The Washington Capitals missed out on a chance to bring in former Detroit Red Wings forward Filip Zadina after he struggled to find a spot in their NHL lineup, and he chose to join the San Jose Sharks instead. If the Capitals are interested in bringing in a project player in an attempt to bolster their top-nine forward group, former Edmonton Oilers and Carolina Hurricanes forward Jesse Puljujarvi is a potential candidate.
Related: Capitals 2023 Free Agent Targets: Vladimir Taranseko
Puljujarvi, who is listed at 6-foot-4, 201 pounds, is a right-shot winger born in Alvkarleby, Sweden. He struggled during his tenure with the Oilers and was dealt to the Hurricanes last season in exchange for Patrik Puistola. He never found his groove with the Hurricanes either, and now finds himself searching for a new team to call home.
He was described by scouts and teammates as an offensive winger who utilized his shot to score goals and create opportunities and used his size to intimidate his opponents and create open lanes for himself. He hasn’t been able to find his confidence at the NHL level just yet, but he’ll be looking for a new team next season as the Hurricanes chose not to re-sign or qualify his contract, making him an unrestricted free agent.
The Capitals are looking for help both offensively and defensively. Puljujarvi is a player with solid defensive skills but will need to drive up his offensive abilities in order to find a full-time spot on an NHL roster. He is a player that fills the needs the Capitals have up front and if he gets utilized properly, he could be a steal.
Puljujarvi’s Career So Far
Puljujarvi, who is 25 years old, was drafted in the first round of the 2016 NHL Entry Draft by the Oilers at fourth overall. He was a projected top-three pick that fell into the Oilers’ lap, and the team was excited to snag him at that spot. He played well in his draft year with Kärpät of the Liiga in Finland, scoring 13 goals and adding 15 assists for 28 points through 50 games as an 18-year-old.
At the World Junior U20 Tournament, he represented Finland. He scored an astounding five goals and added 12 assists for 17 points through just seven games, which is an extremely impressive 2.43 points per game average.
His rookie season was split between the NHL and American Hockey League (AHL) with the Bakersfield Condors. In 28 games with the Oilers, he scored one goal and added seven assists for eight points. With the Condors, he scored 12 goals and added 16 assists for 28 points through 39 games. It seemed as though it was gonna take some time for him to transfer his game to the NHL level, but he was showing early signs of being a solid contributor in the near future.
Puljujarvi’s second season was a bit better as he earned more playing time at the NHL level with the Oilers. He scored 12 goals and added eight assists for 20 points through 65 games, but still wasn’t at the elite level most fans expected him to be at during his second season.
Puljujarvi only put up four goals and five assists through 46 games the following season. He ended up going back to Kärpät for the 2019-20 season in hopes of finding his offensive confidence again and was brought back for the 2020-21 season, where he scored 15 goals and 10 assists for 25 points through 55 games.
Puljujarvi’s second last season with the Oilers was his career best. He scored 14 goals and added 22 assists for 36 points through 65 games and was finally shining through as the potential top-six forward everyone made him out to be during his draft year. Unfortunately, the following season was a letdown.
He scored five goals and added nine assists for 14 points through 58 games before being traded to the Hurricanes, where he went scoreless and added two assists through 17 games. He was let go following their run to the Eastern Conference Final.
Puljujarvi’s Fit With the Capitals
The Capitals need depth if they want to make a run at their second Stanley Cup in franchise history. They have a skilled team on paper but don’t have a strong enough roster compared to their divisional opponents heading into the 2023-24 season.
Puljujarvi would likely slot into their bottom six and could earn minutes in the top six with solid play. The Capitals could be an attractive team for Puljujarvi if he’s looking for a team that will grant him a better opportunity to move up their lineup than either the Oilers or Hurricanes were able to.
I think the Capitals could bring Puljujarvi in on a one-year deal worth $825,000. He will be looking to prove himself and it’s a low-risk, high-reward contract that benefits both sides. The Capitals get added depth and look really smart if Puljujarvi finds his game, while Puljujarvi gets a strong opportunity to show he wasn’t a bust as the fourth-overall pick back in 2016.
