Hello everyone! So the season is winding down, I’ve been getting a lot of draft questions especially the last couple weeks. Probably the most common question is who’s a better fit for the Edmonton Oilers, Patrik Laine or Jesse Puljujarvi? I will also say my mock draft will be coming out in the next couple weeks with first round projections and player profiles for each player. Now with the new lottery system there’s a very realistic chance the Oilers won’t be picking in the top 3 anyway.
But I’ve gotten the chance to watch both Puljujarvi and Laine at the WJC and on film from their time playing for their respective junior teams and men’s senior Finnish teams. Jesse Puljujarvi this season has played for Karpat and Patrik Laine plays for Tappara. Both players are very skilled but both present quite different styles of play.
Head to Head
First up is Jesse Puljujarvi, the 6’3 205 lbs right shot forward ranked second by ISS scouting. Puljujarvi has been a special player for awhile. He was a very good player even at 16 years of age playing for his U20 team. He had 23 points in 18 games despite being 3 or 4 years younger than some of his teammates. He also played for team Finland at the World Junior Championships as a 16 year old. The big Finn was the only 16 year old in the tournament. Although he went scoreless in the tournament he was averaging around 4 shots a game. Causing all kinds of havoc for an under performing Finnish team. This year at the World Junior Championships he was the best player on the ice the entire tournament. 17 points in 7 games, it doesn’t get much better than that. Jesse has a complete tool box full of tools to his disposal. Even though he’s over 200 pounds and 6’3, he’s a wonderful skater. His first step is outstanding, his big long strides have him pulling away from grown men in Europe. He loves to shoot the puck, drive the net with his speed and get in the blue paint. His release is quite strong and has a very good one timer. He’s very good off the left half wall on the powerplay. Also he’s very good in his own zone, which isn’t a very common thing amongst young players. Puljujarvi can play any of the three positions up front and kill penalties. Although as a pro he will probably play one of the wing positions going forward. Some scouts say he’s the best Finnish prospect since Selanne while he also has a very similar skill set to Teemu as well. Puljujarvi has a high motor in his game, his effort is never in question. He’s relentless on the puck all over the ice, using his size, speed and physicality to seperate players from the puck. Although his numbers are slightly down for Karpat, he’s only playing about 14 minutes a night for the senior team. I see a bit of Blake Wheeler in his game, although I do believe Puljujarvi will be better than Wheeler as he develops. Puljujarvi is probably a bit more of a natural goal scorer and with a bit more of a nose for the net than Wheeler.
Patrik Laine which for those interested is pronounced “Line-eh” not “Lain.” Like Puljujarvi he’s a big man. Measuring in at 6’4 and 210 pounds and he’s ranked 3rd by ISS scouting. Laine’s game is based more off of hockey smarts and instincts then physical tools. He has an absolutely lethal shot. He scored 8 goals in 7 games for Finland at the U18’s last year in Switzerland. Laine is a very cerebral player, he kind of floats around out there at times and then it’s in the back of the net in about 2 hundredths of a second. Patrik is most comfortable on the left wing. He’s a right shot, thrives playing in the middle of the ice. Loves to come down the left wing and step into the slot with the puck and rifle it home. He has the smarts to find the soft spots through out the offensive zone, he doesn’t need much room to get his shot off. Similar to Puljujarvi he also has a pretty good one timer. He also has very good anticipation skills and always knows where to go to score a goal. Patrik Laine is hard to compare to others because he’s a very unique player. If Laine ends up adding another gear in that big frame he could be an absolute monster on the ice.
And the Edmonton Oilers select…….?
So who’s better? In my opinion it really depends on what you’re looking for. The better goal scorer is Patrik Laine. His shot is a bit better than Puljujarvi’s. But Puljujarvi’s shot isn’t something to sleep on. He’d still have the probably best shot on the current Oilers team. I see a lot of people talking about Laine’s shot and what not but tend to forget about Puljujarvi. Although the better all around player is Puljujarvi. Laine isn’t a bad skater, but he isn’t as good as Puljujarvi. Jesse can flat out fly for a big guy. Now we aren’t talking about McDavid type speed. But he’s in the same category as Taylor Hall. Taylor’s spokes turn pretty good as we all know. Talking to a couple Finnish writers, they both view Laine as the better player now and in the future. But that’s just a couple opinions. It’s a very close race in my opinion.
So the question everyone has is, who’s the better fit for the Oilers? Puljujarvi’s versatility and well rounded game or Patrik Laine’s goal scoring ability? It would be extremely tough for Chiarelli to pass on Patrik Laine playing on McDavid’s wing for 15 years. Laine would be a 40 goal guy with McDavid without much doubt in my mind. It would also be extremely tough for the Oilers to pass on Puljujarvi. The Oilers could play him anywhere which I’m sure would be extremely appealing to Todd McLellan. Todd has always liked versatile players that he could move around. The best case scenario maybe would be the Oilers drafting 3rd and taking who ever is left. But if they end up drafting 2nd, who would I take? I’ll probably still change my mind 12 times before the draft, but I believe the better fit for the Oilers is Jesse Puljujarvi. The Oilers want to become a faster team up front and a heavy forechecking team. Which is exactly how Jesse Puljujarvi plays. I’m glad I’m not Peter Chiarelli, because If he ends up with the second pick that’s quite the decision he has to make in his first full season with the Oilers.
Cheers!!
Add The Sports Daily to your Google News Feed!
