In a recent article written by Jim Matheson of The Edmonton Sun, the long time Oilers journalist said that the Anaheim Ducks are believed to be interested in Jesse Puljujarvi.
Related: 4 Possible Landing Spots for Canucks’ Bo Horvat in Deadline Trade
Rumors of a trade surrounding Puljujarvi are nothing new, as the 24-year-old was forced to deal with them all offseason. That said, things have picked up even more on that front given his struggles in 2022-23, as he has managed just a single goal and six points through 30 games. Those stats are much worse than even his harshest critics could have imagined, and are especially shocking given the fact that he has seen his fair share of time on Connor McDavid’s wing.
As far as the Ducks interest, it makes a ton of sense for a team like them to bring Puljujarvi in. After all, they remain in the early stages of a rebuild, and on top of that have a ridiculous amount of cap space. This is likely a situation where, if they decide to bring the player in, they can do so for very cheap, as the Oilers are reportedly wanting nothing more than to rid themselves of his $3 million cap hit at this point.
While most agree that a change of scenery is best for Puljujarvi at this point, it is disappointing the way the relationship between himself and the Oilers appears to be heading to an end. Expectations were very high surrounding him after being selected fourth overall at the 2016 NHL Entry Draft, but things just never seemed to work out the way anyone had envisioned. That said, he was able to produce some solid secondary scoring in each of the past two seasons, while maintaining his responsible defensive play. Perhaps joining a team that can be patient with him like the Ducks is exactly what he needs.
Next: Hockey World Reacts to Alex Ovechkin Reaching 800 Goals
