Player Discussion Jesse Puljujarvi Part 9: 98 NO MORE! JERSEY NUMBER NERDS REJOICE!

[Muikea Bulju]

There is no end to the amount of disrespect Pulju shows to sporting legends

Trade him now before he starts keeping a cigar in his mouth all the time like Glen Sather.

Nah, next season he comes to camp, fat like Babe Ruth. And talks funny like Tyson. Does the Phelps stretches before every shift on the bench.

In the locker room, he fakes back pain and "can't tie his skates", throws in some Mario references. Then proceeds to celebrate every goal with a Borry Orr leap. Then he incites a riot like the Rocket.

 

[Muikea Bulju]

I see it now. Ok, 95 and 93 are also clearly off limits. As well as 89, 59 and 39. Omg, Doug Weight! Just realized what a disrespectful scumbag he is too He wore 39 and 93!!!

Yes, but 98 is one stroke off in shape, AND one number off as just a number

On the backs of the jerseys, it is really easy to mix up the nines and eights

 

[Whyme]

He had been wearing #98 earlier as a child, before knowing about coming to Edmonton. He didn't pick it because of Gretzky, McDavid or Edmonton

I didn't think he chose it because of Gretzky, McDavid or Edmonton, but I was under the impression he chose it because of his birth year. But you're actually right, he did have that number as a child. Here's what Pulju's father said:

- I think he took that number because he started with that in IHC and kept that number for many years. As he's also born in 1998 I wasn't surprised about his choice.

As the article also mentions Pulju couldn't choose the number he had in Kärpät (9) as the Oilers had retired it.

https://www.is.fi/nhl/art-2000001929362.html

 

[Stoneman89]

He chose it to piss off Jim Matheson.

 

[These Are The Days]

Didn't see the game last night (duh) but how did Pulju look in his first game back? I have to imagine the skating has to be vastly improved. If that was noticeable alone then there's hope for improvement.

I'm REALLY not trying to dump on the kid but over the years the only real consistency I saw was getting the yips on zone entries that the game would just sort of "happen around him." Not that he'd go out there and have a bad shift but what else do you call it if you go out there for 45 seconds and don't even touch the puck or find yourself in position to receive a pass?

Any of that last night?

 

[ImmuneEH]

Didn't see the game last night (duh) but how did Pulju look in his first game back? I have to imagine the skating has to be vastly improved. If that was noticeable alone then there's hope for improvement.

I'm REALLY not trying to dump on the kid but over the years the only real consistency I saw was getting the yips on zone entries that the game would just sort of "happen around him." Not that he'd go out there and have a bad shift but what else do you call it if you go out there for 45 seconds and don't even touch the puck or find yourself in position to receive a pass?

Any of that last night?

Definitely looked improved. More engaged physically, looks much stronger along the boards, and doesn't appear to look lost out there. There's flashes of issues he had in the past, but those problems are greatly reduced. He looks like a serviceable 3rd liner for sure.

Edit: In game two JP is shooting lots & making plays. Could see him getting a real opportunity on the top line if he keeps this up.

 

[Broberg Speed]

Jesse looks good to my eye check opinion so far but he needs more urgency to put the puck in the net. I don't want to see the Oilers 100% dependent on the top-six every game. I want Puljujarvi on the first unit power play. I don't care about inflating our questionable contracts numbers. Give Jesse Puljujarvi some confidence.

 

[Bryanbryoil]

His size, strength, puck pursuit and the ability to make some plays is a breath of fresh air. If he keeps this up, he should be on McDavid's right side before long.

 

[HockeyHistorian]

His size, strength, puck pursuit and the ability to make some plays is a breath of fresh air. If he keeps this up, he should be on McDavid's right side before long.

Jesse is pretty good at keeping pressure and forcing turnovers and has much improved his board and net front play, so he could be a good fit with McDavid. On the other hand, I don't know if that third line works without Pulju.

 

[The Panther]

I realize the mini (only in Edmonton, etc.) kerfuffle in the media about Puljujärvi's temporarily skating with #98 on his back was just a funny excuse for Internet-warriors to get up in arms bitching about the media being out-of-date sourpusses (hence, this thread), but...

It would indeed be really stupid if Puljujärvi wore #98. Why? There are two rather elephantine reasons that cannot be ignored:

1) The Oilers' franchise's deity is Gretzky #99, and its soon-to-be second franchise deity is McDavid #97 (I would currently still have Connor behind Messier and Kurri, but ahead of every other Oiler ever, and after another year or so he surpasses Kurri anyway despite having won nothing yet. And then he's going for Messier.). Thus, if Puljujärvi wears 98, his number is sandwiched between the two biggest deities in (future) franchise history, which is a highly visible thing that looks really out of place, especially considering he still hasn't established an NHL career, whereas #97 and #99 are two of the most elite hockey players in the history of the sport.

2) If and when the Oilers make the Cup Finals again (let's hope for this year), the player introductions are a big thing. Do we really want to see the Oilers coast-to-coast on Hockey Night in Canada, on ESPN (or whatever low-balling US network the NHL can dupe into broadcasting games for it), and on international sports channels around the world, and have Puljujärvi be the final player introduced... after McDavid? That would be cringe-worthy. (It even looked bad in Pittsburgh when young Jagr -- one of the greatest players of all time, himself -- wore #68, and was thus a higher number than Mario. When the players were introduced in the Finals, they called #68 before #66 just to let Mario be the [legitimate] final player and team icon.... which screwed up the number chronology and looked dumb.)


Point being, although it's fun to bitch about this as a much-ado-about-nothing from some old guys waving at clouds in the sky, the old guys who pointed out that this was a bad move... were 100% correct.

 

[Tobias Kahun]

I realize the mini (only in Edmonton, etc.) kerfuffle in the media about Puljujärvi's temporarily skating with #98 on his back was just a funny excuse for Internet-warriors to get up in arms bitching about the media being out-of-date sourpusses (hence, this thread), but...

It would indeed be really stupid if Puljujärvi wore #98. Why? There are two rather elephantine reasons that cannot be ignored:

1) The Oilers' franchise's deity is Gretzky #99, and its soon-to-be second franchise deity is McDavid #97 (I would currently still have Connor behind Messier and Kurri, but ahead of every other Oiler ever, and after another year or so he surpasses Kurri anyway despite having won nothing yet. And then he's going for Messier.). Thus, if Puljujärvi wears 98, his number is sandwiched between the two biggest deities in (future) franchise history, which is a highly visible thing that looks really out of place, especially considering he still hasn't established an NHL career, whereas #97 and #99 are two of the most elite hockey players in the history of the sport.

2) If and when the Oilers make the Cup Finals again (let's hope for this year), the player introductions are a big thing. Do we really want to see the Oilers coast-to-coast on Hockey Night in Canada, on ESPN (or whatever low-balling US network the NHL can dupe into broadcasting games for it), and on international sports channels around the world, and have Puljujärvi be the final player introduced... after McDavid? That would be cringe-worthy. (It even looked bad in Pittsburgh when young Jagr -- one of the greatest players of all time, himself -- wore #68, and was thus a higher number than Mario. When the players were introduced in the Finals, they called #68 before #66 just to let Mario be the [legitimate] final player and team icon.... which screwed up the number chronology and looked dumb.)


Point being, although it's fun to bitch about this as a much-ado-about-nothing from some old guys waving at clouds in the sky, the old guys who pointed out that this was a bad move... were 100% correct.

It's a bad move to allow Matheson to have a press badge also, but yet here we still are in 2021.

 

[Loffer]

Say what you say (and I have never said this to Pulju personally since it's a moot point anyway, yet one still amusing me so much I must comment on it one more time (Daft Punk) but that's about that. Let's talk about the game from hereon again.) but the thing is there hasn't yet even been born that lucid-minded and long-sighted blacksmith of later Times who would design and manufacture a hockey helmet big and volumous enough to match this Big dude's even bigger head. Every frigging helmet he has used has been, is and will be a no fit. A pot hardly covering the poor guy's forehead, hanging half in the air above.

Gimme a break. And give Yesse a helmet of his size god damn it!

 

[Fourier]

His size, strength, puck pursuit and the ability to make some plays is a breath of fresh air. If he keeps this up, he should be on McDavid's right side before long.

I agree . Plus he's shooting the puck when he gets a chance.

 

[joestevens29]

He chose it to piss off Jim Matheson.

Should stage a rally outside of Rogers. Everyone get a shirt made with their last name and number 98.

Of course after covid

 

[North]

Jesse is pretty good at keeping pressure and forcing turnovers and has much improved his board and net front play, so he could be a good fit with McDavid. On the other hand, I don't know if that third line works without Pulju.

Actually I think Kassian would do just fine on the third line.

 

[joestevens29]

It's a bad move to allow Matheson to have a press badge also, but yet here we still are in 2021.

Matheson reminds me of Mr.Garrison from Southpark when he finds out that he can get a huge payout if fired for being gay as it's discrimination.

Matheson is just doing his best and then can pull the age card.

Both him and Jones are lifetime PHWA Members and it's as if they think they can do whatever they want.

 

[nabob]

I realize the mini (only in Edmonton, etc.) kerfuffle in the media about Puljujärvi's temporarily skating with #98 on his back was just a funny excuse for Internet-warriors to get up in arms bitching about the media being out-of-date sourpusses (hence, this thread), but...

It would indeed be really stupid if Puljujärvi wore #98. Why? There are two rather elephantine reasons that cannot be ignored:

1) The Oilers' franchise's deity is Gretzky #99, and its soon-to-be second franchise deity is McDavid #97 (I would currently still have Connor behind Messier and Kurri, but ahead of every other Oiler ever, and after another year or so he surpasses Kurri anyway despite having won nothing yet. And then he's going for Messier.). Thus, if Puljujärvi wears 98, his number is sandwiched between the two biggest deities in (future) franchise history, which is a highly visible thing that looks really out of place, especially considering he still hasn't established an NHL career, whereas #97 and #99 are two of the most elite hockey players in the history of the sport.

2) If and when the Oilers make the Cup Finals again (let's hope for this year), the player introductions are a big thing. Do we really want to see the Oilers coast-to-coast on Hockey Night in Canada, on ESPN (or whatever low-balling US network the NHL can dupe into broadcasting games for it), and on international sports channels around the world, and have Puljujärvi be the final player introduced... after McDavid? That would be cringe-worthy. (It even looked bad in Pittsburgh when young Jagr -- one of the greatest players of all time, himself -- wore #68, and was thus a higher number than Mario. When the players were introduced in the Finals, they called #68 before #66 just to let Mario be the [legitimate] final player and team icon.... which screwed up the number chronology and looked dumb.)


Point being, although it's fun to bitch about this as a much-ado-about-nothing from some old guys waving at clouds in the sky, the old guys who pointed out that this was a bad move... were 100% correct.

no there were not.

 

[KlefDown]

 

[Canovin]

Moving Pulju up to the first line is fine with me. He played pretty well with RNH in the past. Moving Kassian down to the 3rd line also makes sense since he plays well with Neal.

 

[ijuka]

Game's still too fast for him. He might be able to have a career if he recognizes he's a bottom 6 / 4th line player and plays like that. As long as he continues thinking that he's an offensive top 6er he's not going to succeed IMO.

 

[Daryls Friend]

As I have said previously I don’t think he does anything particularly quickly ( yes there anecdotes), which imo will make it very difficult to be a productive top 6.
Hope I’m wrong. If I am that’s huge for the Oilers.
That guy does look huge on the ice.

 

[fireantz]

He’s doing exactly what a 3RW should do. Working the walls, forechecking, going to the net and being defensively responsible. Let him grow there, get his first goal, let him earn PP net front opportunities. Maybe it all starts to click and that knock! Knock! moment happens

 

[Aceboogie]

Looks solid to me. He should be getting an extended top 6 look pretty quickly. Moreso just because Kassian does nothing for me in the top 6 and is clearly not a top 6 player. Id rather give JP a 15 game look, not like we have other choices.

But hes doing the little things right, and you can see his skills on display

 

[Broberg Speed]

Game's still too fast for him. He might be able to have a career if he recognizes he's a bottom 6 / 4th line player and plays like that. As long as he continues thinking that he's an offensive top 6er he's not going to succeed IMO.

Did you even watch the games? Because you're definitely seeing something different than me.

 

[Broberg Speed]

I still want Jesse to stick it out on the third line this season and let him soak up the NHL from veterans.