Player Discussion Jesse Puljujarvi Part 10: Connor's RW

[Aceboogie]

Jesse has more goals than Laine this season

I would comfortably take him over Laine going forward

Partly because JP looks really good, but Laine has also looked pretty bad and kind of a liability on 90% of the ice surface

 

[ImmuneEH]

Powerplay.

Imagine Puljujarvi on one wing and Draisaitl on the other waiting for the one pass to one time from McDavid.

Nurse and Bouchard waiting for the pass to one time from McDavid.

Defenders will be fkd. Powerplay will start hitting in the range of 50%

That's what I was thinking. Next season I would take Nuge off the PP and put JP in the Ovechkin spot.

McDavid, JP, Draisaitl, Bouchard, ? is the makings of a great powerplay. Maybe Holloway ends up as the net front guy.

Edit: Weird to say great powerplay when our powerplay is #1 or #2 currently, don't remember. But Nuge doesn't present the one-time option. His main asset is utilizing a screen to pinpoint a shot on net. I think Bouchard could both shoot the puck better than Barrie and move the puck better as well, not to take anything away from Barrie. We just need that guy who is a great net front presence (I don't think Chiasson/Neal will be around for long).

 

[McFlyingV]

I was pissed at him because I thought he was done here. That preseason before he injured his hips showed a glimpse of the potential he possessed. He's back, he's killing it. What's in the past is in the past.

Just to be clear on his hip issue. He didn't exactly injure them at any point in time. He had excessive bony growth on both hips that leads to a pinching type feeling in the hips and usually really restricts rotation and flexion range of motion (squatting or pivoting motion for example) of the hip. The condition is called femoroacetabular impingement, there's 2 types: CAM and pincer (based off whether the growth is on the femur or the pelvis), and its a very common condition in a lot of males who play sports growing up. It often doesn't become serious enough to be symptomatic until your adult years, and it's why it probably didn't start bothering Jesse until after he was drafted.

 

[McFlyingV]

During his time with McDavid this season Pulju has scored goals at the rate of about 28 goals per full season. So there's a good chance he'll score that 30 goals next season even if he doesn't get more PP time.

Let's wait and see, but 30 goals with no much PP usage and for a defensively terrific player would be great, but it he starts to get regular time on the 1st PP unit it could be even more.

Agreed. I wouldn't mind seeing him on the PP as net front or low left circle to give Draisaitl a one-timer pass option. Having 3 big shots on the PP in the future between Drai on the right, Pulju on the left, and Bouch at the point is just ridiculous to defend. That's without mentioning that we already have the #1PP in the league the past two seasons.

 

[GOilers88]

I would comfortably take him over Laine going forward

Partly because JP looks really good, but Laine has also looked pretty bad and kind of a liability on 90% of the ice surface

I still want to see a Laine - McD - JP line.
Dare to dream.

 

[Whyme]

Agreed. I wouldn't mind seeing him on the PP as net front or low left circle to give Draisaitl a one-timer pass option. Having 3 big shots on the PP in the future between Drai on the right, Pulju on the left, and Bouch at the point is just ridiculous to defend. That's without mentioning that we already have the #1PP in the league the past two seasons.

There's a reason to believe the Oilers will have an even more incredible PP when those two join. I still believe that when Pulju will get that place it's like "why didn't they try this earlier", but the PP has been working well anyway so I understand the summer will be a more natural time to make little changes.

It's been great to follow Pulju this season and to see the team become a real seriously taken group, but I'm really looking forward to see Pulju on that circle spot as I think that's one piece of the puzzle that isn't in the perfect spot yet.

 

[Zaddy]

Something something, JP wiffs on shots and isn't a good goal scorer @Zaddy

I love that we have such a genuine and nice board here and absolutely zero cherry-picking and/or drive-by type posts.

Read through my post history and see that I've been right on pretty much everything I've ever said about this player, including EXACTLY what he needed to do in order to be successful in the NHL. I said for years that he needed to play the way he is playing now if he EVER wanted to succeed in this league because he wasn't skilled enough to be a true 'skill guy'. And guess what? That is exactly what happened.

Seriously get the f*** out of here with these type of posts. I follow these players for years and put a lot of effort into analyzing their game, looking at strengths and weaknesses and projecting what I think they can become at the NHL level. I never post any serious critique of a player unless I've watched them a ton so whenever I say something it's grounded in something more than a handful of goals or whatever you're basing your stupid comment on.

If you disagree with my take on a player that's fine, but at least be genuine enough to not post this garbage whenever a player scores a decent goal as if that proves jack shit. You're no better than the people who said Sam Bennett was better than Draisaitl based on a 12 game sample size in 14/15.

 

[Nostradumbass]

And from McLeod:

"Everyone's super happy in the room and everyone's super nice to each other," McLeod said. "It's been super welcoming coming in and it's really nice that we did that for Jesse in the middle of the ice."

He is part of it, but to me this sounds we have quite mature team here. Very exciting!!!

That sounds super.

 

[Jimmi McJenkins]

That sounds super.

I'm going to say what many of us are thinking, the Stain of Lucic is finally gone and the team is SO much better for it.

 

[walktheboulavard]

I love that we have such a genuine and nice board here and absolutely zero cherry-picking and/or drive-by type posts.

Read through my post history and see that I've been right on pretty much everything I've ever said about this player, including EXACTLY what he needed to do in order to be successful in the NHL. I said for years that he needed to play the way he is playing now if he EVER wanted to succeed in this league because he wasn't skilled enough to be a true 'skill guy'. And guess what? That is exactly what happened.

Seriously get the f*** out of here with these type of posts. I follow these players for years and put a lot of effort into analyzing their game, looking at strengths and weaknesses and projecting what I think they can become at the NHL level. I never post any serious critique of a player unless I've watched them a ton so whenever I say something it's grounded in something more than a handful of goals or whatever you're basing your stupid comment on.

If you disagree with my take on a player that's fine, but at least be genuine enough to not post this garbage whenever a player scores a decent goal as if that proves jack shit. You're no better than the people who said Sam Bennett was better than Draisaitl based on a 12 game sample size in 14/15.

Drive by post lol. Aren't you the one that picked a top shelf goal against the Jets to highlight why he's a poor goal scorer? because it appeared that he had flubbed it?

Fact of the matter is, the kid's at a 24 goal pace; a lot of them a result of excellent shots that beat the goalie clean. He just turned 23 and has shown significant improvement in this department. I'll take my chances and say this will be the norm for him, as he has beastly possession numbers and will get plenty of chances.

And no one's made mention of your ability/depth to analyze players, so you can f*** out of here with your flex and prospect evaluation superiority complex.

 

[HockeyHistorian]

I once gathered a bunch of clips of pretty much all his onetimer goals over the years, but sadly it seems to have vanished in the forum migration... However, I can still also understand Zaddy's point of view. It's true that Jesse has whiffed and flubbed more shots than some elite snipers like Laine, Ovi or Drai, but that's a pretty high bar to set.

I just think that even though he sometimes misses some shots, it's been blown out of proportions how often that occurs, especially now when he is confident. Jesse has always had a great shot and a hell of a onetimer. I for one, would love to see him on that left circle in the future.

Here are some examples from his draft year

 

[TopShelfGloveSide]

Wrong thread*

 

[Zaddy]

Drive by post lol. Aren't you the one that picked a top shelf goal against the Jets to highlight why he's a poor goal scorer? because it appeared that he had flubbed it?

I've watched the kid since 14/15 and have talked about his finishing ability a million times since then, so no it's not even remotely the same.

Fact of the matter is, the kid's at a 24 goal pace; a lot of them a result of excellent shots that beat the goalie clean. He just turned 23 and has shown significant improvement in this department. I'll take my chances and say this will be the norm for him, as he has beastly possession numbers and will get plenty of chances.

Yes, of course you want (and expect) to see an improvement in that department over time as it has been a weakness and limiting factor to his game, which is exactly what I pointed out in my post you're alluding to above. He needs to keep improving it because if he does he'll be a really good player with few, if any, real weaknesses.

And no one's made mention of your ability/depth to analyze players, so you can f*** out of here with your flex and prospect evaluation superiority complex.

That's not what this is about at all. I'm just really, really tired of seeing extremely low-effort posts being made trying to 'call me out' on something I've criticized a player of, when you BASE IT ON THE SAMPLE SIZE OF ONE GOAL. You clearly have no idea how annoying it is to read posts like yours. One goal does not invalidate the hours of footage I've watched on him where he has been a poor finisher.

Also what some people don't seem to get is that when I criticize his finishing ability it DOES NOT mean that I think he is completely incapable of scoring goals, even nice ones at times. I am talking about his finishing ability RELATIVE to what you expect from a player with his talent and pedigree, and what you expect from top6 forwards, or even top line forwards, in general. That should go without saying, but I guess it's lost on people like you.

EDIT: Also to be even more clear, when I talk about Jesse's finishing ability what I mean specifically is his ability to corral the puck, to control the puck, his ability to elevate the puck close to the net as well as how clinical he is, meaning how often he finishes good/great chances that a skilled forward is generally expected to score on most of the time. Those are the things I believe need improvement, and what you'll find is that most of these things go hand-in-hand (no pun intended) with his hands and puck skills, which is something I think most of us can agree has been lacking in the past. I mean, I'm not the only one who has suggested that he might need a shorter stick, which is obviously something that could help him improve in exactly those facets of the game, so clearly there are more people than me who seem to think he has room for improvement in those areas.

And to really emphasize this point: one goal, or a handful of goals doesn't disprove any of this. I'm always looking at a very large sample size when I critique a certain part of a player's game. I want to see how CONSISTENT a player is at executing certain skills. That is the hallmark of the truly good players in this league, their consistency. If a player only finishes a great chance (like Pulju's most recent goal) 25% of the time, that's not consistency. Hell I'd even expect someone like Larsson to convert those at that rate. What I want to see from Pulju is for him to do it CONSISTENTLY and not just every once in a while. Once I see that from him, I will stop criticizing his finishing ability. It's really that simple.

 

[McFlyingV]

He's definitely improved his shot from his teenage years, as well as his selection on when to shoot. As a 16 year old in the U20's he was shooting the puck from anywhere and led the tournament in shots on goal with numerous posts, but didn't have a single goal to show for it. Nowadays he's cut the low quality shots out of his game for the most part and is definitely improving the consistency that he gets quality well placed shots with velocity off. His one-timer continues to improve the most in that regard.

Is he ever going to be a 40-50 goal guy? I don't think so, but even with some inaccuracies and inconsistencies in his shot I think he will hit or come close to 30G as early as next season.

 

[Beerfish]

By far the best player on that super line has been Aho, whom we could have had if not for the worst trade in Oiler history.

 

[Senor Catface]

By far the best player on that super line has been Aho, whom we could have had if not for the worst trade in Oiler history.

You sure do like to focus on the positives in life.

 

[Beerfish]

You sure do like to focus on the positives in life.

The people that love to bury negatives are doomed to repeat them.

Also in most cases those that want to bury negatives were probably embarrassingly wrong about the issue back when it happened.

 

[Senor Catface]

The people that love to bury negatives are doomed to repeat them.

Also in most cases those that want to bury negatives were probably embarrassingly wrong about the issue back when it happened.

Focusing on a player we didn't draft in a different draft year has no bearing on a conversation about Jesse Puljujarvi.

 

[SupremeTeam16]

It's really nice to see it working out. Since his first year I've always thought that there was an opportunity for Jesse to be a very important piece on this team without putting up the kind of points you'd generally expect out of a top draft pick. He's got the tools to play the role they've given him very well and he's taken to it much quicker then I expected, he skates hard plays hard, a beast down low and in the corners, on the forecheck, supports in all 3 zones, gets under opponents skin and draws penalties. There is just so much good he does out there and he's likely going to get more refined, more confident. Wouldn't be surprised if he's eventually on the PK. I could see him being to McDavid/Draisaitl, what Rodman was to Jordan/Pippen. Strong defensive player, someone who's hard to play against and who the coach trusts in key moments. We know he has personality and I think it'll shine through even more as he gains confidence.

And to think a lot of people we're saying this kid wasn't worth a late 2nd. Holland played the situation perfectly and it's paying off for the team.

 

[space321]

By far the best player on that super line has been Aho, whom we could have had if not for the worst trade in Oiler history.

There was no gaurantee who we'd drafted with those picks. I mean, 30 teams passed on Kaprizov like 4 times each... The trade was bad in vacuum, no need to bring hypotheticals in to prove that point lol.

 

[TopShelfGloveSide]

By far the best player on that super line has been Aho, whom we could have had if not for the worst trade in Oiler history.

 

[PulYou]

I've watched the kid since 14/15 and have talked about his finishing ability a million times since then, so no it's not even remotely the same.


Yes, of course you want (and expect) to see an improvement in that department over time as it has been a weakness and limiting factor to his game, which is exactly what I pointed out in my post you're alluding to above. He needs to keep improving it because if he does he'll be a really good player with few, if any, real weaknesses.


That's not what this is about at all. I'm just really, really tired of seeing extremely low-effort posts being made trying to 'call me out' on something I've criticized a player of, when you BASE IT ON THE SAMPLE SIZE OF ONE GOAL. You clearly have no idea how annoying it is to read posts like yours. One goal does not invalidate the hours of footage I've watched on him where he has been a poor finisher.

Also what some people don't seem to get is that when I criticize his finishing ability it DOES NOT mean that I think he is completely incapable of scoring goals, even nice ones at times. I am talking about his finishing ability RELATIVE to what you expect from a player with his talent and pedigree, and what you expect from top6 forwards, or even top line forwards, in general. That should go without saying, but I guess it's lost on people like you.

EDIT: Also to be even more clear, when I talk about Jesse's finishing ability what I mean specifically is his ability to corral the puck, to control the puck, his ability to elevate the puck close to the net as well as how clinical he is, meaning how often he finishes good/great chances that a skilled forward is generally expected to score on most of the time. Those are the things I believe need improvement, and what you'll find is that most of these things go hand-in-hand (no pun intended) with his hands and puck skills, which is something I think most of us can agree has been lacking in the past. I mean, I'm not the only one who has suggested that he might need a shorter stick, which is obviously something that could help him improve in exactly those facets of the game, so clearly there are more people than me who seem to think he has room for improvement in those areas.

And to really emphasize this point: one goal, or a handful of goals doesn't disprove any of this. I'm always looking at a very large sample size when I critique a certain part of a player's game. I want to see how CONSISTENT a player is at executing certain skills. That is the hallmark of the truly good players in this league, their consistency. If a player only finishes a great chance (like Pulju's most recent goal) 25% of the time, that's not consistency. Hell I'd even expect someone like Larsson to convert those at that rate. What I want to see from Pulju is for him to do it CONSISTENTLY and not just every once in a while. Once I see that from him, I will stop criticizing his finishing ability. It's really that simple.

I think You have waisted Your time since 2014, because obviously You have not understand even half of what You have seen... One of the telltales is Your take on shorter stick...

 

[Panda Bear]

I am so sorry that you have to go through this, Zaddy.

I adore Pulju, and I understand exactly what you mean about his finishing.

 

[bucks_oil]

That's what I was thinking. Next season I would take Nuge off the PP and put JP in the Ovechkin spot.

McDavid, JP, Draisaitl, Bouchard, ? is the makings of a great powerplay. Maybe Holloway ends up as the net front guy.

Edit: Weird to say great powerplay when our powerplay is #1 or #2 currently, don't remember. But Nuge doesn't present the one-time option. His main asset is utilizing a screen to pinpoint a shot on net. I think Bouchard could both shoot the puck better than Barrie and move the puck better as well, not to take anything away from Barrie. We just need that guy who is a great net front presence (I don't think Chiasson/Neal will be around for long).

Actually... I think Nuge's main contribution to the power play is controlled puck recovery. Remember that his role pre-McD was as the half-wall QB. Guys like that have an exceptional ability to draw players to them, just close enough, before feathering a controlled pass to the open man. From there the PK get's stretched out chasing.

That first pass after a recovered shot attempt is the difference between a clear down the ice or a reset with a strained set of PK.

McDrai obviously do that better than most when the puck is on their side of the ice... but watch for that from Nuge too and see if you agree with me.

It isn't clear that returning to a "pure one timer" role on the weak side half-wall is actually going to be an improvement. To me having that secondary half-wall QB is what took our PP to the top of the league post Woodcroft.

 

[Nostradumbass]

I think You have waisted Your time since 2014, because obviously You have not understand even half of what You have seen... One of the telltales is Your take on shorter stick...

@Zaddy has been consistently providing the best prospect information for this board for years. If I'm not mistaken, he was a professional scout at one point. If you disagree with Zaddy, that's fine - but don't insult his commitment, intelligence, or time spent to share this information with us.