Mickey Marner
Registered User
TBH, I'd rather spend my winters in Bakersfield than Oulu or Edmonton.
If his manager is still Sami Mettovaara, I wouldn’t count on anything he says. Btw, he is a big reason for Jesse making bad choices and not having any good direction with what he has been doing so far. Sure, Jesse himself is to blame for his part, but he is what he is, and not the sharpest tool in the shed. But having an atrociusly moronic manager as Mettovaara is bound to cause serious trouble for exactly the kind of clueless and immature kid that Jesse has so far been.His agent already told the media theres a 0% chance he will play in Finland next season.
He's 20, still has all the time in the world. The moment he returns to Finland his career is over.If his manager is still Sami Mettovaara, I wouldn’t count on anything he says. Btw, he is a big reason for Jesse making bad choices and not having any good direction with what he has been doing so far. Sure, Jesse himself is to blame for his part, but he is what he is, and not the sharpest tool in the shed. But having an atrogiously moronic manager as Mettovaara is bound to cause serious trouble for exactly the kind of clueless and immature kid that Jesse has so far been.
I wish Jesse still all the best, but he is far away from being a good NHL player. His skills with the puck need serious development and his self confidence is crushed a the moment. One or probably even two seasons would seriously be the best thing for his development in this situation. He will not be developed as well with his puck control skills (less skill practicing time during the seasons, as much more games and traveling) and self confidence by playing in the AHL and being in the North American environment as the immature kid that he still is. For some more mature European kids with closer to NHL class puck skills, playing in the AHL would probably be the better choice, but this is definitely not the case with Jesse.
I honestly think that with Jesse’s lacking skillset and immaturity the situation is exactly the opposite from what you claim. His NHL career will be permanently over, if he wastes even one more season playing in North America as the player that he is right now. He would need to have so much better puck skills and self confidence to be able to really develop in this situation by playing in North America. He has honestly clearly regressed as a player every season that he has played so far in North America.He's 20, still has all the time in the world. The moment he returns to Finland his career is over.
You might be ok for him to return back to the bush league, but even AHL pays more, being a 4th liner in the NHL pays 3x the amount what liiga pays for their best. He has absolutely no intention to return, it would be monumentally stupid.I honestly think that with Jesse’s lacking skillset and immaturity the situation is exactly the opposite from what you claim. His NHL career will be permanently over, if he wastes even one more season playing in North America as the player that he is right now. He would need to have so much better puck skills and self confidence to be able to really develop in this situation by playing in North America. He has honestly clearly regressed as a player every season that he has played so far in North America.
And if returning to Kärpät for a couple of seasons would after all lead to his NHL career being over - then so what? Then he just didn’t have it in him after all to play at the NHL level. Right now he definitely doesn't have it, but by developing his puck skills and getting much more confident in himself he might still have a chance after all. But this will almost for sure not happen in his case through the AHL route.
He will never be an NHL player in a clear bottom 6 role, as he is too contact shy and not really a defence first player, and should even be that, as he could develop into an ok 2nd line winger, if he would manage to clearly develop his puck handling skills. He is already a pretty good passer and has also pretty good vision with the puck. His biggest problems are with his puck controlling skills and also his lacking IQ when he is playing without the puck in the offence. I think playing more in a offensive role with more resbonsibility would be much more helpful for him than grooming him more towards a ottom 6 NHL grinder through the AHL.
Maybe you read a bit more carefully what the other people post after all? I never claimed that there isn’t a chance for him to still be a top 6 player at some point. But as he is right now as a player he isn’t a top 6 player and also with his weaknesses he definitely isn’t suitable for a role in the bottom 6 either. I do believe that if he ever manages to carve out an NHL career, it will happen as a top 6 player, or it won’t happen at all and in that case he will have a career in Europe. Maybe seasons in Liiga and then if he is a real star there, he can get a bigger contract from KHL, Switzerland or Sweden. I don’t think that money is everything for most of the players anyway, as long as they get enough money to not have to worry about anything financially, and get the type of role in their team that really makes them enjoy playing hockey.You might be ok for him to return back to the bush league, but even AHL pays more, being a 4th liner in the NHL pays 3x the amount what liiga pays for their best. He has absolutely no intention to return, it would be monumentally stupid.
You saying he wont ever be even a 4th liner, dont know if thats your Finnish self pity talking or what have you been smoking, but thats hilarious.
Not to mention most people at the time thought it was a steal...What a waste of a #4 overall pick
From the beginning Edmonton has tried to change Pulju's player profile. He has never been or will be a power forward. Edmonton even asked him to change his stick, how crazy is that!
Should have traded him at the deadline, they dropped the ball and now he will have close to no value.
TBH, I'd rather spend my winters in Bakersfield than Oulu or Edmonton.