The big storyline in the NHL on Friday night is Connor McDavid versus Sidney Crosby, but another emotional narrative is getting some attention too. Jesse Puljujarvi is set to face his former team for the first time since his departure. Ahead of the Penguins’ game at Rogers Place, where a lot of the talk is about the Four Nations Face-Off and Crosby or McDavid being captain of Team Canada, Puljujarvi opened up about his time with the Oilers in an interview with Daily Hive, expressing both nostalgia and excitement about returning as an opponent.
“I’m excited to play my first game against the Oilers,” Puljujarvi shared. “Lots of memories—played my first game, over 300 games, so there’s a lot of memories. Good games, bad games. It was really good to be part of the Oilers.”
Drafted fourth overall by Edmonton in 2016, Puljujarvi came into the league with high expectations as a skilled 6’4 forward with scoring potential. Edmonton practically ran up to the podium when the Columbus Blue Jackets went off the board and drafted Pierre-Luc Dubois.
While he displayed flashes of his potential, inconsistency and unfortunate injuries plagued his time with the Oilers, eventually leading to his trade to the Carolina Hurricanes in 2022. He fizzled out there fairly quickly and wound up on a PTO with Pittsburgh, eventually making the team.
Now with the Penguins, he’s fully recovered from hip surgery that sidelined him for much of last season. Puljujarvi is making his mark in Pittsburgh’s bottom-six with a productive start to the year, posting five points in seven games.
Reflecting on his comeback, Puljujarvi noted, “It’s been a long journey for me, coming back from big surgery and a long rehab. This summer was really big for me because I didn’t have to do rehab. I was able to train.”
Puljujarvi Knows Playing the Oilers Won’t Be Easy
Facing Edmonton’s star-studded roster, Puljujarvi is excited to play against his old team, but understands how good they are. “It’s gonna be hard,” he admitted. “Couple world-best players, so we have to be really ready to play hard.” The fact the Oilers aren’t where they want to be and have a chip on their shoulder means they could break out at any moment. Puljujarvi is likely hoping it’s not against his Penguins.
Puljujarvi was a fan favorite in Edmonton and he’s likely to get a rousing response on Friday night. But, once the puck drops, all former allegiances are out the window.
Most eyes will be on the McDavid vs. Crosby matchup, but can Puljujarvi produce and be a difference-maker in the game?
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