Report: Jesse Puljujarvi expected to sign contract with Edmonton Oilers

It’s not over until the t’s are crossed, the i’s are dotted and the ink is dry, but a report surfacing Thursday says the Edmonton Oilers are expected to sign disgruntled forward Jesse Puljujarvi.

The report surfaced Thursday afternoon from Sportsnet’s Mark Spector where he reported there have been multiple meetings between Puljujarvi and his agent Markus Lehto and Oilers staff that includes Dave Tippett and Ken Holland.

In late July, a meeting occurred where Holland says they spoke with Puljujarvi about the Oilers, and where they saw him fitting in, Spector reported.

This report is the most adamant of Puljujarvi returning to Edmonton that has surfaced in the year-plus since he left to play in Finland.

Spector added Holland would try to get Puljujarvi’s contract as close to $1-million as possible given the cap crunch and with it, a “handshake agreement that he will be traded if he cannot find success in Edmonton.”

Just last week, Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman dampened expectations saying “it sounds like the Oilers thought a signing was close, the player not so much. We will see where this goes. A trade is still possible.”

Puljujarvi was named an alternate captain for Karpat Oulu alongside former Oiler Jussi Jokinen.

He’s already played in two preseason games with Karpat scoring two goals and eight assists. Yes, 10 points in two games.

So by all accounts, it appears that’s he already going to be building off a strong season that saw him score 24 goals and 52 points in 56 games.

His contract in Karpat has an out clause that allows him to return to the NHL.

On Twitter: @zjlaing