The Edmonton Oilers forward Jesse Puljujarvi has agreed to a one-year contract with Finnish club Oulun Karpat. This contract does have an NHL opt-out clause until Dec. 1.
Kärpät on solminut yksivuotisen sopimuksen hyökkääjä Jesse Puljujärven kanssa! 🔥🔥🔥
TIEDOTE: https://t.co/8KFglhnwDQ#Kärpät #Liiga #CHL pic.twitter.com/4U1SlKl0St
— Oulun Kärpät (@OulunKarpatFi) August 27, 2019
Jesse Puljujarvi Signs with Oulun Karpat
In Puljujarvi, Oulun Karpat get a young player with potential. This season, he scored four goals and five assists for nine points, adding 16 minutes in penalties. His possession numbers were 45.9 percent Corsi and a relative Corsi of -2.7. Those totals were down compared to last season, where he scored 12 goals, eight assists for 20 points.
Over his three-year NHL career he has played for the just the Edmonton Oilers. In that time, he has 17 goals and 20 assists for 37 career points in 139 career games. He was originally drafted in the first round, fourth overall of the 2016 NHL draft by the Oilers.
“The great thing is, Jesse has decided to make a season-long deal with us,” Karpat’s sports director Harri Aho said, via a translation. “Jesse is a thoroughbred whose physics, skills and talent will surely be enough for the NHL. We want to be there to help and support Jesse towards that goal.”
The former No. 4 overall pick demanded a trade from the Oilers earlier in the summer. He had a hard time cracking the Edmonton lineup and spend time in the AHL with the Bakersfield Condors. Puljujarvi did play in Karpat’s youth system and the main club as well.
What This Means for the Future
The Finnish club will have an enthusiastic player that has yet had the opportunity to play a full season. Although the Swedish first-round pick has struggled to produce offensively on the bottom six this season. However the hope is with more ice time and eventual experience, the 20-year-old will find his way and make his mark.
An NHL team could still acquire his services if an agreement is reached by Dec. 1. He’ll be locked into playing in Finland if nothing happens by that date.
MONTREAL, QC – FEBRUARY 03: Jesse Puljujarvi #98 of the Edmonton Oilers skates against the Montreal Canadiens during the NHL game at the Bell Centre on February 3, 2019 in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. The Montreal Canadiens defeated the Edmonton Oilers 4-3 in overtime. (Photo by Minas Panagiotakis/Getty Images)
