The Problem with Puljujarvi

After much fanfare (and through a stroke of luck), the Oilers selected Jesse Puljujarvi in the first round of the 2016 NHL Entry Draft. After Auston Matthews and Patrik Laine, Puljujarvi was the consensus #3 pick; most people assumed that he’d end up in Columbus, but luck was on the Oilers’ side and he dropped to 4th overall. The big Finn came to Edmonton with two years’ experience playing in the pros (in Finland, with Karpat), and was immediately anointed as a 2RW behind Jordan Eberle.

Puljujarvi’s pre-draft scouting reports were positive, and took into account that he had experience playing with men and not boys. From Elite Prospects: Puljujärvi is a big winger who combines size, skating and skill. A strong skater who can blast past the opposition in full speed. Able to use his size, reach and stickhandling skills to retain the puck in speed. A smart player at both ends of the ice, both on and off the puck. Great work ethic and positive attitude. More of a playmaker than a scorer and could improve his shooting skills, although already equipped with an accurate release. Doesn’t shy away from physical play, but could use his size more to his benefit.

His appearance at the 2016 World Junior Hockey Championship caught the attention of many, and for good reason.

Puljujarvi came to the Oilers with the expectations of a fanbase on his shoulders, and after the trade that sent Yakupov to the Blues, it was clear what direction management wanted to go on the right wing.

So What Happened?

Puljujarvi has not lived up to the expectations we (perhaps erroneously) placed on him. Assuming that his 2 years in the Finnish League were a decent barometer of how he’d play against NHLers was perhaps the first mistake. The Finnish Liiga is not the same calibre as the NHL, and while it’s impressive that Puljujarvi held his own as a 16 and 17 year old there, it’s not a fair or accurate predictor of NHL success.

In the 23 games he’s played, Puljujarvi has tallied 1-7-8, and has been wholly underwhelming (as far as first round picks go). He’s not yet venturing into, say, Jason Bonsignore territory, but he’s not performing at the level of his compatriot Laine (who is tearing it up in Winnipeg).

The problem with Puljujarvi is two-fold. First, he was thrust into the spotlight and anointed (by fans for sure, and presumably by management as well) as the de facto 2RW in July. Rather than keep some depth at the position and give Puljujarvi the time to grow and develop, the Oilers traded Nail Yakupov to St Louis for a pick and a prospect, and JP was forced to play above his ability (at least to start).

Second, and perhaps more significantly, is that he’s had a hard time adjusting to the pace and intensity of NHL play. It’s rare that he doesn’t look lost at least a few times each game, and he’s been responsible for goals against and dumb penalties because of his inexperience. He’s not a bad player, not by a long shot, and it would be easy to argue that he’s got a much higher ceiling than Nail Yakupov. The thing with Puljujarvi is that we haven’t really seen a sniff of that level of play. He hasn’t taken the league by storm and scored 4 goals in a game like Auston Matthews did, and he hasn’t scored 17 goals like Patrik Laine has. he’s trying his best, but he’s just not having the kind of success one would expect from a first-round draft pick who makes the big club at 18.

There’s no remedy to be found by sitting Puljujarvi. He’s 18 years old and needs to be playing. Because he came from Europe and not the CHL, the Oilers have the chance to send him to Bakersfield so that he can actually play top-line (or at least second-line) minutes, instead of languishing on the 4th line with 8 minutes a game. He’s skilled enough that he shouldn’t be sitting, and the best place for him is the AHL. Maybe instead of sending him to California or sticking him in the pressbox, the Oilers could have done him a favour and made him available to Team Finland for the 2017 World Junior Hockey Championships.

After all, the Oilers aren’t exactly world-beaters right now, and they certainly won’t miss his offence.