Why Oilers Should Wait to Trade Jesse Puljujarvi amid Latest NHL Rumors

Jesse Puljujarvi has spent his first five NHL seasons with the Edmonton Oilers. While the 24-year-old forward will be with them to open the 2022-23 campaign, his future is uncertain.

That's because Dylan Holloway appears poised to move on to the Oilers' second offensive line alongside Leon Draisaitl and Zach Hyman. And if that's not Puljujarvi's spot, then Edmonton may decide it has the depth to move him.

In fact, it seems the Oilers may have already considered that, according to The Athletic's Daniel Nugent-Bowman.

"It’s no secret, as one team source confirmed, that Puljujarvi’s name has been out there on the trading block for months," Nugent-Bowman wrote. "The 2016 No. 4 pick would likely have been gone by now had the market not been soft."

Edmonton isn't going to deal Puljujarvi on the cheap. In fact, Nugent-Bowman reported that Oilers general manager Ken Holland has been "insistent" that the team won't move Puljujarvi in exchange for future draft picks.

It makes sense. The Oilers are in win-now mode, considering they have two of the top offensive players in the NHL (Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl) powering them to success.

Last season, Edmonton reached the Western Conference Final, where it was swept by the eventual Stanley Cup champion Colorado Avalanche. But before that, the Oilers won two playoff series, marking the first time they had advanced past the first round of the postseason since 2017 (and only the second time since 2006).

If Edmonton is going to move Puljujarvi, then it should be getting NHL-ready players in return. Perhaps it could deal from its offensive depth (by parting with Puljujarvi) and boost another area of its roster.

But at some point in the near future, Nugent-Bowman believes that the Oilers will be trading Puljujarvi, who will be a restricted free agent after the upcoming season and an unrestricted free agent in 2024.

"It’s inevitable that Puljujarvi’s days are numbered with the Oilers," Nugent-Bowman wrote. "It’s basically a matter of when—not if—he’ll have a new in-season address."

There should be interest in Puljujarvi. He's been a solid contributor throughout his career, and he's coming off a 2021-22 campaign that was his best season yet. In 65 games, he tallied a career-high 36 points on 14 goals and 22 assists.

In the meantime, Puljujarvi should continue to bring value for Edmonton. That's also why it shouldn't be a rush for the Oilers to try to trade him.

But if a strong offer comes along that makes sense for Edmonton, it would likely be wise for it to complete a deal. The Oilers need to assemble the best possible all-around team to capitalize on their window of contention, and they could do that by exchanging Puljujarvi for multiple valuable assets.

Still, Edmonton can wait out the market for the right time to do that.