Jesse Puljujarvi Garnering NHL Interest

The saga surrounding former fourth-overall pick Jesse Puljujarvi may not be done just yet. The Finnish winger is reportedly garnering attention from forward-needy teams around the league after a standout year in Switzerland’s National League per David Pagnotta of The Fourth Period. Puljujarvi finished second on Geneve Servette in scoring with 52 points in as many games this season. He ranked one spot behind fellow NHL veteran Markus Granlund (54 points) and two spots ahead of Jimmy Vesey (35 points).

Puljujarvi had a roller-coaster season in 2024-25. He began the year on a two-year, $1.6MM contract signed with the Pittsburgh Penguins in February 2024. Puljujarvi was demoted to the minors after starting the season with just nine points in 26 games, then waived and released by Pittsburgh in February 2025.

He signed an professional try-out contract with the AHL’s Charlotte Checkers one day later and earned an NHL deal with the Florida Panthers one month after that following 13 points in 22 games with Charlotte. But Puljujarvi couldn’t find a spark in Florida either, netting just one goal and 15 penalty minutes in five appearances. He returned to the Checkers for the Calder Cup Playoffs and put up a meaningful 11 points in 18 games, scoring that ultimately set up a productive move to Switzerland this summer.

The 28-year-old winger now sits in limbo. He was once a highly-acclaimed scorer, capable of throwing hits and driving play with energy and power. Drafted by the Edmonton Oilers in 2016, Puljujarvi reached the height of his career in 2021-22, when he scored 36 points in 65 games for Edmonton. Those strong marks were derailed by a trade to the Carolina Hurricanes in February 2023, then compounded by a painful hip injury that required resurfacing surgery in June 2023. He slowly worked his way back to health leading up to his move to the Penguins – and Pagnotta reports that Puljujarvi’s hip issues are now firmly in the rearview mirror three years after his surgery.

Moving by those injuries could be enough to convince teams to take one last go at Puljujarvi. While his hopes of lofty NHL scoring are squashed, he could still provide effective and multi-faceted support to a team’s middle-six. Coming off a year in Switzerland, Puljujarvi will likely also command a relatively cheap price. That should pipeline him into a third-line role in his NHL return, though teams will need to be aware of his chances at slipping back into the minor-leagues. Puljujarvi has totaled 128 points in 387 NHL games, and 62 points in 92 AHL games, through his North American career.