Arizona Coyotes should look at a possible Jesse Puljujarvi trade

Jesse Puljujarvi is on the fringes for the Edmonton Oilers but this could be the ideal time for the Arizona Coyotes to consider a trade for him.

The fourth overall selection in the 2016 NHL Draft has had a difficult time establishing himself with the Oilers and has been a healthy scratch in recent games.

The 20-year-old winger has bags of talent and even registered 28 points (13 goals, 15 assists) in 50 games in the Finnish Liiga during his rookie campaign.

Since being drafted by the Oilers, Puljujarvi has bounced between the NHL club and their AHL affiliates, the Bakersfield Condors.

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He has 33 points (13 goals, 20 assists) in 49 regular season games with the AHL club and earned himself some regular ice time with the Oilers last season.

His NHL stats leave much to be desired from a fourth-overall pick, with just 29 points in his first 101 league games – 14 of them being goals.

The Oilers have a difficult history with recent high draft picks, with the likes of Taylor Hall, Jordan Eberle and Nail Yakupov all no longer with the team.

Hall’s trade to the New Jersey Devils is now infamous in the hockey world and it has been the catalyst for talks of a potential move for Puljujarvi.

The Coyotes are a team clearly on the rise, with a recent winning streak showing that the team has a real shot at pushing for the playoffs.

No NHL team would turn down the opportunity to add more quality to their roster and although the Arizona Coyotes have been on a scoring tear recently, they could certainly still make a move this season.

Puljujarvi would be an ideal addition to John Chayka’s team, being very young with plenty of potential that has not yet been unlocked by the Oilers.

The Coyotes would most likely have to send a defensive player to the Oilers in return for their young forward prospect, but this is something the team have in abundance.

Obtaining a young prospect that was once considered the fourth-best player in his draft year would be a big positive for the Coyotes.

Puljujarvi is also a restricted free agent at the end of this season and, given the slow start to his NHL career, will most likely cost very little on a deal that would likely see him signed for another 3-4 years.

A ‘prove-me’ contract is fair given his current production, but if the Arizona Coyotes are able to lock him up on a bridge deal and get him producing at a higher level, then a trade should be a real consideration for Chayka.

What do you think Coyotes fans? Would Puljujarvi be worth trying to make a trade for? What would the team likely need to part with to get him? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!