Former Oiler Jesse Puljujarvi Sent Out of NHL by Pittsburgh Penguins
Moments ago, news broke from several NHL insiders that the Pittsburgh Penguins have placed forward Jesse Puljujarvi on waivers.
The move comes after Puljujarvi was only dressed for one game in the entire month of December.
Usually a very positive personality, https://www.oilersdaily.com/nhl-team/edmonton-oilers/former-oiler-jesse-puljujarvi-admits-annoyance-with-penguins-treatment-of-him for the repeated healthy scratches.
- Ilta-Sanomat, Translated from Finnish
Puljujarvi was in his first full season after undergoing double hip replacement surgery, and he had claimed that his infrequent playing schedule was affecting his chance to properly rehab from the injury.
Former Oiler Jesse Puljujarvi Placed on Waivers by the Pittsburgh Penguins
What makes the decision to constantly scratch Puljujarvi more confusing is that he's actually played well in his limited opportunities. In 21 games this year, Puljujarvi has scored 3 goals and 8 points.
Perhaps this decision has some to do with getting him more consistent ice time in the AHL to properly rehab his hips. Of course, there's also the option that another team could place a claim on Puljujarvi.
Oilers fans obviously know Puljujarvi very well from his days in Edmonton. Drafted 4th overall in the 2016 draft, Puljujarvi played parts of 6 seasons with the Oilers, but never captured the offensive expectations of a player drafted that high.
Puljujarvi is only under contract for this season at $800K, so it's possible another team sees a fit for him in the bottom six. If not though, it looks like he'll be sent to the AHL to finish out the year.
Despite still having good analytics stats, which even went back to his time in Edmonton, Puljujarvi just doesn't produce enough or play physical enough to be desired as a bottom six forward for most teams. It's possible that this could be the end of his NHL career.
