TSN insider Ryan Rishaug recently said of Pouliot, “he’s been awful, beyond awful” in an elongated rant. And on a level, he’s right.
When in the lineup, Pouliot takes poor penalties and appears sluggish on the back check. He is not strong when it comes to defending or playing a solid two-way game, and doesn’t do much to contribute to the offensive rush. For those reasons, he’s spent just as much time watching the season from the press box.
The 30-year-old winger takes up about $4 million in cap space, making the options for Edmonton slim.