Former Oilers forward Puljujarvi signs two-year deal with Penguins
Ex-Edmonton Oilers forward Jesse Puljujarvi is officially returning to the NHL.
The former fourth-overall pick from 2016 signed a two-year contract with the Pittsburgh Penguins this afternoon that carries a $800,000 cap hit. This comes after Puljujarvi signed a PTO with the Penguins back in December.
The Penguins have signed forward Jesse Puljujarvi to a two-year contract.
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The two-year contract runs through the end of the 2024.25 season and carries an average annual value of $800,000.Full details: https://t.co/v1fPzfHC67 pic.twitter.com/iIlBbgOsh7
— Pittsburgh Penguins (@penguins) February 4, 2024
Puljujarvi has been playing with the Penguins AHL affiliate in Wilkes Barre/Scranton over the last month and a half. In 13 games, the results have been fantastic for the 25-year-old scoring four goals and nine points during that span.
The Finn has had a long road back to the NHL after the Carolina Hurricanes decided not to resign him following last season. He underwent double hip surgery over the summer and was not able to get back into game action until December.
Oilers fans should remember Puljujarvi well. He appeared in 317 games with Edmonton between 2016 and 2023 where he managed to score 51 goals and 112 points. He was traded to the Hurricanes at last year’s trade deadline in exchange for prospect Patrik Puistola, who was eventually left unqualified at the end of the season.
Puljujarvi will now join a Penguins team battling to stay in the playoff picture. The team has a 22-17-7 record and is five points back of the Philadelphia Flyers for third place in the Metropolitan Division.
It’s unclear where Penguins head coach Mike Sullivan will slot Puljujarvi into the lineup. He did have the Finn rotate on the top line when he first signed the PTO, but whether that sticks is not known.
The Penguins will be back in action on Tuesday as they host the high-flying Winnipeg Jets.