.
In any event, after a period which included a trade demand and going to play in Finland for a while, it got to the point where it was best for both sides if Puljujärvi moved on. He finished his Oilers career having played parts of six seasons, totalling 51 goals, 61 assists, a +7 plus/minus rating and 13:40 average ice time in 317 games.
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While still young, at this point the winger’s best case scenario is to establish himself in the bottom six for an NHL team. Whether he gets to fulfil even this remains to be seen though, with him needing to work hard to remove the stubborn label which he’s been associated with for several years.