Ex-Edmonton Oilers player Jesse Puljujarvi looking to make NHL comeback
Is the Bison King on the verge of returning to the NHL?
Jesse Puljujarvi appears to be interested in returning to the league after turning in a great season overseas and showing well at this year’s IIHF World Championship with Finland.
The former Edmonton Oilers fourth-overall pick is coming off a point-per-game campaign with 19 goals and 52 points while playing in the Swiss-A league. Puljujarvi then followed that up with four goals and nine points in 10 games at the World Championship.
Those counting stats appear to be generating some interest from NHL teams looking to sign the 28-year-old forward. The Fourth Period’s David Pagnotta reported on Wednesday that Puljujarvi is a name to watch this summer.
“We’re a week away from the free agent doors swinging open. One player to look out for: Jesse Puljujarvi,” Pagnotta wrote. “He had a monster season in the Swiss League. His hip issues are a thing of the past, I’m told, and there’s already lots interest from several teams eyeing a mid-six upgrade.”
Weāre a week away from the free agent doors swinging open. One player to look out for: Jesse Puljujarvi.
He had a monster season in the Swiss League. His hip issues are a thing of the past, Iām told, and thereās already lots interest from several teams eyeing a mid-six upgrade.
— David Pagnotta (@TheFourthPeriod) June 24, 2026
Puljujarvi’s last stint in the NHL came during the 2024-25 season, where he split time between the Pittsburgh Penguins and Florida Panthers. He only appeared in 31 games that season, and scored just four goals and 10 points in that span.
A big concern about the big Finn throughout his career has been his health. Puljujarvi has dealt with a hip injury throughout the majority of his career, and even underwent double hip surgery in 2023 to repair issues. Though he returned to the NHL after that procedure, he didn’t look quite the same.
Now that those issues appear to be in the rearview mirror, perhaps Puljujarvi can get back to the level that made him such a high draft pick in 2016. He would be returning to the league with lower expectations than before, which should help him fit into a team’s middle-six a little easier this time around.
The Oilers could certainly use a player of Puljujarvi’s size and skill to plug-and-play throughout. If Edmonton opts to let Kasperi Kapanen go in free agency, then Puljujarvi could serve as a low-cost replacement.
That may be a bit unlikely, however, as the Oilers have a tumultuous relationship with the Finn. Back in 2019, Puljujarvi opted to leave Edmonton for his native Finland after frustrations around his development. He stayed there for two seasons before returning to the Oilers for the 2020-21 season, where he played in the Alberta capital until he was traded to the Carolina Hurricanes at the 2023 NHL trade deadline.
A reunion between the Oilers and Puljujarvi would be an interesting one, but it’ll depend on whether both sides have any interest in making it happen.