REPORT: Former 4th overall pick has played FINAL game with his team

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Ryan
February 13, 2023 (12:04)

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When a player is selected in the first round of the National Hockey League Entry Draft, a lot of pressure gets put on you. But when you're selected in the top 5 that pressure is even higher.

Some players thrive under pressure, some do not. Some are put in the wrong situations, and don't thrive in the environment they are in, and need a fresh start somewhere else.

Well, like some other former high draft picks in Edmonton, their former 4th overall pick in Jesse Puljujarvi has not worked out at all.

Puljujarvi was a highly rated prospect in his draft year, especially after he dominated at the World Juniors for Team Finland, helping them to a Gold Medal.

Unfortunately though his time in Edmonton has been anything but dominant. You can see that the skill in there, but for some reason his finishing ability has not been and it's drastically hurt his confidence as a player and has affected his game significantly. It came to the point this season where he publicly called himself out to the media and also stated he couldn't handle the pressure of playing with Connor McDavid.

Reported by Edmonton Oilers Daily, according to Jeff Marek, Puljujarvi has played his final game in Edmonton and will either be traded or waived by Wednesday.

Per Jeff Marek, this will be Puljujarvi's last game with the Oilers.

Yamamoto is expected to return on Wednesday, and Puljujarvi will be placed on waivers if he is not traded by then.� Oilers Daily (@oilersdailyy) February 12, 2023