Player Discussion Jesse Puljujarvi Part 10: Connor's RW

[AddyTheWrath]

It's always nice to see when the boys communicate (especially since this team has been so robotic for years) but especially when they include Pulju in the conversations. I noticed that Drai was one of the players who really gushed about him in Training Camp along with Nurse and Nuge who also seems to be really taking to Jesse, not to mention Tippett who is in love with the young man haha. It's really nice to see.

Also, I noticed that the team is really starting to enjoy playing more the last week especially. The goal celebrations are more colorful and the post game fist bumps and hugs are becoming more joyous, even Drai is coming out of his shell a bit. You always love to see that as a fan.

They’ve also been posting a lot on Instagram/social media as well so it looks like they’re pumped. Drai, McDavid, Bear and Pulju to name a few.

 

[VainGretzky]

Pull you RV has great work ethic

 

[Fourier]

Pulju plays hard at both ends of the ice and hounds the puck.

He’s a strong two way player and it’s why his analytics bear that out as well, he commits to hounding the puck and creating turnovers as well as space for McDavid.

Not surprising why Tippett likes him.

So happy for him. He’s a big part of this teams success.

He is having fun playing that way as well. It would be one thing if he did so reluctantly just to get some ice time. But you get the sense that he is really liking what he's doing on the ice.

In support of the kid I'm going with the Golden Retriever avatar.

 

[jonu]

It seemed that Nuge really took to him pretty quickly, you can just see it the way he talked about him in Training Camp.

Nuge is a real understated leader of this team, starting to see some real leadership qualities coming from him the last few seasons.
I still don't think they should overpay him (north of $7M) but he's a real important part of this leadership group, not to mention the utility he brings to the lineup.

IIRC they used to be on same line at Pulju's first stints most successful times in the form of RNH - Strome - Pulju before the line was broken and Strome traded away. I remember RNH being pretty upbeat about Pulju even back then.

 

[Aceboogie]

Hopefully he gets more PP time the next few games. Playing 5x5 and PP with 97 will be the life

 

[Gordy Elbows]

I was one of the big doubters about JP coming back and making it in the NHL. What he has shown so far, is convincing me otherwise....and he seems to be learning on the fly as well. Coach seems to be handling him well with TOI and situations. Here's hoping this continues and JP has a very successful season. If so, my next stop is the "Eating Crow" thread.

 

[Mcnotloilersfan]

What's amazing about this too, is that if he turns out to not be a bust, we will have only drafted one bust in the first round since 2010, and oddly enough... at 1st overall.

 

[5 14 6 1]

What's amazing about this too, is that if he turns out to not be a bust, we will have only drafted one bust in the first round since 2010, and oddly enough... at 1st overall.

Tried to do it off memory

Hall 1st
Nuge 1st
Klef 17th?
Yak 1st
Nurse 7th
Drai 3rd
McDavid 1st
Pulju 4th
Yamamoto 23rd?
Bouchard 10th
Broberg 8th
Holloway 15th

Honestly some great picks in there and other than Yak no misses really. That draft sucked with Yak, Murray and Galchenyuk top 3.

All pretty good players. Yesterday my friend made a comment about us ruining first rounders and I had to ask him who exactly we ruined and he quickly realized he was wrong lol.

 

[HockeyHistorian]

This was my highlight of the game:

 

[backwards motion]

I love that. Shows his physicality. Like a brickwall coming. "Don't mind me, just being in this area. Maybe another route next time?"

 

[Bryanbryoil]

I love that. Shows his physicality. Like a brickwall coming. "Don't mind me, just being in this area. Maybe another route next time?"

I love physical hockey and he has the size and speed to play that way when the opportunity presents itself. I loved Archibald being a wrecking ball out there as well.

 

[LMFAO]

I love physical hockey and he has the size and speed to play that way when the opportunity presents itself. I loved Archibald being a wrecking ball out there as well.

Damn I love Archie

im starting to think he should be protected in the expansion draft before Kassian.

 

[Bryanbryoil]

Damn I love Archie

im starting to think he should be protected in the expansion draft before Kassian.

Based on their contracts and consistency, I would without a doubt.

 

[tellermine]

Stats show only 10min. ice time to Jesse last night.
Is this correct?
If it is why so? Loads of special teams?

 

[Stoneman89]

Stats show only 10min. ice time to Jesse last night.
Is this correct?
If it is why so? Loads of special teams?

He wasn't really a factor. The time he was given, he was fairly invisible.

 

[Bryanbryoil]

Stats show only 10min. ice time to Jesse last night.
Is this correct?
If it is why so? Loads of special teams?

His line didn't get much going and they double shifted Connor a lot on the 4th line. None of it helped/worked.

 

[AddyTheWrath]

Can't wait to see a Holloway - McDavid - Puljujarvi line.

Those three could be a beast together on the forecheck.

 

[Whyme]

Jesse has played less than 12 minutes in six games this season but just two of them have been in February or March. I wouldn't worry about some occasional games like that, if a player doesn't get much PP (or PK) time some games tend to be like that.

Even with the tough (for the whole team) three Toronto games he has scored 7 goals in the last 14 games. Edmonton Journal wrote about him today:

Spent almost equal time on lines with McDavid and Nugent-Hopkins, and enjoyed outstanding possession numbers with both. Oilers had a 76% share (19 for, 6 against) of shot attempts during his 13 minutes at evens. Had 2 great chances of his own from close range, a deflection from the low slot and the rebound from a point shot, cashing the second of those for the all-important 1-1 tally late in the second period. Credited with 3 shots and 4 hits in an impressive all-round performance.


I still believe he keeps developing and can bring more especially with more and more PP chances, but right now the main thing is he's worth a top6 place. Occasional quieter games happen to everyone but the bigger picture has looked positive for quite a while now. As it does to the whole team IMO despite the nasty losses to Toronto. The bigger trend is positive.

 

[PulYou]

BuT hE HaS bAD hAnDs...

 

[BudBundy]

The full list of Oilers wingers who consistently drive to the net:

Puljujarvi, Jesse




That’s all of ‘em.

 

[Whyme]

BuT hE HaS bAD hAnDs...

I really like how he goes fast through the pack and finds himself open by the net. What frustrated me during his first years was that it seemed like there was so little room. Him finding enough room was maybe the thing I was mainly worried about before this season as I knew he was working to develop in that in Finland, but we could see the results only in the NHL.

 

[Bryanbryoil]

IMO he's our best RWer, it will be interesting to see if he stays with Nuge on the 2nd line.

 

[ghostnights]

I really liked that entire sequence . Jesse has impressed me.

 

[BarDownBobo]

IMO he's our best RWer, it will be interesting to see if he stays with Nuge on the 2nd line.

I’ll be a little surprised if they keep McD and Drai together. I feel like that was a kick start for last nights game but I kinda expect them to be on separate lines again tomorrow.

 

[Whyme]

I really don't mean to compare players, but I just took a look at Laine's underlying stats and again they are among the worst of the team. His corsi is the 2nd worst (42.50%) while his oZS% is the 2nd highest of the team (69%). So basically the game is tilting towards their zone while he's on the ice. Pulju on the other hand has an excellent corsi% (55.2% which is around the same as McDavid and Nuge, the highest forwards). His oZS% is 58.9 (5th highest of the team).

I'm not writing Laine off, his shot is phenomenal and I think he's adjusting to a new team, but it hasn't been easy lately. Once he starts scoring again things may look very different, but I think this time he's forced to concentrate on becoming a more complete player. The bad thing with pretty one dimensional scorers is that their contratcs tend to cost a lot. In that regard Pulju is looking like a better and better pick and I think we're getting closer to the point where we can be happy it was him the Oilers decided to pick. It's quite a change really. I hope I'm not annoying Laine fans, like I said he should bounce back so patience is the key. And comparisons are useless as the Oilers couldn't have picked him at #3 anyway.