Well, there’s always Europe.
Precedence is a fleeting thing, but if you set it, you may find company.
The Edmonton Oilers’ Jesse Puljujarvi, who is a restricted free agent, inked a deal with Karpat in the Finnish Liiga.
The contract is for one year and has a clause that would release Puljujarvi by December 1 of this year.
Talk about a finger in the eye.
Then again, NHL clubs and unsigned restricted free agents and their agents are all waiting for the first signing that sets the bar, under and over which everyone will try to maneuver.
“He feels frustrated in what’s gone on in Edmonton,” Oilers general manager Ken Holland said earlier this month. “Obviously there’s three things: Can you talk him into coming back? Does he want to play in Europe? Or trade him? So I’ve got to settle that situation by the end of August. … I don’t want to box myself into any situation, but I’ve got to find out what I think is going to be the best solution.”
Puljujarvi, first round selection in the 2016 draft, had four goals and nine points in 46 games last season before being shelved with a hip surgery.
Staying with the Oilers, Edmonton is also eying the rehabilitation by Connor McDavid on his knee. In April, the forward tore the posterior cruciate ligament in his left knee and has been rehabbing since surgery.
“[I’m] progressing well, making progress every day,” McDavid said Monday. “… Just working hard to get to camp, and we’re focused on that. … [This offseason] has been different, just focusing on that [rehab]. It’s taking a lot of time, but it’s been good.
“It’s coming back together and everything like that, but ultimately you don’t want to come back too early,” he said. “(You want to) make sure it’s fully healed and you’re not going to get hurt again.”
Elsewhere, Patrick Maroon signed a one-year, $900,000 deal with the Tampa Bay Lightning. That may have been the only money left in the purse for the Bolts to spend.
Maroon helped the St Louis Blues to a Stanley Cup and opted for a short term deal.
“This is bittersweet for me,” Maroon wrote on Twitter. “I want to start by saying thank you to the St. Louis Blues organization for giving me a chance to play in my hometown and living out a dream that I had since I was a kid …
“I’m pumped to get the opportunity to play for the Bolts and I can’t wait to get down there and meet my new teammates and see all the fans.”
Maroon had three goals and seven points in 26 playoff games this season.
“We’re very pleased to add Pat to our organization today,” Tampa Bay general manager Julien BriseBois said. “He brings size and physicality to our group as well as significant playoff experience. We expect Pat to be a great addition to the roster.”
With a little more than two weeks before physicals training camps, everyone is still waiting for everyone else to make their move.
Or maybe, there’s a European Holiday on the horizon.
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