3 Potential Landing Spots for Oilers Jesse Puljujarvi

The Edmonton Oilers are moving Jesse Puljujarvi before the March 3 trade deadline. This relationship has been on the rocks for the past two seasons and essentially came to an end a few weeks ago when Puljujarvi admitted he's lost his confidence and doesn't feel like an impact NHL player. There's been some discussions ongoing these past few weeks, here's a few potential landing spots for the disgruntled Oiler:

Anaheim Ducks

The Ducks were the favorite, however considering a deal hasn't been reached now is a touch concerning. Ducks GM Pat Verbeek had been scouting Puljujarvi in person for a few games and while some felt a deal was almost imminent, it hasn't materialized. Still, the Ducks are rebuilding, have defensemen the Oilers could use and bottom-six forwards. These two areas are what the Oilers want in return for Puljujarvi and while talks may have stalled, there's still a chance this trade goes down.

Pittsburgh Penguins

The Penguins are looking to make some changes to their bottom-six forwards and Puljujarvi and his 6-foot-4 frame could really do the trick. The team has given Kasperi Kapanen a long leash after benching him earlier this season and it's seemed to work, so they know how to deal with players who have lost their confidence. A one-for-one swap could transpire, meanwhile the Oilers would likely have more interest in Brock McGinn.

Columbus Blue Jackets

The Blue Jackets management group knows Puljujarvi well and he'd likely get more playing time and a bigger role to end this season in Columbus. The Oilers would have interest in Sean Kuraly and a one-for-one deal could materialize between the two clubs. Kuraly can play all over the ice, can score, and he's the physical presence Edmonton could use more of.

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