Healthier Potentially Means Better

It's never good when young players seemingly lose their way in the NHL, forcing teams to scratch or demote them. It's harder for fans to digest those roster moves when that player is a highly-regarded draft pick that just didn't pan out. Jesse Puljujärvi's time in Edmonton was alwasy baffling to me because he seemingly did good work when playing with Edmonton's top players, but the Oilers always seemed to move him to a bottom-six role when he wasn't scoring. The frustration that grew in Edmonton led the Oilers to deal him to Carolina for a player who hasn't left Finland, and Carolina didn't qualify Puljujärvi after he needed double hip surgery, making the former fourth-overall pick in 2016 a free agent with a lengthy recovery needed.

Again, one never wants to see a good, young player sidelined with a major injury that could affect his future playing days, and there was some concern that Puljujärvi's injury and recovery could keep him out of the NHL this season if general managers were leery on how healthy he was. I'm not sure what Jesse Puljujärvi had in mind when he was working out and trying to get himself in game shape, but it seemed like he was willing to prove that he was healthier than ever before to anyone who would listen.

Kyle Dubas decided that he could take a flyer on the big Finnish winger, and Puljujärvi was invited to join the Penguins on December 10 on a free agent tryout. The Penguins' GM clearly wanted a long look at how Puljujärvi was skating following that major surgery, and the free agent tryout gave the Penguins a chance to put him through medical testing and practices without the risk of adding a contract to their already tight cap situation. With Rickard Rackell and Bryan Rust nursing injuries of their own at that time, the prospect of adding a former top-four pick would perk up any general manager's ears.

The Penguins didn't sign him at the time, but there was clearly interest on both sides in having Puljujärvi in Pittsburgh at some point, and that's where the Penguins got creative as they had Puljujärvi sign a PTO with the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins on January 4 where he can play up to 25 games, getting the conditioning he needs if he's to be signed by the NHL Penguins while allowing Dubas and his staff to evaluate his abilities, his health, and his fit with the NHL Penguins.

This is all just theory, of course, because if Puljujärvi comes out and skates like he has a piano tied to him, there's a very good chance his PTO would be ended pretty quickly. After a few days of practice with the AHL Penguins, Puljujärvi was penciled into the lineup tonight against the Springfield Thunderbirds, and he showed he was ready when he did this with five minutes left in the second period.
I'm no doctor, but Jesse Puljujärvi's skating looks pretty darn good after recovering from double hip surgery based on that example. His acceleration showed a powerful stride that didn't look like he was skating hard, and he was under control right up to the point where he found the netting just inside the far post past Subban. If Puljujärvi can show effective play at both ends of the ice, he may be an NHL Penguins winger sooner rather than later. That goal, it should be noted, tied the game up at 2-2 before the Penguins went on to a 3-2 victory off a Sam Poulin game-winner in the third period.

Let's bring this back into perspective, though, as it was one game for a guy who hasn't played all season up until tonight. Perhaps he was a little fresher than everyone else. Maybe he just doesn't have the bumps and bruises like everyone. Whatever the case may be, Jesse Puljujärvi certainly showed that he still has the hands for the NHL and can certainly skate like he belongs there. The next few games he plays may change that opinion, but, for one night, Jesse Puljujärvi showed why the Oilers picked him fourth-overall.

There's no guarantee that we'll see Puljujärvi skating alongside Crosby or Malkin this season, but goals like the one he scored above will give Penguins general manager Kyle Dubas a lot to think about as he approaches the trade deadline while hunting for scoring.

Until next time, keep your sticks on the ice!