Amazing to see how many good posts and suggestions in this thread are from normal hockey fans trying to find a solution to our PP vows and the over usage of Letestu with constant no results. We are trying to solve an issue of some coach, in a position, namely Mr. Woodcroft, / TMac., earning a hefty salaries paid to come up with the answers. Clockwork orange. I'm convinced half of us posters can do a better job behind the bench for minimum salary
Letestu Needs to Be Removed From the PP
- Thread starter Bryanbryoil
- Start date
CornKicker
Holland is wrong..except all of the good things
- Feb 18, 2005
- 11,803
- 3,018
DO they not make the players watch their owns PPs to see how brutal it is. Every player including McD is looking pass first, no threat to shoot what so ever, makes it way too predictable and easy to defend. It is driving me mental to watch their damn PP do the saaaammmmeeee thing over and over again.
I agree. Once JP gets used to the NA ice and gets a little stronger, I think he'll end up being the best player from that draft by a fair margin. He has tools that the other "top" guys don't have.
I have a hard time believing he will be a better player than Laine, and certainly not Matthews but I sure hope I'm wrong and he at least makes it a debate to even have.
I still don't understand how come the season is this far and they haven't even tried Pulju's shot on the PP. At the start of last autumn he hit the posts a few times and he looked great on the PP.
I still think it was a clear mistake to send Pulju to the AHL as they should've made the team as good as possible and thus kept both Yamo and Pulju. After all Jesse was better than e.g. Caggiula and Strome in the preseason games. Here's some quotes from Oilonwhyte.com:
With great speed, quick hands and a lethal shot, he managed to be one of the best Oilers on the ice and the first star of the night.
Through the preseason so far, the 6-foot-4, 211-pound forward has shown a lot of energy and has been proving his worth to Edmonton.
He has shown great chemistry on the top six alongside players like Connor McDavid and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins. In four games so far, he has two goals and three points in four games and looks much stronger than he was last year.
Not only that, he has worked on his shooting and appears to have a stronger, better shot and can carry his line.
I'm afraid TM has taken this too far and he may be desperate to make it work with Letestu. Deep inside he must know that there's a good chance the PP clicks if he gives Jesse a bit of time at his favourite spot.
I still think it was a clear mistake to send Pulju to the AHL as they should've made the team as good as possible and thus kept both Yamo and Pulju. After all Jesse was better than e.g. Caggiula and Strome in the preseason games. Here's some quotes from Oilonwhyte.com:
With great speed, quick hands and a lethal shot, he managed to be one of the best Oilers on the ice and the first star of the night.
Through the preseason so far, the 6-foot-4, 211-pound forward has shown a lot of energy and has been proving his worth to Edmonton.
He has shown great chemistry on the top six alongside players like Connor McDavid and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins. In four games so far, he has two goals and three points in four games and looks much stronger than he was last year.
Not only that, he has worked on his shooting and appears to have a stronger, better shot and can carry his line.
I'm afraid TM has taken this too far and he may be desperate to make it work with Letestu. Deep inside he must know that there's a good chance the PP clicks if he gives Jesse a bit of time at his favourite spot.
Last edited:
- Dec 9, 2004
- 8,061
- 11,425
Other than faceoffs, JP can already do everything better than Letestu can at this stage in his career. He's bigger, stronger, faster, and has a better shot. He can get on the forecheck and retreive pucks faster. He's a better passer. Why the coaching staff can't see this while our PP continues to struggle blows my mind. I get that Letestu had a great year on the PP last season.. but he has sucked big time this year.Teams all know that McDavid doesn't like to shoot on the PP, so they're all taking away that one timer by Letestu. Without that one timer, what good is Letestu for on the PP?
I am leaving Laine out of this as I don't want another debate. When it comes to Matthews anything is possible. The players usages have been so different it's impossible to really compare them yet.
Pulju and Matthews have played against each other twice. Last year your reports here said Jesse did better and this year he did well again (don't remember how Matthews did though). At the U20 WC Puljujarvi was better.
Matthews is a very good player and all I'm saying is we don't know exactly where they go until Jesse is also given PP time and has had some more time to adjust. After all he hasn't really been given a chance to use his PP tools yet. Jesse is a lot younger (nine months?) and hadn't played in NA before so that also affects the situation.
sepHF
Patreeky
- Feb 12, 2010
- 15,759
- 3,407
yep Letestu in 2nd in PPP on the team. Meanwhile Draisaitl has a goose egg, not sure why Letestu is the target of so much ire, at least he gets the puck on net
Letestu is the target is cause he is garbage, and our whole powerplay is setup to get him a one timer, would be much more effective with Puljujarvi in that spot.
Bryanbryoil
Pray For Ukraine
- Sep 13, 2004
- 86,171
- 34,525
Draisaitl need to be on the 2nd unit with Nuge bumped up to the 1st unit. At least Nuge will look for a shot every now and then. McDavid and Drai will try to just pass it into the net.
Dazed and Confused
Ludicrous speed, GO!
Though to go in a different direction, if they aren't going to take Letestu off the top PP, then they should at least be adding in a second RHS to the top unit.
Lucic-Strome-McDavid
Letestu-Klefbom
Maroon-Draisaitl-RNH
Puljujarvi-Benning
This at least makes it so Letestu isn't as much of a focal point on the PP. (Also it solves the one issue I hate more than Letestu on the PP: the bloody 4LHS vs. 1 RHS set up.
Lucic-Strome-McDavid
Letestu-Klefbom
Maroon-Draisaitl-RNH
Puljujarvi-Benning
This at least makes it so Letestu isn't as much of a focal point on the PP. (Also it solves the one issue I hate more than Letestu on the PP: the bloody 4LHS vs. 1 RHS set up.
I kinda like this set-up.
---------Lucic-----------
--------------------------
--------Strome----------
Letestu--------McDavid
----------Klef-----------
-------Maroon-------
------------------Nuge
Pulju-----------------
------------------Drai
------Benning-------
One more message about JP / PP. Puljujarvi had some good and quiet games during the preseason, but when he (finally?) got PP time on the 3rd period of the last game he seemed to do well. Here's all the comments I found about it:
Jesse looks good on the point on that second PP.
Pulju QBing the second PP unit there. Not looking too bad at all controlling the puck there.
Good passing by Pulj on the PP.
I watched the last 10 minutes of game so not much to comment other than Pulju looked confident on that PP. Good to see.
I only watched the third period but Pulju looked great, IMO.
As I wrote earlier the 1/3 of the season is gone and the PP has been terrible so I really hope Jesse will finally get a chance on the PP. I can almost guarantee he'll make an impact if you just give him his favourite spot and a bit of time.
Jesse looks good on the point on that second PP.
Pulju QBing the second PP unit there. Not looking too bad at all controlling the puck there.
Good passing by Pulj on the PP.
I watched the last 10 minutes of game so not much to comment other than Pulju looked confident on that PP. Good to see.
I only watched the third period but Pulju looked great, IMO.
As I wrote earlier the 1/3 of the season is gone and the PP has been terrible so I really hope Jesse will finally get a chance on the PP. I can almost guarantee he'll make an impact if you just give him his favourite spot and a bit of time.
RebuildTheRebuild
Registered User
- Apr 27, 2013
- 765
- 34
I agree with a lot of the comments here saying Pulu should be getting a look on the PP. I mean he has shown a cannon of a shot in 2 games where he scored those one timers and we don't have a weapon like that on either PP. You would think it would be common sense to put him on the PP which is struggling.
Another note is that I would like to see Khaira on the PP especially if he can keep up his play. He has been really effective around the net (especially below the goal line) and maybe could be a bit more of threat there.
Another note is that I would like to see Khaira on the PP especially if he can keep up his play. He has been really effective around the net (especially below the goal line) and maybe could be a bit more of threat there.
McNuge
Registered User
I wouldn't say useless, but far too predictable. The other team knows he is just going to pass it. No real point in covering him.
Just thought Id bring this one back to the top, seeing how its topical after he's out for about 7 mins of PP time today while PJ got, exactly 0.00 of PP time.
KeithIsActuallyBad
You thrust your pelvis, huh!
We can hope that McLellan gets over his infatuation with Letestu. McLellan was far too invested in Gryba but eventually got over that. Now it looks like Gryba will spend the rest of the season in the press box, if he is even still on the team after Sekera comes back.
Not sure what it will take to end Letestu's time on the pp, but it's gotta come to an end eventually. Doesn't it?
Not sure what it will take to end Letestu's time on the pp, but it's gotta come to an end eventually. Doesn't it?
McJadeddog
Registered User
It's kinda crazy at this point no? Look, I hate Woodcroft as much as any red-blooded Oilers fan, and I do not think highly of his intelligence level, but even I cannot believe he could be *this* stupid. Is there something else that could possibly explain this? Letestu has been an abomination, but is only on the PP for his one-timer, which is exceptionally lack-luster. Pulj is a right shot guy who has a significantly better one-timer, and loves to shoot. Like, this isn't fricken rocket surgery here folks. If the PP was cruising along in the top-10 of the league, nobody would say squat about Letestu in over Pulj, but when its bottom-5 and losing us games (as it did against Toronto again tonight), then people have a right to wonder what the F is going on here.
