Pittsburgh Penguins Officially Place Former Top Pick Jesse Puljujarvi On Waivers

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Tom Banks
December 30, 2024 (4:24 PM)

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The Pittsburgh Penguins gave Jesse Puljujarvi a lifeline a year ago, and despite solid production since his arrival, he has now found himself on waivers after being a healthy scratch for much of the past month.

Back in the 2016 NHL Draft, the Edmonton Oilers believed that they had landed a star in Jesse Puljujarvi, and while he posted a career-high of 36 points in 2021, he was just never able to take that major step forward.

After the 2022/23 campaign, he was let go and headed back to Europe, with many believing that his NHL career could be over, but since then he was given a lifeline by the Pittsburgh Penguins, who allowed him to work his way back into the league with strong performances in the AHL.

However, he has now officially been waived by the team, with the 26-year-old likely to draw plenty of interest from rival teams after showing that he can be a solid bottom-six forward in the NHL.

However, this move wasn't received very well by the fanbase, who have criticized Pittsburgh for the move with several veterans who aren't performing as well still consistently finding their way into the lineup.

In 21 games played this season, Puljujarvi has posted 3 goals and 8 points, and while that isn't the type of production you'd hope to get from a former No. 4 overall draft pick, he hasn't played in a game since early December, with the team opting to healthy scratch him throughout that time.

At 26 years of age, there's still time for Puljujarvi to become a full-time, productive NHLer, so whether he gets claimed on waivers or rejoins the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins of the AHL, expect him to continue working hard as he looks to find his role at the NHL level.