It’s Poolparty Time!

With the departure of Taylor Hall, it’s been tough to find something to write about. I asked Twitter what I should talk about, and the only response I got was “anything but Hall”. That wasn’t helpful, so I asked a friend. His response?

I guess that means I’m writing about Poolparty.

But First, Some Background

Jesse Puljujärvi, the Oilers 2016 first round pick, is a bit of an enigma thus far. He was unable to participate in on-ice activities at development camp because of a knee injury (he’ll fit right in, obviously), so except for the highlights from his last season, there’s very little for Oiler fans to go on. What there is, however, is an impressive body of work from last season, where Puljujarvi played in the Finnish Liiga, where he amassed a respectable 28 points in 50 games (as a 17 year old) playing for Kärpät.

At the risk of sounding like everyone else who’s written about him, I think it’s fair to say that he’s got some skill. At 6’4″, 203lbs (and still growing), Puljujärvi has something that most recent first round picks don’t have – size. He’s already one of the biggest guys who will (potentially) be in the lineup on opening night, and it’s almost a certainty that he will get bigger before the end of his ELC. He’s not mean, but he plays a pretty solid game and that should translate into some (highly skilled) stability on the right side.

I’ll admit, I’m excited to see what he can do on the right side, and I envision a McDavid-Puljujärvi tandem in the not-too-distant future.

Tempering Expectations

Assuming that Puljujärvi makes the Oilers opening night roster (he shouldn’t, but that’s a discussion for another day), it’s not unreasonable to assume that he should be able to put up points at a decent pace, given his skill set and the two years he’s already played in a professional men’s league. As with any recent first-round draft pick, Oiler fans have an expectation about Puljujärvi’s performance, and anything short of that bar will certainly be a disappointment to some. One of the dangers of these expectations is that when something happens and Puljujärvi’s production drops off (and it will), fans will be wondering if the Oilers made the right choice in selecting Puljujärvi over, say, Sergachev.

One of the things that will be critical for his development is that his playing time needs to be sheltered. He’s not the generational talent that Connor McDavid is, and it’s important that he’s not given the keys to the kingdom too early. Instead of being tasked with carrying the team, hopefully he can play a supporting role for a year or two until he really finds his game at the NHL level.

The Takeaway

 Jesse Puljujärvi is an Oiler for the next few years, at least. He’s the big, skilled body the team has needed on the right side, and he’s genuinely excited to be here. Sure, part of that was because Korpikoski was here, and I think that as long as Puljujärvi has some good mentors to help him through his first couple seasons, he’ll be okay. The NHL is a huge adjustment, especially for a kid who doesn’t speak much English; hopefully he’ll have some support in that respect from Iiro Pakarinen, at least to get him started.

Jesse Puljujärvi has a unique style of play, and he has a joy for hockey that I sincerely hope isn’t crushed by the end of his time as an Oiler. 

It’d be a shame to see this smile, and the Poolparty, disappear.