Former Top Five Pick On The Verge Of A Return To The NHL

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Tyler Ball
December 8, 2023 (8:09 PM)

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Today an NHL insider has indicated that a former top-five pick is nearing a return to the NHL.

Former Top Five Pick On The Verge Of A Return

A new report from NHL insider Chris Johnston has indicated that former top pick Jesse Puljujarvi is close to a return to the NHL.

At the end of a week where NHLers with hip-related ailments were in the spotlight, there is word that Jesse Puljujärvi has been cleared by doctors for full-contact training.

He's working his way back from a bilateral hip resurfacing last summer and remains a free agent.

Puljujarvi is coming off of major hip surgery due to injuries that had plagued him for a while. Puljujarvi had struggled to carve out a role in the NHL before his injury but could be in store for a major comeback.

Can Puljujarvi Get His Career Back On Track?

Jesse Puljujarvi was the 4th overall selection in the 2016 NHL Draft. In his draft year, Puljujarvi looked like an absolute stud with 28 points in 50 games in the Finnish Men's League LIIGA.

After being drafted Puljujarvi immediately went to Edmonton where he played 28 games with the Oilers. From the start, Puljujarvi struggled to find offense in North America. As time went on he was moved down the lineup into more of a checking forward role.

He then was traded to the Carolina Hurricanes last season where he played 17 games and had 2 points. Puljujarvi has struggled mightily to find the offensive flair that made him such a promising player.

If Puljujarvi gets another chance in the NHL the team that takes him on will need to understand that they need to put him in an offensive role to be most successful. Now of course that role still needs to be earned by Puljujarvi himself.

It will be interesting to see if Puljujarvi can get his career and potential back to a fraction of what it was back in 2016.

As Read On - Hockey OTB - Breaking: Oilers Top Draft Pick Returns to the NHL