The Pittsburgh Penguins have placed right winger Jesse Puljujarvi on unconditional waivers for the purpose of contract termination, per Frank Seravalli of the Daily Faceoff.
#letsgopens Jesse Puljujarvi is on unconditional waivers today for purposes of a mutual contract termination.
— Frank Seravalli (@frank_seravalli) February 8, 2025
The team and player mutually agreed to the contract termination, and after the termination process is over, the 26-year-old will become a free agent.
Puljujarvi was in the final year of a two-year contract worth $800,000 per season. This season, he’s scored three goals and nine points in 26 games with the Pens.
His last game in the NHL was on Jan. 29 against the Utah Hockey Club. The Penguins won 3-2 in overtime and Puljujarvi finished that contest with a plus-one rating and 11:51 of ice time.
Since then, he’s been in the minors with the AHL’s Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins. His last game was on Friday against the Bridgeport Islanders where he recorded two shots on goal and no points.
The Finn joined the Penguins last campaign, beginning his tenure in the American League. He spent about a month in the minors, playing 13 games with the AHL’s Penguins.
During that span, Puljujarvi scored four goals and nine points, earning a plus-eight rating. His performances earned him an NHL contract, the fourth of his career.
Last season with Pittsburgh, he played 22 games, putting up three goals and one assist while averaging 9:11 of ice time, the lowest in his NHL career. And in 48 total games for the Penguins, he’s totalled six goals and 13 points.
Related: Penguins Could Deal Rakell While Still Retaining Their ‘Core Four’ Of Stars In Roster Retool
Puljujarvi was once an exciting NHL prospect with a high ceiling. He was the fourth-overall pick in the 2016 draft, selected by the Edmonton Oilers where he went on to play six seasons, with the 2021-22 campaign being his best. In that season, Puljujarvi scored 14 goals with a career-high 22 helpers for 36 points.
He also put up a plus-22 rating, the third-highest on the team behind center Connor McDavid and left winger Evander Kane.
In the middle of the 2022-23 season, Puljujarvi was traded to the Carolina Hurricanes. With the Canes, he played 17 games and provided only two assists, but in the playoffs, he would add another assist in seven games.
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