On Monday, multiple reports indicated that the Pittsburgh Penguins placed forward Jesse Puljujarvi on waivers, subjecting him to the waivers process and risking losing him to another NHL team for free.
The Vancouver Canucks, who are in need of cheap, more reliable forward depth, could be one of those teams. After all, we previously postulated that the Canucks could trade for Puljujarvi, but after Monday's news, and as the saying goes, "free is for me."
After years of going against the big-bodied Finn, most Canucks fans are familiar with Puljujarvi. The 6-foot-4 winger brings the size and speed you can't teach, and combines it with a responsible defensive game, a tireless motor, and some slick hands. Oh, and you may recall that the 26-year-old was drafted fourth overall by the Edmonton Oilers in the 2016 NHL Draft.
Where and how Jesse Puljujarvi fits the Canucks
The Canucks have largely filled their bottom-six by committee this season, utilizing a combination of prospects, like Max Sasson and Aatu Raty, and journeymen, like Danton Heinen and, most recently, Phil Di Giuseppe.
Herein lies the problem: according to NHL EDGE statistics, the Canucks are in the 51st percentile in the NHL in top skating speed, and they are below the 50th percentile in speed bursts over 32 kilometers per hour - apparently by a substantial margin.
As far as Puljujarvi goes, he is in the 80th percentile in top skating speed and 72nd percentile in speed bursts over 32 kilometers per hour. The Canucks could really use that speed, especially now that Elias Pettersson and Quinn Hughes will be out for weeks at a time.
As dire as the Canucks' salary cap situation is, they would have no problems taking on Puljujarvi's salary. The 26-year-old former top draft pick has one year remaining on his contract an $800k cap hit, and the Canucks have $2.191 million in cap space at the time of this writing.
Additionally, the Canucks have all 23 roster spots filled, so they would have to send a player, like Sasson, down to the AHL anyway. Such a move alone would create the requisite roster space needed to fit Puljujarvi.
Now we wait and see how long it takes for Canucks GM Patrik Allvin to make a move to try and spark his struggling group.