Along with impressive skills, Puljujarvi brought promise to the Edmonton Oilers.

Edmonton selected the 6-foot-3, 203-pound right wing with the No. 4 pick in the 2016 NHL Draft, and the sense among hockey observers was that he was NHL-ready, even at 18.

Puljujarvi also drew somewhat inevitable comparisons to countryman and Hockey Hall of Fame forward Jari Kurri, who won the Stanley Cup five times with the Oilers and had 601 goals and 1,398 points in the NHL.

Puljujarvi's performance at the 2016 World Junior Championship in his home country fueled such talk. He dominated the tournament as its high scorer with five goals and 17 points in leading Finland to a gold medal and was named MVP and best forward. Puljujarvi had a hat trick in the gold-medal game against Sweden.

Born in Alvkarleby, Sweden, where he lived until he was 4 years old, Puljujarvi played parts of two seasons for Oulun Karpat in the Finnish Elite League before being drafted by Edmonton. He had 17 goals and 39 points in 71 regular-season games for Karpat.

In 2015-16 Puljujarvi had four goals and nine points in 10 playoff games for Karpat.

Puljujarvi sustained a knee injury during a game in Finland in March 2016 and had minor surgery to repair a meniscus tear.

Puljujarvi returned to the NHL when he signed a two-year contract with the Oilers on Oct. 7, 2020 and remained with Karpat on loan until the start of the delayed 2020-21 season. He signed a one-year, $3 million contract July 26, 2022 as a restricted free agent to avoid a salary arbitration hearing.

Puljujarvi was traded to the Carolina Hurricanes for forward Patrik Puistola on Feb. 28, 2023, and had two assists in 17 games. He signed a two-year, $1.6 million contract with the Pittsburgh Penguins on Feb. 4, 2024, after signing a professional tryout Dec. 10, 2023, and playing 13 games for Wilkes-Barre/Scranton of the American Hockey League.

He signed a two-year contract with the Florida Panthers on March 5, 2025.