Oilers’ Holland mocks Puljujarvi’s decision to sign in Finland

Edmonton Oilers forward Jesse Puljujarvi signed a one-year deal with Oulun Kärpät in Finland’s Liiga on Tuesday, but the contract includes a clause that would allow him to return to the NHL before Dec. 1.

Therefore, we could see him back in the NHL this year. 

However as of now, Oilers general manager Ken Holland remains focused on finding the best scenario for his club when it comes to Puljujarvi and appeared unfazed by his player’s decision to remain in Finland. 

He almost seems to mock the young forward’s decision, dismissing it quickly and sticking to what he needs to do in Edmonton. 

“I don’t know that him signing in Finland has a huge effect on the situation,” Holland said on Tuesday morning to Sportsnet’s Mark Spector. “I’ve had conversations with numerous clubs that have had interest, some interest, in acquiring Jesse. And I have had, probably in the last 10 days, two or three new teams reach out to me. Teams whose positions have changed, and are checking into the Puljujarvi situation.

“I’ll do a deal if I feel good that I’m making a deal in the best interests of the Edmonton Oilers.”

The GM added that Puljujarvi could get more interest by playing well overseas, which would make his job easier. 

“At the end of the day, if you can do a deal that makes sense for the Edmonton Oilers, you do it,” Holland added. “If you can’t, you go over (to Europe) and watch him play, and hopefully he scores a lot of goals over there.”

However, as we all know, fans are still waiting for Puljujarvi to breakout offensively, especially in the NHL. Despite being being the fourth-overall pick in 2016, he has 17 goals and 37 points in 139 games over three seasons. 

Puljujarvi played parts of two seasons for Kärpät before joining the Oilers. In 71 games over two seasons there, he tallied 17 goals and 39 points. He also added nine points in 10 playoff games. 

Let’s see if he can do better this time around and get the attention of rival teams in the NHL.