Former Oilers winger Jesse Puljujarvi is being cut loose by Carolina: report
Former Edmonton Oilers winger Jesse Puljujarvi won’t be receiving a qualifying offer from the Carolina Hurricanes.
The 25-year-old was traded to the Hurricanes from the Oilers in late February. His struggles continued in Carolina, as he managed just two assists in 17 regular season games, along with a lone assist in seven playoff outings.
As reported by TSN’s Chris Johnston, this news will result in Puljujarvi becoming a UFA, though finding a new team to latch on with may be a challenging task. Not only has the 6-foot-4 winger struggled to make an impact at the NHL level, but as Johnston reports, he recently underwent double hip surgery and is facing a lengthy recovery. This marks the second time he has had to have both hips operated on, with the first occurring back in 2019.
There is word that Jesse Puljujarvi recently underwent double hip surgery and is facing a lengthy recovery. He won't receive a qualifying offer from the #hurricanes before tomorrow's deadline and will become an unrestricted free agent. @NorthStarBet @TSN_Sports
— Chris Johnston (@reporterchris) June 29, 2023
To say Pulujarvi’s career has been a disappointment thus far would be a major understatement. Heading into the 2015 Draft, he was viewed as a consensus top-three pick but ended up slipping to the Oilers at fourth overall. Oilers management and fans alike viewed this as a huge win for the organization, but Puljujarvi was never able to turn into the dominant power forward many had envisioned.
Puljujarvi’s best season came back in 2021-22, scoring 14 goals and 36 points in 65 outings. His defensive play was also solid that season, earning him a lone Selke Trophy vote.
Despite his time with the Oilers not panning out as planned, many in Edmonton were big fans of him thanks to his joyous personality. He seemed to enjoy his time in Edmonton as well and was quick to thank both the fans and the organization after being dealt to the Hurricanes.
“It’s time to say thanks and good bye Oilers fans,” Puljujarvi posted on his Instagram. “I loved you as much as you loved me. Teammates, coaches and all the Oilers staff, with you I grew up into this league! I’ll remember these six years for the rest of my life! Let’s smile when we meet.”
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While things can change, the outlook of his NHL career doesn’t seem very promising right now. If this is the last we have seen from him, he will depart having logged 334 games split between the Oilers and Hurricanes, scoring 51 goals and 114 points.
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