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Jesse Puljujarvi

Snapshots: Puljujarvi, Myers, Smith

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Jesse Puljujarvi might have no plans of playing for the Edmonton Oilers this season, but that doesn’t mean the team is simply going to give up his rights. Mark Spector of Sportsnet reports that the Oilers will issue Puljujarvi a qualifying offer before tomorrow’s deadline in order to retain his rights even if the young forward plays in Europe. This is obviously the expected move as even though he hasn’t worked out in Edmonton the Oilers invested quite a bit of draft capital in Puljujarvi when the selected him fourth overall in 2016.

A qualifying offer for Puljujarvi would only amount to $874,125 in NHL salary, but would still be a two-way deal because he has played so few games for the Oilers the last three years. It seems very unlikely that he would accept it at this point, even if he does still need to prove his worth at the NHL level. Puljujarvi has recorded 37 points in his 139 NHL games, including just nine last season.

  • Tyler Myers is expected to be one of the top defensemen available this offseason now that Erik Karlsson has re-signed, and the Winnipeg Jets free agent may be in line for a huge contract. Renaud Lavoie of TVA Sports was on Sportsnet radio today and suggested that Myers may get a seven-year deal somewhere between $6-8MM per season. The 29-year old is coming off a seven-year, $38.5MM deal ($5.5MM AAV) originally signed with the Buffalo Sabres, and has the added benefit of being arguably the top right-handed defenseman left in free agency. Myers recorded 31 points in 80 games last season for the Jets, while averaging more than 20 minutes a night.
  • Goaltender Mike Smith has spoken to several teams now that the free agent interview period has opened according to Frank Seravalli of TSN, who notes that the “door isn’t completely closed” on a potential return to the Calgary Flames. Seravalli suggests that the Carolina Hurricanes could be a team to watch however, a team whose own goaltenders—Petr Mrazek and Curtis McElhinney—are also pending free agents.

Pacific Notes: Myers, Kings Qualifying Offers, Puljujarvi, Thompson

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With reports that the Vancouver Canucks intend to focus their sites on adding a top-level defenseman in free agency, its looks like general manager Jim Benning has made it clear who is at the top of his wishlist as Sportsnet’s Rick Dhaliwal reports that Vancouver expects to meet with unrestricted free agent Tyler Myers today, the first day teams can speak to unrestricted free agents.

Myers, who has played with the Winnipeg Jets for the past five years, is one of the top three unrestricted free agent defensemen along with Toronto’s Jake Gardiner and Montreal’s Jordie Benn. The 29-year-old could add some offense as he tallied nine goals and 31 points last season in Winnipeg. The 6-foot-8, 229-pound blueliner would give the team a solid top-four defenseman for the Canucks, who have lacked a solid top-four for years. Myers, along with a full season of 2018 first-rounder Quinn Hughes, could help bolster the team’s defense for a long time if the Canucks can convince him to sign with them.

  • The Los Angeles Times’ Curtis Zupke reports that the Los Angeles Kings will tender qualifying offers to Alex Iafallo, Adrian Kempe, Michael Amadio, Daniel Brickley, Calvin Petersen, Sheldon Rempal and Matt Roy. No surprises there. He adds the team also does not intend to make qualifying offers to Nikita Scherbak, Alex Lintuniemi, Matteson Iacopelli and Pavel Jenys. Scherbak, who was claimed off waivers from Montreal, struggled after coming over to the Kings, while Lintuniemi has been passed by a number of Kings defenseman on their depth chart after the former second-round pick finished the season in Ontario in the AHL with a minus-30 rating.
  • The Edmonton Journal’s Kurt Leavins reports that the Edmonton Oilers haven’t had much success so far in trying to trade winger Jesse Puljujarvi, who has asked for a trade, and had been shopped at the NHL Entry Draft Friday and Saturday. Edmonton has already made it clear they do not intend to trade him away for nothing and supposedly are asking for quite a bit. Leavins writes that they did talk to Pittsburgh Penguins general manager Jim Rutherford, but he balked at the asking price, which was winger Bryan Rust. Puljujarvi, a restricted free agent, has made it clear if he isn’t traded, he will play in Europe.
  • Sportsnet’s John Shannon reports that the Toronto Maple Leafs are considering Chicago Wolves head coach Rocky Thompson to join Mike Babcock’s staff this upcoming season. Thompson, who led Chicago to the Calder Cup Finals in the AHL this season, has been considered a candidate to move to the NHL. Toronto has lost two assistant coaches this offseason. D.J. Smith was hired as the Ottawa Senators head coach, while Jim Hiller left the team to join Lou Lamoriello and Barry Trotz with the New York Islanders. No word on whether the Vegas Golden Knights will release him from his contract.

Latest On Jesse Puljujarvi

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If Jesse Puljujarvi has his way, he has played his last game with Edmonton.  His agent Markus Lehto told reporters, including Sportsnet’s Mark Spector, that if the winger is not traded, he will play overseas next season.

Things have not gone well for the 21-year-old, who was the fourth overall pick back in 2016.  While the hope was that he could be a future winger for Connor McDavid on their top line, he has been anything but.  Puljujarvi has struggled offensively and his overall game hasn’t really improved too much from his rookie season.  He had just nine points in 46 games with the Oilers in 2018-19, hardly the type of output they were expecting from him in his third season.

There’s a case to be made that Puljujarvi should stick it out with Edmonton.  Not only are there multiple vacancies on the right wing, it’s a new situation with GM Ken Holland and head coach Dave Tippett joining the team this offseason.  Their presence presents an opportunity for a fresh start without necessarily needing to go anywhere.  According to Lehto, multiple teams have already shown interest while Spector adds that Jokerit (KHL) or Karpat (SM-liiga) would be preferred landing spots.

However, it appears that in Puljujarvi’s eyes, that won’t be enough and a move out of Edmonton is preferred.  Unfortunately for him, his trade value isn’t particularly high right now; a report earlier today stated that they were seeking a third-line winger for his services.  Holland was asked to comment on the trade request and certainly didn’t want to guarantee that Puljujarvi will be suiting up with another NHL team next season:

At the end of the day, if you can do a deal that makes sense for the Edmonton Oilers, you do it.  If you can’t, you go over (to Europe) and watch him play, and hopefully he scores a lot of goals over there.

As a restricted free agent this summer, Edmonton can simply issue a qualifying offer to Puljujarvi to retain his negotiating rights and Holland essentially confirmed they’ll do so with the above comment.  With the draft just days away, the Oilers could change course and look for a draft pick if someone they like starts to fall down the board which would open up some other trade opportunities but even at that, it’s a situation where they’ll sell low.  Just how low Holland is willing to go will ultimately determine if Puljujarvi gets his wish.

Edmonton Notes: Puljujarvi, Broberg, Connolly

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It has seemed as though a fresh start might be in order for Edmonton Oilers forward Jesse Puljujarvi, after several seasons of frustration from both the team and player. Selected fourth-overall in 2016, Puljujarvi hasn’t found his footing in the NHL (or AHL for that matter) and has just 37 points through 139 games. He heads into this offseason as a restricted free agent, and several reports have him on the trade block. Ryan Rishaug of TSN tweets this morning that the Oilers are looking for a third-line NHL forward in exchange for the young Puljujarvi, and if they can’t get one they might just hold tight.

Rishaug included several other nuggets of information:

  • The Oilers have the eighth-overall selection in this weekend’s draft, and may be looking at Swedish defenseman Philip Broberg. The 6’3″ defenseman played in Sweden’s second league this season and doesn’t turn 18 until next week. Broberg is a big, excellent skating defender, but some have questioned his hockey sense and upside over the last few months. The first round this year looks like it will be filled with interesting decisions, as the fifteen or so players ranked after Jack Hughes and Kaapo Kakko could go in any order.
  • If the Oilers are looking at free agent forwards this offseason, Rishaug suggests that Washington Capitals UFA Brett Connolly will be of interest. The 27-year old scored 22 goals in 2018-19 and registered 46 points for the Capitals in a breakout season, finally showing some of the offensive upside that caused the Tampa Bay Lightning to draft him sixth overall in 2010. Connolly made just $1.5MM in each of the past two seasons, but has earned himself a healthy raise.

Overseas Notes: Puljujarvi, Jooris, Murphy

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Even with interest from the KHL, Jesse Puljujarvi seems focused on playing in the NHL next season. Where he’ll do that though is still up in the air, as several reports have come out explaining that a trade may be the best outcome. Now the player himself admits that is a strong possibility, as Puljujarvi spoke to Finnish outlet Iltalehti and explained he may be wearing a different jersey next year. He also revealed that he’s back skating after the hip surgery that ended his 2018-19 season prematurely.

Puljujarvi, 21, was the Oilers’ top pick in 2016 going fourth overall after Auston Matthews, Patrik Laine and Pierre-Luc Dubois. Unfortunately he hasn’t quite worked out like that impressive trio, and has just 37 points through 139 NHL games. Now as he heads into the offseason without a contract—his entry-level deal is set to expire and make him a restricted free agent—his future in the league is up in the air. Puljujarvi will not be waiver-exempt next season, meaning wherever he does land will have to at least give him a shot at the highest level. That likely makes a trade more difficult, as he hasn’t shown to this point an ability to produce at either end of the rink in the NHL.

  • Despite a long playoff run with the Toronto Marlies, Josh Jooris won’t be re-signing in North America. The veteran forward has inked a three-year contract with Lausanne HC in Switzerland. Jooris, 28, scored 55 points in his 213-game NHL career including an impressive rookie season with the Calgary Flames, but will take his talents overseas. He was set to become an unrestricted free agent after his one-year, $650K contract with the Maple Leafs expired this summer.
  • Not only did Kunlun Red Star confirm that Andrej Sustr will be heading to the KHL next season, but also that Anaheim Ducks prospect Trevor Murphy has signed a two-year deal. The 23-year old Murphy was acquired by the Ducks last December and played 37 games for the San Diego Gulls this season, registering 18 points. An undrafted defenseman, he made his NHL debut with the Arizona Coyotes in 2017-18 and had three points in eight games. Set to be a restricted free agent this summer, the Ducks can retain his exclusive negotiating rights by issuing him a qualifying offer.

Latest On Jesse Puljujarvi

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An early morning report that Jesse Puljujarvi was headed to the KHL has been shot down by his agent, with Markus Lehto speaking to several reporters including Mark Spector of Sportsnet and saying that the NHL is still the top priority. Puljujarvi will be a restricted free agent this summer and needs a new deal, but hasn’t exactly thrived in his first few seasons in the Edmonton Oilers organization. That’s exactly why trade speculation is now bubbling to the surface once again, with Lehto even telling Spector that “maybe it is best for [the] team too.” Darren Dreger of TSN has also heard trade chatter around Puljujarvi from his sources.

Puljujarvi, 21, only has 37 points in 139 NHL games since he was selected fourth overall in 2016, and hasn’t even spent much time in the minor leagues to continue his development. The big winger was actually expected to go third in the draft before Columbus Blue Jackets GM Jarmo Kekalainen shocked the room with his selection of Pierre-Luc Dubois. In a timely piece, Scott Wheeler of the Athletic examined the 2016 draft today and put Puljujarvi 19th in his re-draft.

Still, the Oilers have an entirely new regime in town after GM Ken Holland and head coach Dave Tippett were brought in to change things. Perhaps those fresh eyes have new plans for the young forward, and can start to pull the best out of him at the NHL level. All of that will be dependent on a new contract however, one that will require a negotiation neither side expected when he was first selected. While Auston Matthews enjoys his massive deal and Patrik Laine and Matthew Tkachuk prepare to sign theirs, Puljujarvi will have to ink something that allows him to prove he is an NHL-caliber player before ever cashing in on the type of money high picks usually receive.

Jesse Puljujarvi To Undergo Hip Surgery

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March 4: Puljujarvi underwent the surgery today according to John Shannon of Sportsnet, who adds that it was on both hips.

February 28: After receiving some bad news from the Edmonton Oilers medical staff, young forward Jesse Puljujarvi had visited a specialist for a second opinion. Unfortunately that opinion seems to have agreed with the first, as Jason Gregor of TSN is reporting that Puljujarvi will undergo hip surgery next week. Puljujarvi will not play again this season.

The fact that Puljujarvi has been playing through this injury certainly may explain some of his struggles, but it will end what has been an extremely disappointing season nonetheless. In 46 games with the Oilers the 20-year old forward recorded just nine points, a step backwards from the already underwhelming total he posted in 2017-18. Selected fourth overall in 2016, Puljujarvi was expected to step quickly into the NHL and become a potential winger for Edmonton centers like Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl, but now has just 37 points through the first 139 games of his career.

Importantly, this also caps his earning potential. Since the Oilers gave Puljujarvi more than nine games in his first season after being drafted, his three-year entry-level contract will come to an end this year. He’ll finish without earning any of his big performance bonuses, and now heads into restricted free agency as something of an enigma. Top draft choices are often signing expensive long-term deals after their original contract expires, but Puljujarvi will certainly not want to lock himself into an underpaid contract after his disappointing start. It’s unclear where exactly the Oilers will sit in negotiations.

Unfortunately this is just the latest bad chapter in a terrible book for the Oilers. The team has struggled through coaching and management changes this season and find themselves fighting for draft lottery positions instead of the playoffs. The team was embarrassed last night in McDavid’s return to the lineup, and will take on the Ottawa Senators tonight in a battle of Canada’s worst teams.

Puljujarvi is expected to be back to 100% in time for training camp in September, and given that he will be waiver eligible destined for a spot on the NHL squad almost regardless of his play. The team will have to hope his performance improves along with his health.

Jesse Puljujarvi Seeing Specialist, Expected To Be Out Long Term

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The Edmonton Oilers’ dreadful season continues, as today head coach Ken Hitchcock and GM Keith Gretzky told reporters including Ryan Rishaug of TSN that Jesse Puljujarvi will go Tuesday to see a specialist about the lower-body injury he recently suffered. Hitchcock referred to the injury as “long term” to Rishaug, though no recovery timeline has been presented so far. Puljujarvi’s agent Markus Lehto told Mark Spector of Sportsnet that if surgery is needed it would “more than likely” mean the end of the young forward’s season.

It’s been a tough start to Puljujarvi’s career, which hasn’t gone nearly as expected since the Oilers used the fourth overall selection on him in 2017. While other players from later in that draft like Matthew Tkachuk (6th overall) and Clayton Keller (7th) have found early success, Puljujarvi has struggled to find a consistent role on the Oilers even with the team’s lack of offensive winger options. In 139 NHL games the 20-year old has just 37 points, but has also suited up only 53 times in the minor leagues over the last three years.

Notably, this injury means that Puljujarvi will not be able to participate in the AHL playoffs regardless of what the specialist says. Since Puljujarvi is on injured reserve and can’t be on the minor league active roster by Monday even as a paper transaction, he’ll miss the deadline for AHL playoff eligibility—unless some new information surfaces between now and then to allow the Oilers to make a move. With the Bakersfield Condors in first place in the Pacific Division, many Oilers fans had hoped Puljujarvi could be part of a long Calder Cup run to continue his development. Now, they’ll just hope he can return to full health as soon as possible.

Oilers Activate Andrej Sekera, Place Two On Injured Reserve

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The Edmonton Oilers have officially activated Andrej Sekera from long-term injured reserve after clearing enough cap space with this weekend’s Cam Talbot trade. In order to fit him on the roster though, the team has moved Jujhar Khaira and Jesse Puljujarvi to injured reserve. Josh Currie, who has been dominating of late in the AHL, has also been recalled.

Edmonton has also waived Brandon Manning with the intent of burying his cap hit in the minor leagues, giving them some additional flexibility as they head into the upcoming trade deadline. Sekera’s return should strengthen the blue line, though there is no guarantee the 32-year old defenseman will be able to bring his former level of production. It’s been more than ten months since Sekera last played in an NHL game, and his similar comeback in the second half of last season was not exceptional. There was a time when he could be relied upon as one of the team’s most consistent two-way defenders, but the team will hope they can squeeze out even a fraction of that effectiveness down the stretch.

This was the first time the team had even suggested that Puljujarvi is dealing with an injury, and it comes at perhaps the most inopportune time given the recent reports about his availability in trade. The young forward has still not been able to establish himself as a full-time NHL presence, and would likely benefit from some more development time in the AHL. That can’t happen for at least a few days, as even backdating the injured reserve period to his last game—Puljujarvi played 9:31 in Friday’s game against the Carolina Hurricanes—would keep him out for this week. Interestingly, Mark Spector of Sportsnet reported that Puljujarvi was a healthy scratch for Saturday’s game against the New York Islanders, apparently not knowing about any injury either. Spector has been told now, as he tweets that the young forward has a lower-body injury that shouldn’t keep him out too long.

While it will be overshadowed by the other news, this is a huge step for Currie who has not yet played an NHL game. The 26-year old forward went undrafted out of the QMJHL but battled his way through minor league contracts and eventually landed an NHL deal with Edmonton last summer. Playing on three ECHL teams across three seasons, he eventually found success in the AHL and is now the Bakersfield Condor’s leading goal scorer with 24 in 49 games this year including 15 in his last 17 contests.

Pacific Notes: Karlsson, Stone, Benning, Puljujarvi

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The San Jose Sharks have won six of their last seven games and should only get stronger on Saturday as the team expects star defenseman Erik Karlsson to return to their lineup from a lower-body injury after missing the past nine games, according to NBC Sports’ Adam Gretz.

Karlsson, who is still among the top 10 defensemen in scoring this season despite missing those nine games, has three goals and 43 points in 47 games and had been red-hot before getting injured. The team has gone 6-3 without Karlsson in that span, but the team has played its best hockey of the season recently, not including a tough loss to Washington on Thursday, in which it had won six straight games and taken over first place in the Pacific Division.

The blueliner should only add to the team’s offense with his return. He is expected to reunite with Marc-Edouard Vlasic to form one of the NHL’s top defensive lines.

  • Bruce Garrioch of the Ottawa Sun reports that while it’s not a surprise that the Winnipeg Jets are the most aggressive suitors for Mark Stone, there is another team that has shown a significant amount of interest as the Vegas Golden Knights are interested in adding Stone to their core of talent, although the Golden Knights are only interested if they can work out an extension with the 26-year-old winger. Stone already has tied his career-high in goals this season with 26 and looks to be having a breakout year. However, considering the Golden Knights have stated in the past that they don’t want to move any more draft picks or top prospects, there are serious questions as to what they would be willing to give up to get Stone.
  • The Edmonton Oilers announced they have placed defenseman Matt Benning on injured reserve with an undisclosed injury, which will open up a roster spot for recently acquired forward Sam Gagner. The 24-year-old Benning has struggled this year with just two goals and 10 points, but has also seen his playing time dwindle as he is averaging just 14:46 of ATOI this year, well below his career average of 16:25.
  • Sticking with the Oilers, Sportsnet’s Mark Spector reports that Edmonton is likely going to return the struggling Jesse Puljujarvi to the AHL soon. With Puljujarvi struggling again under head coach Ken Hitchcock, the team wants to send him down, possibly for the rest of the season, and let him regain his confidence which was their plan when they sent him down earlier this season. However, Hitchcock immediately recalled him after spending just a few days there, when he took over as head coach for Todd McLellan.

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