While Patrick Kane is getting a lot of the attention on the unrestricted free agent market, another name that could get some attention down the road is Jesse Puljujarvi. He went away quietly in his brief stint with the Carolina Hurricanes, and they ended up not giving Puljujarvi a qualifying offer, but there could still be some intrigue for him on the market.
Puljujarvi does come with that draft pedigree as a former fourth-overall pick that could certainly unlock his potential, but at 25 years old, that’s becoming a slimmer chance every year. And after several seasons on Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl’s wings, Puljujarvi has yet to score more than 15 goals in a season. Some of that is due to his health keeping him out of some games, but a consistent inability to finish won’t have teams fighting over the chance to acquire him.
Frank Seravalli and Tyler Yaremchuk were asked about Puljujarvi’s status and how much interest there is for him on the market on Daily Faceoff Live.
Frank Seravalli: He will get another shot. My guess is he’s probably going to have to start somewhere on a professional tryout or an AHL deal to try and work his way back. I think it wasn’t just a health thing that kept him from getting to the level that he wanted to be at, and a lot of people thought that he could get to. I think there was also a confidence factor, so I think he’s got a long way to go, and teams aren’t going to be knocking down his door to get another opportunity after the way things ended in Carolina. It was pretty bleak, so he’s got a long way back.
Tyler Yaremchuk: Yeah, I think I would tend to agree with you.
You can watch the full episode here…
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