Though the craziness of free agency is slowing down, deals and moves are still being made. With deals still being made, NHL rumours continue to fly. One of the biggest gambles a general manager can take is signing a player to be a trade piece and not being able to find someone to pay the asking price. Today we will be talking about the Edmonton Oilers, Jesse Puljujarvi, and the potential that he gets traded.
NHL Rumours: Oilers Winger Could Still be Traded
Quick thoughts on Puljujarvi. If he stays 1 year at $3,000,000 is a really nice number for the Oilers, it’s also a contract that should be easy to move if that’s still the plan.
— Dustin Nielson (@nielsonTSN1260) July 26, 2022
Puljujarvi recently signed a one-year, three million dollar contract with the Edmonton Oilers. With this deal, the two parties were able to avoid arbitration. The 24-year-old forward is a top-six, two-way forward who uses his size and speed to his advantage. He is very strong on the forecheck and is an excellent playmaker. He also has great puck-handling skills; this past season he had more takeaways than giveaways. Puljujarvi scored 14 goals, 22 assists, and 36 points in 65 games played.
If the Oilers Decide to Trade Puljujarvi
Puljujarvi is a very polarizing player for hockey viewers and Edmonton fans. This is usually determined by those who either rely on the eye test or those who love hockey analytics. However, at first glance, his offensive numbers don’t reflect what one would expect for someone who plays primarily on a line with Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl. So the question the Oilers have to ask themselves is: is Puljujarvi better for them on their roster or used as a trade piece? If you enjoy hockey analytics, the numbers say that McDavid is better when Puljujarvi is on the ice compared to other skaters. One could say that alone would be enough to keep him.
The other option would be to trade him and in turn, both parties could potentially be better off. Edmonton could possibly get someone who can put more pucks in the net or Puljujarvi could be in a system that allows him to put more pucks in the net. One team, in particular, that could use a playmaker with the potential of scoring would be the Calgary Flames. They currently have roughly nine million dollars in cap space.
And with the recent loss of Johnny Gaudreau and Matthew Tkachuk, they are needing to fill some massive offensive holes. While they do have players like Elias Lindholm and now Jonathan Huberdeau who can put up points, adding a playmaker in the mix might be exactly what they need. The Oilers are just under three million dollars over the salary cap. They could consider moving Puljujarvi for a future pick would make the most sense.
Oilers bring back forward Jesse Puljujarvi on 1 year, $3M deal https://t.co/MierIQu21U pic.twitter.com/KmoiKPi93s
— CBC Edmonton (@CBCEdmonton) July 27, 2022
