Is Jesse Puljujarvi's Time with the Oilers Winding Down?

The Edmonton Oilers had to scratch someone when Evander Kane returned to the lineup, and they chose Jesse Puljujarvi. What are the latest trade rumors on him?

Edmonton Oilers winger Jesse Puljujarvi was a healthy scratch for Tuesday's game against the Seattle Kraken to accommodate Evander Kane's return to the lineup. That move renewed speculation over the 24-year-old winger's future with the Oilers.

Puljujarvi's been a source of trade speculation since signing a one-year, $3-million contract with the Oilers last July. The Athletic's Daniel Nugent-Bowman believes scratching the struggling winger from the lineup indicates it's time for the two sides to part ways.

Nugent-Bowman thinks the Oilers would love to shed the struggling Puljujarvi's salary to use the cap space to address other roster issues. However, he acknowledged the market for the struggling Puljujarvi is cold right now.

That doesn't mean Oilers GM Ken Holland isn't working the phones. Daily Faceoff's Frank Seravalli reports there's been some promising conversations with a couple of teams regarding Puljujarvi.

Seravalli suggested that could be good news for the Oilers. He felt it could mean they might not have to package an asset with Puljujarvi to move him by the March 3 trade deadline.

The Oilers, however, aren't dealing from a position of strength here. They don't want to retain a portion of Puljujarvi's cap hit, but his poor production could force them to include a pick or a prospect to clear his contract from their books.

A month ago, Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman reported hearing at times that the Anaheim Ducks, Carolina Hurricanes and Detroit Red Wings had looked into acquiring Puljujarvi. Perhaps one of those clubs is still talking with the Oilers.