After his performance in the last game, there’s no question about why people are talking about Jesse Puljujarvi. The Oiler right winger is finally starting to look really comfortable in the NHL and the results are impressive.
Jesse Puljujarvi has all the components you want in a hockey player. He’s a man-child at 6’4… and 211 pounds, he’s a fast skater, he isn’t afraid of the corners, he pushes towards the front of the net, and he can shoot. I think his ability to get shots away might even be underrated. The two things we haven’t seen was his playmaking ability and some consistency.
The consistency issue is expected. Puljujarvi is 19 years old and wont be 20 until after the end of the season. He is truly a young player in this league. In addition to that, JP barely speaks English. He’s been in North America for roughly a year and a half and it sounds like it when you hear him speak. I have been informed that the team has had an English Tutor for him for some time, but per Mark Spector’s article the team is only now stepping that up to get him an English Teacher.
I don’t really know the difference between having a tutor vs a teacher in this scenario, but one has to wonder what took the team so long in getting Puljujarvi heavier support in learning the language. We heard many times that the language barrier was a problem in year one. You have to believe that his inability to converse contributed greatly to his struggles early. As his English improves, so too will his consistency, perhaps.
Puljujarvi is on an 82 game pace for 25 goals, but he’s only on pace for 14 assists. That playmaking is not there. In every other league he’s played in, he’s had roughly equal goals and assists, so there’s more there for him to give. Last game, we started to see him make plays, like the pass to Khaira, that we were certainly not seeing before.
Puljujarvi’s maturation is paramount to Edmonton’s future. As this season moves along, we will be watching for that consistency and that playmaking to go along with his shooting, size, and speed. When it all comes together for this kid, it could be special.
LINEUP
Slepyshev is in tonight for Cammalleri
Maroon McDavid Caggiula Lucic Draisaitl Puljujarvi Khaira Strome Slepyshev Pakarinen Letestu Kassian
Nurse Larsson Klefbom Benning Russell Sekera
Talbot OILERS KEYS TO THE GAME 1) That Darned PP. The Oiler Power Play is a bit of a joke. At 15.1% it is 28th in the NHL and it has Connor McDavid on its top unit. That’s not good enough. It’s simply not up to standards. Strangely, McDavid has never really been a fantastic PP performer. Last year he was 3rd on the PP Points per 60 minutes at 6.5 per hour. This year he is 4.74 P/60 on the PP. However, the real problem is that last year the Oilers got a combined 32 goals out of Draisaitl, Lucic, and Letestu on the Power Play. This season, those 3 are on pace to contribute roughly 13 goals…combined.
2) Basement Dwelling. The Oilers might have a 3 game streak going on and the Sabres might just be the worst team in the NHL, but taking this group lightly would be a mistake. The Sabres just beat the Flames last night. Edmonton has to respect their ability and put the boots to them with an honest effort. Taking advantage of a team that just played last night only works with an accompanying effort to match the desired outcome. Edmonton has to consciously want to grind the Sabres into dust before it’s ever going to happen. If the Oil “play down… to the Sabres then this is going to be a disappointing game.
3) Drake. For reasons unknown to anyone but the team, Drake Caggiula has been elevated to the top line with Connor McDavid. He has to prove the coaching staff right here. He needs to produce and be effective. When he’s at his best he is a physical player on the forecheck. He has a chance to do something most hockey players would love, which is to play with McDavid in regular shifts. I don’t know that he can, but I would like to see him actually contribute offensively.
Puck drops tonight at 7PM Mountain Time on Sportsnet West. Game On!
Follow me on Twitter @Archaeologuy