Oilers 'frustrated' in their attempts to trade Jesse Puljujarvi.
Things aren't going according to plan.
The Edmonton Oilers have had a lot of things go their way thus far this offseason but it appears that their good fortune may have run out when it comes to former 1st round draft pick Jesse Puljujarvi.
For one reason or another Puljujarvi has always been a source of frustration for the Edmonton Oilers and in spite of the fact that he's coming off a relatively productive season with 14 goals and 22 assists for 36 points over 65 games, it appears that the Oilers would prefer to see Puljujarvi become someone else's problem. Puljujarvi is coming off a 2 year deal that carried an average annual value of $1.175 million per season, but the Oilers still control his rights given his status as a pending restricted free agent.
This seemingly would leave the Oilers in a decent position to make a deal, but according to a recent update from National Hockey League insider Darren Dreger, it appears there may be relatively little interest out there in Puljujarvi's services.
"I know Edmonton is frustrated by how little interest there is in Jesse Puljujarvi," admitted Dreger on TSN's Overdrive. "They've got 3 or 4 teams that I would describe as nibbling, and I think Edmonton is a bit worried that they potentially are gonna take it between the eyes. That this trade is gonna go down and that they are gonna sell low."
It is quite the indictment of the former 4th overall pick at the 2016 NHL Entry draft that only 4 teams are even mildly interested in trading for him, and that may stem from what the Oilers themselves perceive in Puljujarvi and that is that he simply doesn't fit in their lineup.
"Jesse Puljujarvi doesn't fit, I don't think, in the bottom 6 in Edmonton," said Dreger. "And you can see the body language of Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl when they are frustrated by his play and his decision making."
At the end of the day Dreger believes it's time for both parties to move on.
"It just feels like the right time to move for both Jesse Puljujarvi, to give him a fresh start, and for the Oilers to maybe reinvest those dollars elsewhere," said Dreger.
