Oilers having problems moving Puljujarvi; he could likely be had lower than expected
Things have largely gone quiet on the Edmonton Oilers/Jesse Puljujarvi front over the past week or so. At one point in recent weeks, it looked as though a Puljujarvi deal was inevitable near the start of free agency, but here we are a week later and the big Fin has not yet been moved. What gives?
Well, according to a report that has surfaced on Wednesday, the Oilers are having a hard time moving the former 4th overall pick, due to his filing for salary arbitration. Many teams are concerned that the award could come in higher than what they'd otherwise be willing to pay.
Teams have been hesitant to acquire Puljujarvi because of his Arbitration case, and how high his contract will be. The interested teams have asked the Oilers to take back some money, which they don't want to do.
There are teams who can likely make it work without having to be overly concerned about the cap implications. Teams like Detroit and New Jersey come to mind, as they still have significant cap space remaining. As for the Leafs, I'd imagine that Kyle Dubas would be interested in a player like Puljujarvi as a reclamation project, but so far the Leafs haven't been linked to the Oilers, so it appears as though that might be wishful thinking at this point.
Having said that, if the Oilers' asking price comes down, or if GM Ken Holland is amenable to the idea of allowing the Leafs to speak with Puljujarvi about a potential extension before completing a trade, I could see Dubas being open to the idea of bringing in a 6'4, 201-pound winger who can score and who doesn't shy away from the physical side of the game.
Puljujarvi is coming off of a 14-goal, 36-point season over 65 games last year. The 24-year-old posted career highs in both assists and points in 2021-22. His tenure in Edmonton has been rocky from the very beginning, and just when it seemed as though he was beginning to turn a corner last season, Puljujarvi finds himself, once again, on the block. He could certainly benefit from a change of scenery and I'd imagine the Oilers can't wait to move on from the whole ordeal.
| POLL | ||
JUILLET 20 | 317 ANSWERS Oilers having problems moving Puljujarvi; he could likely be had lower than expected Who will acquire Jesse Puljujarvi this summer? | ||
| Leafs | 83 | 26.2 % |
| Red Wings | 99 | 31.2 % |
| Devils | 59 | 18.6 % |
| Other | 76 | 24 % |
| List of polls | ||
