Selected by Edmonton with the No. 4 pick in the 2016 NHL Draft, the 22-year-old forward has scored 37 points (17 goals, 20 assists) in 139 NHL games. His best NHL season was 2017-18, when he scored 20 points (12 goals, eight assists) in 65 games.
Puljujarvi has not played in the NHL since 2018-19, when he scored nine points (four goals, five assists) in 46 games with Edmonton and four points (two goals, two assists) in four games with Bakersfield of the American Hockey League.
His agent, Markus Lehto, previously said Puljujarvi did not want to return to Edmonton and would prefer to be traded to another NHL team. But Puljujarvi on Thursday said after speaking with Oilers general manager Ken Holland and coach Dave Tippett, he's excited to get back to Edmonton.
"I had calls with Holland and Tippett and it seems like they really want me to be there and help the team," Puljujarvi said. "I feel like I can do that, I feel like I'm a better player.
"They liked how I was doing here and how I was playing here. I was playing well and getting good time on the [power play] and on the [penalty kill] too. They want me to be a part of the team and they feel I can help with the team because I'm a good skater and I'm strong."
He said he doesn't believe he will have any problems with his Edmonton teammates when he returns.
"I think it's going to be good," he sald. "I don't think I have any issues with those guys. I'm really excited to get back to the locker room there."
His three-year, entry-level contract expired July 1, 2019, and as a restricted free agent in the NHL, he opted to sign with Karpat in Liiga, the top professional league in Finland. Puljujarvi tied for fourth in the league in 2019-20 with 53 points (24 goals, 29 assists) in 53 games, and he has scored one goal in two games for Karpat in 2020-21.
"I feel like I'm stronger and faster than I was a couple of years ago and that gave me an opportunity to play better," Puljujarvi said. "I think it helped a lot. [In 2019-20], I had a big role with the team. I played (almost) 60 games and every night I tried to be the best player on the ice. I think it helped me a lot be a better player."
Puljujarvi said he will stay with Karpat until the start of the NHL season, which has been targeted for Jan. 1, 2021.
"If everything goes well I can have 20 or almost 30 games," Puljujarvi said. "It's going to help getting good minutes here and there are good teams here and it will help me when [NHL] training camp starts."
