It’s unclear exactly when Jesse Puljujarvi will join his new Carolina Hurricanes teammates – the 24-year-old is getting his visa sorted after being acquired in a trade with the Edmonton Oilers – but whenever he does, he’s certain to greet them donning a huge smile on his face.
Puljujarvi said he’s “really excited and happy to be part of Carolina right now” during a media availability with reporters Tuesday afternoon.
“They have a really good team,” Puljujarvi said. “Young guys, they play really fast hockey. They’re a good team and I’d really like to be a good player as part of that organization.”
One reason Puljujarvi, selected fourth overall by Edmonton in 2016, is eager to join the Hurricanes is he’ll be reunited with former world junior teammate and Carolina leading scorer Sebastian Aho.
“I’m really good friends with Aho and have been friends for 10 years,” said Puljujarvi, who explained the pair also work out with the same crew during off-seasons.
They were teammates and linemates alongside Patrik Laine for Finland at the 2016 IIHF World Junior Championship. Puljujarvi and Aho alone combined for 10 goals and 31 points in seven games that tournament en route to winning a gold medal.
He also knows Finnish forward Teuvo Teravainen, who’s part of the aforementioned summer group and a frequent golf partner of Puljujarvi.
Puljujarvi posted career highs in points, plus/minus and ice-time last season, yet averaged only 12:15 of ice-time and scored just five goals and nine assists in 58 games this season with Edmonton in a mostly bottom-six role.
Aho, meanwhile, skates on Carolina’s top line and is on pace to record his fourth 30-goal campaign of the past five seasons.
It’s unclear, perhaps unlikely, Puljujarvi and Aho get placed on the same line but Puljujarvi mentioned Hurricanes head coach Rod Brind'Amour gave him a call after the trade was completed.
“(Brind'Amour) said if I be myself everything’s gonna be good. Really excited to go there and show my skills. … My strength is skating and I can really, really forecheck and I think I’m gonna be a good fit on that team.”
Puljujarvi is a pending restricted free agent whose current salary cap hit on Carolina is $3 million, per CapFriendly.
“I hope this is gonna be good for me,” Puljujarvi said of getting a fresh start in with the Hurricanes. “I’m gonna work really hard to be the best player I can be and help the team in Carolina and hopefully everything goes well and I’ll enjoy every day.”
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