A former player of the Edmonton Oilers, as well as other NHL clubs, has decided to officially leave the NHL and signed a contract overseas in Switzerland.
Jesse Puljujarvi, the former Edmonton Oiler, will be heading to Switzerland. Puljujarvi has officially signed a contract with a Swiss club, Geneve-Servette HC (NL).
When Puljujarvi was waived by the Pittsburgh Penguins in February to terminate his contract 'by mutual agreement' ahead of the international transfer deadline, it was widely expected that he'd end up in Europe at that moment.
Switzerland was the rumored destination at that time, as was Karpat Oulu, his hometown club in Finland. However, he surprisingly signed with the Florida Panthers instead and decided to remain in North America.
Puljujarvi only played in 31 NHL games this season, 26 with Pittsburgh and five with Florida, scoring four goals and adding six assists.
Puljujarvi was with the Florida Panthers organization most recently
Puljujarvi, 27, had four goals and 10 points through 31 games played with Pittsburgh and Florida in the NHL and also had six goals and 16 points through 26 games played with the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins and Charlotte Checkers (AHL).
Puljujarvi was chosen with the fourth overall pick by the Edmonton Oilers in the 2016 NHL Entry Draft and never lived up to expectations. He has 128 points in 387 career NHL regular-season games, as well as six points in 27 playoff games.
In June 2023, he underwent double hip surgery and missed half of the next season. We wish Puljujarvi all the best as he begins this new chapter of his pro hockey career.
Despite his struggles playing in the best hockey league in the world, maybe this European adventure will be exactly what he needs to get back on track.
