In the late 2000s, Magnus Paajarvi was widely regarded as one of the best up-and-coming prospects in hockey. Selected 10th overall by the Edmonton Oilers in the 2009 NHL Draft, his combination of size, speed, and skill made him a forward of considerable promise and potential (from ‘The Oilers get their wish and draft Swedish prospect Magnus Paaajrvi-Svensson’, Edmonton Journal, June 27, 2009). For the Oilers, Paajarvi was projected to become a crucial member of their roster, and one whose detailed two-way game could help lead the team out of its persistent misery. Unfortunately for both Edmonton and Paajarvi, the native of Norrkoping, Sweden, failed to find his footing in the NHL and exited Alberta after a mere three seasons.
So, what exactly happened to Paajarvi during his time with the Oilers and following his departure from Edmonton, you ask? Well, let’s take a moment to review his career, the many teams he’s played for, and the success he’s enjoyed over the years.
Paajarvi Was a Top Prospect
Paajarvi was regarded as an elite prospect before his selection in the NHL Draft by the Oilers, and for good reason. Consistently skating and succeeding against players much older than himself, Paajarvi routinely outpaced his age group and honed his two-way game against more experienced competition. In fact, he played his first professional games in Sweden at the age of just 16 and skated as a full-time pro in each of his following two seasons with Timra IK.
Paajarvi also enjoyed success in a variety of international competitions ahead of his selection by Edmonton. During the 2007-08 campaign, he was a member of Sweden’s team that captured the gold medal at the then-Ivan Hlinka Memorial tournament. In the same season, he also helped his nation to a silver medal at the World Junior Championship (WJC). In the following season of 2008-09, he led the Ivan Hlinka Memorial in points and again helped push Sweden to a silver medal at the WJC. Then in 2009-10, he was named as one of Sweden’s top-three players en route to a bronze medal at the WJC. He also represented his country at the World Championship, where he recorded the most points by a player younger than 20 and was again named as a top-three player on his team.
Despite his age, it was abundantly clear that Paajarvi’s well-rounded and energetic game would translate well to the NHL level. So, it came as no surprise when the Oilers called his name tenth-overall in the NHL Draft, as he had long displayed the skill and ability necessary to thrive at hockey’s highest level.
Time in Oil Country
In his rookie season with the Oilers, Paajarvi’s play showcased the raw skill and potential which had made him a highly sought-after prospect. In his 80 games played as a rookie, he recorded 15 goals and 34 points while playing an attentive two-way game. His career-high outputs in these two categories placed him on track for increased ice time and an expanded role with Edmonton ahead of his sophomore campaign. However, after a somewhat slow start to his second season, he found himself in the American Hockey League (AHL) (from ‘Magnus Paajarvi Demoted to the AHL’, Edmonton Journal, Dec. 16, 2011). Demoted to skating for the Oklahoma City Barons. While he was productive in his 34 contests in the minors, notching seven goals and 25 points, he was unable to translate his renewed success to the NHL level. Come the end of the 2011-12 campaign, he had recorded just two goals and eight points in 41 games with the Oilers, while his average time on ice had dropped to 13:11 per game.
In the final year of his entry-level contract, Paajarvi once again split his time between the NHL and the AHL. While his situation was certainly normal for a player of his age, his inability to gain traction or display significant progress in his development ultimately proved cause for concern for the Oilers. While his offensive production increased slightly in his third campaign in Edmonton – scoring nine goals and 16 points in 42 games – his play unfortunately wasn’t reflective of a top 10 selection in the NHL Draft.
Although he was just 21 years old at the time and garnering a shade more than 14:00 of ice time per game, then-general manager Steve Tambellini felt the time was right to move on from Paajarvi and seek a change of scenery for their former top prospect. In the offseason of 2013, he was dealt to the St. Louis Blues in a package for David Perron. After just 163 regular season games played with the Oilers, Paajarvi’s time in Oil Country was over.
NHL Journeyman
Believe it or not, Paajarvi played the most games of his NHL career with the St. Louis Blues. After his arrival in trade, he would go on to play in parts of five seasons with the Blues, recording 19 goals and 39 points in his 189 contests with the team. Similar to his tenure with Edmonton, he spent a fair deal of his time in St. Louis moving back and forth between the NHL and AHL. A regular with the Chicago Wolves from 2014-17, Paajarvi again excelled in the AHL but struggled to contribute offensively on a consistent basis when competing at hockey’s highest level. A slew of injuries throughout his years in St. Louis also stifled Paajarvi’s progress, as he failed to once play a full season’s worth of games.
It wasn’t until January 2018 when he was claimed off waivers by the Ottawa Senators that Paajarvi would find his health and consistency, albeit temporarily. After skating in 35 games to wrap up the 2017-18 season with the Senators, he appeared in 80 contests with the team during the 2018-19 campaign. His 80 games played with Ottawa matched his career-high in appearances, however, Paajarvi once again found himself on the move during the 2019 offseason.
European Career and the Future
Since the beginning of the 2019-20 campaign, Paajarvi has been competing for a variety of teams throughout Europe. After his time in North America came to an end, he first moved to Russia and joined Lokomotiv Yaroslavl of the Kontinental Hockey League (KHL) for the better part of two seasons, where he collected 19 points in 65 games played. During his second season with the team, he moved to Dynamo Moskva where he would earn another eight points in 24 contests. To kickstart the 2021-22 season, he had again relocated, this time to his native country of Sweden. In his first and only season with the Malmo Redhawks, he appeared in just 17 games and collected three points.
A significant and positive change in Paajarvi’s hockey journey came during the offseason in 2022 when he re-joined Timra IK. A return to the team where he began his professional career has sparked Paajarvi’s play, as through his first two seasons with the team, he collected 33 points in 89 games played. At the time of writing, he is in the midst of his third campaign with the team and continues to play the detailed two-way game which made him an elite prospect more than a decade ago. While his fans shouldn’t rule out a potential return to the NHL in the future, it’s clear that he’s found a home and sense of comfort with Timra IK. Coached by former NHL star Olli Jokinen and captained by former Oilers teammate Anton Lander, it’s terrific to see that Paajarvi has found consistency and success following years marked by injury and uncertainty.
With more than 800 games of professional hockey under his belt and counting, it’s abundantly clear that Paajarvi has enjoyed an incredibly successful career regardless of if he one day returns to the NHL.
