After signing a 1 year deal with Oulun Kärpät of Liiga just a couple of days ago, the 21 year old winger got off to a hot start. It took Jesse Puljujarvi just under 3 minutes to record his first goal of the season. Although it is only the first game of the season, Puljujarvi must have felt a huge sense of relief being able to get that first goal of the season out of the way so quickly. After a rather unproductive stint in the NHL where he only recorded 17 goals and 37 points in 139 games, the Finnish winger will definitely be looking for a way to get his productivity and confidence back.
This is Puljujarvi's second stint with Kärpät, he played with them during the 2015-2016 season where he put up 13 goals and 28 points in 50 games. Those numbers heavily contributed to him getting drafted fourth overall in the 2016 NHL entry draft, so if he can string together another productive season he may be able to find himself back on an NHL roster in the future.
Hoping to get a fresh start with a new NHL team, the Finnish right winger has made it pretty clear that he is willing to hold out until a deal to move his rights gets done.
-
