Penguins Sign Puljujärvi to a PTO

The Penguins have added forward Jesse Puljujärvi on a tryout basis, the team announced today.

Picked fourth overall by the Oilers in the 2016 Entry Draft, Puljujärvi possesses all the physical tools. The 25-year-old Finn is large (6’4” 205), can skate and isn’t afraid to bang (a career-high 139 hits last season).

He’s scored as many as 15 goals in a season (in 55 games in ’20-21) and logged a career-high 36 points (14+22) the following season. However, success…at least the type one would expect of a player with his pedigree…has proven elusive.

Hampered by injuries to both hips that required intensive off-season surgery, Puljujärvi’s output plummeted to five goals and 16 points in 75 games last season, including two assists in 17 games with the Hurricanes.

Whether he can recover sufficiently from the surgeries, which involved the insertion of a metal ball and cup into each of his hip joints, remains to be seen.

A low-risk, potentially high-reward move by Kyle Dubas, who’s leaving no stone unturned in his efforts in help his struggling team. If the big guy can recover to the extent where he could produce even 10-15 goals, it would be a huge boon for the depth-challenged black and gold.

Here’s Jesse WAR chart, courtesy of JFresh. Note the low finishing metric.

In other team news, the Pens have recalled Pierre-Olivier Joseph from his conditioning assignment with the Baby Pens. Given the dearth of production from our defense, I wouldn’t be shocked to see POJ in the lineup when we square off with Arizona on Tuesday.