It sounds odd to think they’d be interested, but apparently, the Columbus Blue Jackets might be chatting with the Edmonton Oilers about forward Jesse Puljujarvi.
The reason this seems odd is because the Blue Jackets had the option to draft Puljujarvi back in 2016, but were rumored to have passed because they “knew” something about the player that gave them pause. Instead, they drafted Pierre-Luc Dubois. Dubois has turned out to be the much better selection since the draft.
That said, things can change.
Perhaps the Jackets are rethinking their stance on the player after watching him play well in Finland (53 points in 59 games). So too, according to Elliotte Friedman — who was a guest on Oilers NOW (radio program on 630CHED) — the Blue Jackets are “looking to add some skill.”
Friedman explained: “I had someone text me this morning and say, ‘there’s some names out there that you guys haven’t even considered.’” He added, “Columbus Blue Jackets were one team that had interest in Jesse Puljujarvi.”
Whether they still have interest in the player or not isn’t clear, but if the team is looking to add skill and Puljujarvi is showing he has it, one has to wonder.
Perhaps, it’s as simple as not being sure about the prospect at the draft, Columbus thinking they could better develop someone else and now that the Oilers have gone through the pains of being patient with Puljujarvi, taking another look at a player who, may or may not, have matured by now.
What Would the Oilers Want Back?
What the Blue Jackets might be willing to give up in a trade is completely unclear. Obviously, the Oilers could use a player like Josh Anderson on their roster (if healthy). If that was a possible return for Edmonton, that’s clearly who they should be reaching for.
It is also possible the Oilers would have interest in one of the Blue Jackets’ goaltenders. Specifically, Joonas Korpisalo is affordable as a 1B for Edmonton and played particularly well for the Blue Jackets in the nine games he played during this year’s postseason. He posted a 1.90 goals against average and a 0.941 save percentage.
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