In today’s News & Notes, Jesse Puljujarvi is set to have season-ending surgery, Mirco Mueller has been released from the hospital a day after a scary-looking injury and Taylor Hall is questionable to return this season.
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Puljujarvi to Have Season-Ending Surgery
The Edmonton Oilers will be without Puljujarvi for the remainder of the 2018-19 season as he’s set to undergo season-ending hip surgery, the Oilers announced Thursday.
The 20-year-old winger was highly touted coming out of Karpat in the Finnish Elite League and was even lumped into the same conversation as Auston Matthews and Patrik Laine in the 2016 NHL Entry Draft. He would ultimately be picked fourth overall that season, much to the pleasure of the Oilers who didn’t think he would slip to them at that spot.
Unfortunately, Matthews, Laine and Pierre-Luc Dubois (the player selected third overall instead of Puljujarvi) have all has very successful starts to their NHL careers. Puljujarvi, much like a stream of other highly-touted prospects who have gone through the Oilers’ system, has struggled to find his footing both at the NHL and even the AHL level.
Jesse Puljujarvi (Amy Irvin / The Hockey Writers)
This injury, however, could have something to do with those struggles.
“This injury has been bothering Jesse for some time now and after careful consideration with Jesse, his agent and our medical staff, the best decision was to have the surgery and miss the remainder of the season,” said assistant general manager Keith Gretzky. “We expect Jesse to rehabilitate and train throughout the summer and be 100 percent ready to go for training camp in September.”
Ideally, Puljuarvi can return fully healthy and turn a corner in his development next season.
Puljujarvi would finish his season with four goals and nine points in 46 games at the NHL level. He’s up to 17 goals and 37 points in 139 career games.
Mueller Released From Hospital After Scary Injury
A scary scene took place in New Jersey on Wednesday as Mueller lost his footing while chasing a puck and crashed head-first into the boards. He’d end up injured on the play and was ultimately stretchered off of the ice at the 1:09 mark of the third period.
While he did give the crowd a thumbs up as he was being taken off, many were expecting the worst while hoping for the best.
Mirco Mueller, New Jersey Devils, Oct. 20, 2018 (Amy Irvin / The Hockey Writers)
Fortunately, the injuries suffered weren’t too serious and the 23-year-old was able to move his extremities and maintained consciousness.
“Thank God, he’s OK,” head coach John Hynes said after the game. “He’s fully conscious and all of his extremities are moving fine.”
Mueller has since been released from the hospital and had the following to say in a statement released via his Twitter account:
“Just wanted to thank everybody for all your encouraging messages over the last couple of [hours] and thank you to everyone on the medical staff for taking exceptional care of me while I wasn’t doing so well! I didn’t sustain any too serious injuries and at this moment hope to be back on the ice very soon!”
Hall Questionable for 2018-19 Return
In other Devils’ injury news, something the team has unfortunately grown accustomed too over the last few months, Hall remains questionable to return to the team at all for the remainder of the season. The veteran forward has missed the past 29 games and 31 of the team’s last 35 games. He had arthroscopic surgery on his left knee earlier in the week.
“If he could come back and play at some point but only safely and with no long-term impact, that’ll be fantastic, but we have to make sure he’s confident and our medical staff is comfortable,” said Devils general manager Ray Shero
Taylor Hall #9, New Jersey Devils, October 20, 2018 (Amy Irvin / The Hockey Writers)
Hall has been prolific since joining the Devils and has scored 70 goals and 183 points in 181 games with the team and even won the Hart Trophy in 2017-18 as a result.
With the Devils hopes of making the postseason appearing to be very unlikely, keeping the 27-year-old out of action for the remainder of the season may not be a bad decision as they keep an eye towards the future and their long-term success.
