RW Jesse Puljujärvi - Kärpät, Liiga (2016 Draft) II

[Keke]

Finns fans, assume you are the Leafs GM and Matthews is gone and you are down to choosing one of these wingers. Who would you take?

Flip a coin

 

[myrsky]

Apart from tough Tappara and Jyp away matches, Puljujärvi has been one of the best players for Kärpät after the WJC. So, seven very solid games and two okay games.

 

[Loffer]

Finns fans, assume you are the Leafs GM and Matthews is gone and you are down to choosing one of these wingers. Who would you take?

Watch this pic as long as it takes and you know the answer.

(Yes. Laine is the right answer.)

 

[Jussi]

Finns fans, assume you are the Leafs GM and Matthews is gone and you are down to choosing one of these wingers. Who would you take?

A good old Canadian boy from Ontario.

 

[HockeyHistorian]

Watch this pic as long as it takes and you know the answer.

(Yes. Laine is the right answer.)

What a great way of deciding between them!

I choose Puljujärvi because of his winning smile.

 

[Sittler 27]

A good old Canadian boy from Ontario.

Michael McLeod

 

[FlareKnight]

A good old Canadian boy from Ontario.

Yeah, cause the Leafs never draft anyone who doesn't fall under that definition....

 

[teravaineSAROS]

A good old Canadian boy from Ontario.

wonder what Don Cherry would think of Toronto drafting Puljujärvi or Laine

 

[fredligh]

wonder what Don Cherry would think of Toronto drafting Puljujärvi or Laine

He will wait until some canadian big boi drafted lower outscores them (if it ever happens) and say "THIS IS WHAY I SAI THE LEAFS WILL NEVER SUCEED DRAFTING DIS SOFT CLOWNs FROM SLOVAKIA, SHOUDLVE GONE WITH THE GOODOL ONTARIO BOI EEEh WITH INTIMADATION AND FYSICAL PRESENCE" (meanwhile Showing videoclips of puljujärvi getting hit, losing board battle or anything out of context)

Now when i think about it, Cherry is all about what modern hockey is not. haha

 

[McMatthews]

wonder what Don Cherry would think of Toronto drafting Puljujärvi or Laine

A lot of Toronto fans don't care what Don Cherry thinks.

Our organization is run by Brendan Shanahan.

Same Shanahan who played with a bunch of European hall of famers in Detroit.

 

[Hello Johnny]

Is it fair to say that Puljujarvi needs to add some strength before being an impact player in the NHL? In regards to next season, that is.

 

[Kuhta]

Is it fair to say that Puljujarvi needs to add some strength before being an impact player in the NHL? In regards to next season, that is.

Yes. Strength and coordination of his body. However, isn´t that just normal for a 17 year old 195cm guy?

 

[Hello Johnny]

Yes. Strength and coordination of his body. However, isn´t that just normal for a 17 year old 195cm guy?

It is (with Laine seeming to be an exception), just wondering if he's NHL ready next year or if it would be better for him to stay in Finland for one more year.

 

[HockeyHistorian]

Puljujärvi is probably just as strong as Laine. I haven't seen anything that would indicate otherwise, in fact I think that Marjamäki (Puljujärvi's coach) has said that he has great physique and incredible stamina. That doesn't mean that they shouldn't develop their strength though, they are only 17 after all. I believe that people think that Laine is stronger because he plays a more "physical" game and seems to be of a little heavier build.

 

[Ippenator]

Puljujärvi is probably just as strong as Laine. I haven't seen anything that would indicate otherwise, in fact I think that Marjamäki (Puljujärvi's coach) has said that he has great physique and incredible stamina. That doesn't mean that they shouldn't develop their strength though, they are only 17 after all. I believe that people think that Laine is stronger because he plays a more "physical" game and seems to be of a little heavier build.

I agree totally with this. In fact the Finnish U20 team had a slapshot competition just before the WJC and Pulju won that competition with a 158 kph slapshot (about 98 mph). Laine was 2nd with 155 kph. Of course slapshot may not tell everything about the players strength, but I believe also that a player who isn't already quite strong, wouldn't be able to shoot that hard slapshot. But of course Pulju and Laine both are only 17 years old, so they are most probably not even very close yet to the strength peak that they can gain. I'm just thinking of what kind of monsters both of them will be when they have trained hard for 3 or 4 years. Whew! Scary to even think about it...

 

[Jyrki Lumme]

Puljujarvi is cuter, I'd probably pick him.

 

[brettzz]

Puljujarvi has the more interesting name so he will be the better player

 

[one77]

Laine for me. He's a superstar prospect, looks like a mix of Malkin/Nash with Ovechkin's shot

 

[Man Bear Pig]

wonder what Don Cherry would think of Toronto drafting Puljujärvi or Laine

You don't need to wonder, we all know he'd hate it. I love when Cherry blows a gasket over those picks, what did he say about Nylander again? We should a taken Ritchie or something? It'll be funny when no Canadians are picked in the top 5 this June...we still shoulda picked a good Tranna boy!

 

[Gyfu]

I agree totally with this. In fact the Finnish U20 team had a slapshot competition just before the WJC and Pulju won that competition with a 158 kph slapshot (about 98 mph). Laine was 2nd with 155 kph. Of course slapshot may not tell everything about the players strength, but I believe also that a player who isn't already quite strong, wouldn't be able to shoot that hard slapshot. But of course Pulju and Laine both are only 17 years old, so they are most probably not even very close yet to the strength peak that they can gain. I'm just thinking of what kind of monsters both of them will be when they have trained hard for 3 or 4 years. Whew! Scary to even think about it...

"5,8" Marc-André Bergeron had an over a 100mph slapshot..... technique has more to do with that than strength

 

[Ippenator]

"5,8" Marc-André Bergeron had an over a 100mph slapshot..... technique has more to do with that than strength

So you claim that Bergeron does not have strength then? What on earth does the height of a player have to do with how much a player has strength? There has always been short players whom have still been strong. Theo Fleury comes to my mind as one of the best examples.

The point with height advantages comes with great reach first of all and also with the fact that a tall player who has also a lot of strength will definitely have much more body mass and weight than a short and strong player. This is why a big and strong player with great skills is so much appreciated.

But there is no reason why a short player couldn't have a lot of strength and couldn't have a hard slapshot. I do claim that a player who has a close to 100 mph slapshot is definitely relatively strong, so Bergeron also must be quite a strong player.

 

[Pestilence]

wonder what Don Cherry would think of Toronto drafting Puljujärvi or Laine

Don Cherry probably would still pick Drouin over Barkov, he wouldn't pick either for Toronto.

 

[Jussi]

It is (with Laine seeming to be an exception), just wondering if he's NHL ready next year or if it would be better for him to stay in Finland for one more year.

Both Puljujärvi and Laine would be better off with one more year in Finland, not only to grow into their bodies but to learn to use their frames better and get more accustomed to playing against men on a consistently good level.

 

[mazzman17]

I'm pretty sure they would both be eligible for to play in the AHL next season as they are not CHL drafted players. If the Leafs pick one of them and he isn't deemed NHL ready at the end of camp, I could see Leafs management asking him to stay in North America to play with the Marlies. They would still be able to play against men in a developmental setting, as well as use all of the top resources that the Leafs have to offer, like our strength and conditioning coach and skating coach. Also, it would be great to learn the system which would make the jump to the NHL that much more seamless.

 

[ChicagoBullsFan]

I'm pretty sure they would both be eligible for to play in the AHL next season as they are not CHL drafted players. If the Leafs pick one of them and he isn't deemed NHL ready at the end of camp, I could see Leafs management asking him to stay in North America to play with the Marlies. They would still be able to play against men in a developmental setting, as well as use all of the top resources that the Leafs have to offer, like our strength and conditioning coach and skating coach. Also, it would be great to learn the system which would make the jump to the NHL that much more seamless.

Patrik Laine is drafted in CHL ( 2015 CHL import draft 1st round 24th overall by Sarnia Sting).
Only Jesse Puljujärvi is undrafted in CHL.