Is Jesse Puljujarvi going to be a player the Edmonton Oilers invest in long-term? Or will he wind up being a salary cap casualty?

Back in 2019, Puljujarvi requested a trade and ultimately left the Oilers to spend a season back in Finland. Rather than meeting the young Finn’s trade demand, Ken Holland remained patient and Puljujarvi wound up coming back to Edmonton on a cheap two-year deal.

That contract is over now and Puljujarvi is again a restricted free agent. He scored 15 goals and 25 points in the COVID-shortened 2021 season and he then followed that up with 14 goals and a career-high 36 points in 2021-22. While the production is somewhat disappointing given his draft pedigree, Puljujarvi has evolved into a forward who plays very well away from the puck.

So, what’s next? We explored what we’ve seen from Puljujarvi thus far, what we can expect in the future, and what the Oilers might do with him this offseason.