Player Discussion Jesse Puljujärvi 4th Overall 2016 Draft. Part V: Called Up 11/10/17

[joestevens29]

He is an adult now. Time to pull up his grown up pants and go to work

Isn't 21 adult age? 20 is pizza eating time of life.

 

[CycloneSweep]

Isn't 21 adult age? 20 is pizza eating time of life.

No longer a teen. He has been a full adult in Canada since he was 18

 

[MoneyGuy]

Happy 20th Jesse!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Pizza for everyone. I'm buying.

 

[guymez]

That's the comparable I've been saying all the time. He has the tools to become Hossa-lite but not sure if he'll ever get there

The issue with Jesse as I see it is between his ears. He is reluctant to assert himself.
Its the same issue Paajarvi had when he was an Oiler.

This could go either way....Jesse could still be a player and he could still be a major disappointment.
Its a coin toss.

 

[frag2]

The issue with Jesse as I see it is between his ears. He is reluctant to assert himself.
Its the same issue Paajarvi had when he was an Oiler.

This could go either way....Jesse could still be a player and he could still be a major disappointment.
Its a coin toss.

Pretty much. I think one thing with JP vs MPS is that the former will still take a hit. MPS is Gagner but Finnish when it came to engaging physically.

 

[guymez]

Pretty much. I think one thing with JP vs MPS is that the former will still take a hit. MPS is Gagner but Finnish when it came to engaging physically.

Thats fair although apparently MP did adjust his game in time. He is a pretty good bottom 6 player and has some heaviness to his game now.

I really like JP's toolset but we have seen many players with a strong toolset that cant adjust to the mental part of the NHL game. I honestly dont know how this is going to play out for Jesse.

He has to be on the list of the most disappointing players in the top 10 from his draft year though.
This is a make or break season for him IMO...he needs some traction if he is ever going to be a top 6 player.

 

[McSpecial DraiBlend]

I want him to have a full summer to train and actually given a good run in the top 6 this year before I write him off.

 

[CycloneSweep]

I want him to have a full summer to train and actually given a good run in the top 6 this year before I write him off.

I want him to have a full summer to train and come into camo and be the best option for the top 6 this year out of camp. Want him to show he is hungry for the time and willing to put in the work.

 

[HenrikW]

Shamelessly stolen from Lowetide's blog:

All draft + 2 years and 5v5 pts/60 with most common line mates:

Nylander:
with Hyman 1.03
with Parenteau 2.00
with Greening 2.19

Pastrnak:
with Krejci 2.05
with Ericksson 1.87
with Belesky 1.66

Rantanen:
with McKinnon: 1.66
with Duchene: 0.85
with Landeskog: 1.19

Puljujarvi:
with Lucic 1.16
with McDavid 1.87
with Strome 1.26
with Draisaitl 2.37

Who's to say JP could not belong in that company if he gets to play with Draisaitl/McDavid without getting too many sheltered minutes? The numbers seems to suggest he's capable

5v5/60 production looks fantastic. You have to wonder what his production would look like if he weren't getting sheltered last year. Rantanen had a crazy good +1 year in AHL but it didn't translate well into NHL in his +2 year, atleast given his 5v5/60, they kept at it though

 

[Wewillrise]

I can see it taking JP up to 2 more years to get comfortable in the NHL. The language barrier alone seems to be a hard one for him. He may take time but I think he will be a top 6 player eventually. If he takes a little longer is may be beneficial cap wise as well if they can lock him up at a decent hit.

 

[Spawn]

I want him to have a full summer to train and come into camo and be the best option for the top 6 this year out of camp. Want him to show he is hungry for the time and willing to put in the work.

Yeah, I agree with you.

If Pulju comes into camp and earns a top 6 spot and runs with it we'll all be thrilled.

But I don't want him gifted a spot he's not cut out for. Pulju needs to show that he can play in this league even if it's not in the top 6. If he comes into camp and ends up on the 3rd line with Ryan Strome than he needs to do something from that spot.

 

[A91]

If he trains hard and comes to camp hungry (which I think he will) I say we run him with RNH - McDavid and instill confidence in him from game one.
Maybe he hast "earned it" yet but who cares. This is a high potential, extremely hard working and humble player. Spoiling him with good minutes and line mates would be more beneficial to him IMO than the tough love-bad line mates and bad minutes approach.

Hopefully whatever the staff decides to do works out. We desperately need Pulju to be a top6 staple* on this team.

 

[Blue Line Turnover]

Pretty much. I think one thing with JP vs MPS is that the former will still take a hit. MPS is Gagner but Finnish when it came to engaging physically.

Aren't the Finns generally known for being physical?

 

[frag2]

Aren't the Finns generally known for being physical?

Sorta. Stylistically, I find them very similar to late 90s early 2000s Canadian hockey.

MPS is a weird case. He got hit a few times his first season and then quickly avoided all contact when possible.

 

[joestevens29]

Sorta. Stylistically, I find them very similar to late 90s early 2000s Canadian hockey.

MPS is a weird case. He got hit a few times his first season and then quickly avoided all contact when possible.

This is one of the potential issues you end up with when you put a boy in a mans league. Get hit early and get scared

 

[Bryanbryoil]

If he trains hard and comes to camp hungry (which I think he will) I say we run him with RNH - McDavid and instill confidence in him from game one.
Maybe he hast "earned it" yet but who cares. This is a high potential, extremely hard working and humble player. Spoiling him with good minutes and line mates would be more beneficial to him IMO than the tough love-bad line mates and bad minutes approach.

Hopefully whatever the staff decides to do works out. We desperately need Pulju to be a top6 staple* on this team.

I'd roll him with Drai. If you put him with Nuge and Connor the stats might be there but the play might not and he will ask for the moon on his next contract.

 

[joestevens29]

I'd roll him with Drai. If you put him with Nuge and Connor the stats might be there but the play might not and he will ask for the moon on his next contract.

I think you could very easily just drop him lines to make sure it's just not a Connor thing. At the end of the day we also need to know if we have someone that can work with Connor on that right side.

 

[A91]

I'd roll him with Drai. If you put him with Nuge and Connor the stats might be there but the play might not and he will ask for the moon on his next contract.

This is the goal in developing players. If he produces at a star pace I have no issue paying him like a star.

 

[nabob]

This is one of the potential issues you end up with when you put a boy in a mans league. Get hit early and get scared

Seemed to happen to Paajarvi. Not the case with Puljujarvi.

 

[oobga]

I can see it taking JP up to 2 more years to get comfortable in the NHL. The language barrier alone seems to be a hard one for him. He may take time but I think he will be a top 6 player eventually. If he takes a little longer is may be beneficial cap wise as well if they can lock him up at a decent hit.

I think McLellan and friends made the language barrier be more of a barrier than it would be with most teams. Seems to be a mortal sin to not be able to understand every detail of the genius game plans the coaches were selling. Yeah, the awesome game plans that were tanking the rest of the team.

 

[FlameChampion]

I think McLellan and friends made the language barrier be more of a barrier than it would be with most teams. Seems to be a mortal sin to not be able to understand every detail of the genius game plans the coaches were selling. Yeah, the awesome game plans that were tanking the rest of the team.

The other problem is that they also expect him to play differently than what’s made him successful. For example on the pp, why not play him where he’s had success? Rather they have him playing in the high slot. These decisions combined with language barrier, results him looking a little lost.

 

[Tobias Kahun]

Hopefully with new assistant coaches he will be put in a position to succeed on the powerplay, he better not be standing infront of the f***ing net screening the goalie when hes our only right shot who has a good slapshot/one timer.

 

[Spawn]

Hopefully with new assistant coaches he will be put in a position to succeed on the powerplay, he better not be standing infront of the ****ing net screening the goalie when hes our only right shot who has a good slapshot/one timer.

I don't ever really remember Pulju used in the way you're describing. I remember him was used in the bumper spot on a few occassions near the end of the season. The same spot that Draisaitl filled in the 16-17 season where he had so much success. The same spot Mark Scheifele plays with the Jets on their top unit.

And honestly, why would playing him as the net front presence be such a travesty? Big body, quick hands. He should be able to succeed in that role if that is where he is put. I'd be curious where the bulk of his goals have been scored. Has he scored more than one one-timer as an NHLer?

 

[Bryanbryoil]

This is the goal in developing players. If he produces at a star pace I have no issue paying him like a star.

Do you want to arguably overpay him?

 

[Tobias Kahun]

I don't ever really remember Pulju used in the way you're describing. I remember him was used in the bumper spot on a few occassions near the end of the season. The same spot that Draisaitl filled in the 16-17 season where he had so much success. The same spot Mark Scheifele plays with the Jets on their top unit.

And honestly, why would playing him as the net front presence be such a travesty? Big body, quick hands. He should be able to succeed in that role if that is where he is put. I'd be curious where the bulk of his goals have been scored. Has he scored more than one one-timer as an NHLer?

It would work fine if we had a different design for our powerplay, but how it was setup they needed that right shot