Puljujarvi's 'long, long journey' leads to two-year contract with Penguins

CRANBERRY, Pa. -- It's been nearly eight months since Jesse Puljujarvi underwent double hip resurfacing surgery. After a long road to recovery that included a stop in Wilkes-Barre/Scranton on an AHL professional tryout contract, Puljujarvi is back in the NHL.

The Penguins on Sunday signed Puljujarvi to a two-year, one-way contract that carries an $800,00 average annual value.

"I'm feeling great," Puljujarvi said after Sunday's practice at the Lemieux Complex. "I've been working really hard and it's really nice to be part of this team right now."

The Penguins brought Puljujarvi in on a professional tryout contract on Dec. 10 and had him on a schedule that had him practicing with the team some days, and off the ice on other days in favor of off-ice rehab. He signed an AHL-level professional tryout contract with Wilkes-Barre on Jan. 4, and scored four goals and five assists. He skated in a top-six wing role and worked on the power play during his time with Wilkes-Barre.

"If he earns his way into a contract, that would be great," Kyle Dubas said on the Penguins radio network when Puljujarvi went down to Wilkes-Barre. "That would be a massive boost for us if he could get back to his form of season or two ago with the Oilers and what he was able to bring for them."

Management started seriously speaking with Puljujarvi's camp about a contract last week, and finalized the signing on Sunday.

Puljujarvi is coming off of a down year, having battled through hip issues during the season. He scored five goals and nine assists in 58 games with Edmonton before being traded to Carolina, where he recorded just two assists in 17 games to finish the season. What Dubas was referring to was Puljujarvi's 2021-22 season in Edmonton, when he scored 14 goals and 22 assists in 65 games. He had a strong 2020-21 COVID-shortened season, with 15 goals and 10 assists in 55 games.

"He's shown that he can play up with top players, particularly in Edmonton in the past," Dubas said of Puljujarvi after first signing him. "But for me, it's his forechecking ability, to get on the forecheck, get to the net, disrupt the the defense of the other team when they're going back on the puck, and then get to the net and really start to get under the skin of people. That's when I think he's at his best. He's very good. He's got great range, but he's also very strong. When he was at his best, if you go back to 2020-2021, that's what he was doing. Physical, forecheck, uses pace and reach to get up the ice, break up their breakout, and then get to the net and roll from there. I think offense will come from that. I don't think it's going to be massive amounts. But we just hope to give him an opportunity here."

Puljujarvi said Sunday that he's now pain-free and used that time in Wilkes-Barre to tried to find what works for him in terms of his skating again, and is now "feeling good."

"I've been working really hard on getting this opportunity to be called to get some games again up in the best league in the world," Puljujarvi said. "Hopefully I can play soon here."

Mike Sullivan said that he anticipates Puljujarvi being a "game-time decision" for the Penguins' next game at home against the Jets on Tuesday. If Puljujarvi does get into the lineup, it looks like he could debut on the third line alongside Rickard Rakell and Lars Eller based off of the Penguins' line combinations used in Sunday's practice. 

"Good for him," Eller said of Puljujarvi joining the team on a full NHL contract. "If you're in the NHL, you're here for a reason. I'm excited and curious to see what he can bring. Hopefully we can find some chemistry."

Puljujarvi didn't skate on either power play unit in practice, and instead rotated in with the penalty-killers like all skaters do who aren't practicing with the power play. But Sullivan said that Puljujarvi is "certainly an option" on the power play as the Penguins work to find units that are effective.

Getting the contract was only the next step for Puljujarvi in his work to return from major surgery. Now he's looking to be a factor and contribute.

"I think I can help this team when I'm skating well and make good plays and be myself," he said. "I try to be energized every day and smiling, happy to be here, to be part of this team and help. ... I'm really happy at this point now. It's been a really long, long journey to come here."