Puljujarvi, often the subject of hot debate, has been viewed in recent years as a dark horse by many in the analytics community.
In a piece by Frank Seravalli of The Daily Faceoff, discussing players unlikely to see qualifying offers, Puljujarvi's situation took center stage:
The more traditional hockey pundits have been critical towards him, citing a lack of passing and shooting finesse, as well as a perceived inability to adapt to the North American playstyle.
This season, his performance took a nosedive, managing just five goals and nine assists in 58 games with Edmonton. His move to Carolina saw these numbers dwindle further, with no goals and a mere two assists in 24 games.
Now, as he navigates the uncertain waters of free agency, it remains to be seen if any team will take a gamble on this physically imposing player. Which team will be willing to extract all that talent?