Category Archives: Prospects

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Chiarelli Isn’t the Only Oilers GM We Could Accuse of Poor Asset Management by Lindsay Ryall

January 14, 2018 Lindsay Ryall

Pic courtesy of Conway’s Russian Hockey Blog.

When the news of Anton Slepyshev’s availability in trade was distributed indiscreetly to Oilers fans on Tuesday, few could have been surprised. But more than a few (including myself) were likely disappointed. For a team in search of speed, size, and value, Slepyshev seemed to have the potential to check off all the boxes.

Drafted in the third round of the 2013 entry draft, Slepy showed potential from the start. Playing with the big boys in the KHL as a teenager, Slepyshev was one of Russia’s leaders on their 2013 and 2014 U20 WJC team. At the 2014 WJC he scored at a point per game rate and paced Russia to a bronze medal that year vs the top U20 talent in the world.

Unlike some young prospects, Anton didn’t seem to be in a rush to the big league. He spent two more years in the KHL before coming over to take a crack at the NHL. When he arrived, Mclellan seemed impressed, commenting on the professional edge he held over some of the other rookies. However, not long after making the team, Slepyshev was sent down to Bakersfield, a move that didn’t take long . . . it doesn’t appear patience is a virtue with Mclellan.

After spending the balance of the year with Bakersfield (scoring 13 ginos in 49 games) he re-joined the Oilers for the balance of the 2017 season, providing some timely scoring in the playoffs on a line with Leon Draisaitl and Milan Lucic. Big things were expected of Slepy in the 2017-18 season, the P.O.H himself even said so . . . so what went wrong.

Two things: The player got injured and his progress lost momentum, and, he was not put in a position to succeed. Anton Slepyshev is not a fourth line player, nor should he be. For velocity and accuracy, his wrist shot is the best on the team, and he was never shy about using it. Slepy also had no issues going to the front of the net, with speed and purpose. But he was never going to accomplish anything on the fourth line, and he didn’t. On the brief moments he spent next to the Nuge he looked good. But he was never again put on a line with Draisaitl and Lucic . . . save 19 seconds according to Bruce McCurdy.

So within a matter of months the Oilers have devalued a prospect from one with clearly demonstrated potential, to whatever the NHL’s equivalent of a bag of pucks would be (see Nail Yakupov trade). The situation is both puzzling and frustrating to watch. But it’s not a story we haven’t seen before. Even before the decade of darkness, the Oilers had a habit of shipping prospects off prematurely and letting other teams reap the benefits. Interestingly Slepyshev would have a few close compatibles from Oilers’ past.

Oilers Have a Long History of Downtrading

Martin Gelinas: Although Gelinas was not drafted by the Oilers (selected 7th overall in the 1988 entry draft by LA), they were his first NHL organization as he came over in the now infamous Wayne Gretzky trade. Gelinas established himself as a member of the kid line in the Oilers’ last successful cup run in 1990 showing speed and some offense. Gelinas followed up with 20 goals in his first full season with the Oil in 1990 – 91. Nonetheless, he often drew the ire of then head coach John Muckler and was eventually traded by Glen Sather for rugged forward Scott Pearson in a trade with the Quebec Nordiques. Gelinas would go on to have a successful NHL career, scoring 660 points over 18 NHL seasons. And Scott Pearson? If that name doesn’t ring a bell, it shouldn’t: Pearson scored 98 NHL points and spent most of his pro career as a minor-leaguer.

Miroslav Satan: Drafted 111th overall in 1993 out of Slovakia, Satan showed an early scoring touch for the Oilers, notching 18 goals in 64 games in his 1994 rookie season. 1994, part of the first dark era in Edmonton Oiler history. Satan showed good potential, however was traded by then Oiler GM Glen Sather in his second season to the Buffalo Sabres for Craig Millar and Brian Moore . . .. Satan would go on to score 30 plus goals in four seasons including a 40 goal campaign in 1998 – 99, mostly with Buffalo. Craig Millar and Barrie Moore combined would not play in 40 NHL games . . .

Kyle Brodziak: Something of a local boy hailing from St. Paul, Ab., Brodziak was drafted 214th overall in 2003. Brodziak cracked the big club in 2008, scoring 14 and 11 goals in his first two seasons respectively, playing mostly on the bottom six. Apparently, that wasn’t good enough for then GM Steve Tambellini as he traded Brodziak (under the advice of then coach MacT) plus a 6th round pick, to Minnesota for a fourth and fifth in the 2009 entry draft. Brodziak remains a productive player, providing equal parts grit and scoring, currently with St. Louis Blues. For the picks Edmonton received in the trade, the Oilers landed . . . Linus Omark, who is no longer in the NHL, and never made an impact.

So how will Slepyshev develop as a player? My guess is somewhere between Gelinas and Brodziak, closer to Gelinas. He has a better shot than Gelinas but isn’t as fast. I would rate his hockey sense as average at best, but he has the skills, and over time he will learn how to use them. My guess is, he will develop into at 15 goal 40 point guy if he sees consistent ice time on the top nine.

Now, I don’t have a direct line to Chiarelli’s office so, maybe this move was prompted by Slepyshev demanding a trade. Possibly. But based on what we know, Slepshev’s imminent departure is spurred by player mismanagement by the coach. And what will the Oilers receive in return? With the way Chia desperately advertised the player, I don’t see any team rushing to offer a prospect or a pick in the top three rounds. The Oilers will likely receive a career AHL player, or a pick no earlier than the fifth round. And why would we expect anything different? With respect to Oiler asset management, it seems to be a long tradition.

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Oilers Trades: Real, Rumored, and Speculated

January 5, 2018 Beer League Hero 2 Comments

This week the Oilers trade talk has been a real treat to experience. We’ve had deals that were never made, deals that are being made up, and an actual trade. The common denominator in all of them, Oilers fans have been given another reason to bitch and moan about Peter Chiarelli.

I mean isn’t it amazing, if you go to the sponsored Oilers blogs like Oilersnation, The Oilers Rig, Copper and Blue, or Oil on Whyte, it’s all FIRE CHIARELLI! Get rid of McLellan!

I get why they do it apart from clicks for the sites but it’s really a shame. I thought re-hashing the Larsson trade every month was bad but this is getting ridiculous (and unoriginal).

Rant over.

The Speculated Trade

Ray Ferraro threw a trade idea out into the wind this week that sparked the fires of discontent amongst Oilers fans. A deal centered upon two stars, Max Pacioretty and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins.

“What if there’s a deal to be made between Edmonton and Montreal that involves Nugent-Hopkins, and Pacioretty is in it? And there are some other pieces to equal the way that works. Edmonton gets a shooter. Gee, that would look pretty good on McDavid’s side. Montreal gets a centre. Gee that would look pretty good in that centre spot.”

Over at the Athletic, Jonathan Willis also jumped on the “trade Nuge” bandwagon this week and his reason was that all of his numbers are basically the same as they’ve always been but the difference being this year he’s riding a shooting percentage that is 40% better than his career average. Sort of the opposite of what usually happens to an Oiler before he’s traded.

My thoughts: If there’s a year to trade RNH, it’s this one unless the Oilers go on a ridiculous tear and are in a playoff spot come trade deadline. His value couldn’t get any higher and the Oilers still need a top 4 right-handed PP specialist on defense. Someone who can transition the puck a helluva lot faster than what the Oilers dmen are doing now. They could also use a proper right-handed 3rd line centre who is a marvel on the PK too and if they acquired both of those pieces in a trade for RNH, what’s the problem?

On the other hand, if the Oilers are looking for a LW who can score, why not simply move RNH to McDavid’s left wing and be done with it. Internal solution utilized!

The Real Trade

Al Montoya from the Montreal Canadiens to the Oilers for a 5th round pick which may turn into a 4th rounder if the former 6th overall pick plays more than 7 games.

My thoughts: I like it but the folks in the Oilers Twittersphere who think they’re smarterthan everyone else hate it because they think that the Oilers could’ve grabbed a backup off of the waiver wire, even Montoya had they waited for Montreal to activate him off of the IR. The problem with that line of thinking is we don’t know what the price was for those backups and the Oilers defense could be held just as responsible for the poor goaltending performances earlier in the year.

Another thought out there was that 3rd string goalies can be had anything for a 4th round pick but I don’t subscribe to that. If that was the case, we would’ve seen some of these goalies like Pickard, Hutchinson, Hammond, Lindgren, or Sparks with new homes.

Todd McLellan said that they’re worried about Brossoit getting reps but somebody is going to have to be sacrificed for LB to get some games in. I’m guessing Brossoit hits waivers (gets claimed… wouldn’t that be fun fodder for the Chia-haters?), clears, goes down and then Eddie Pasquale goes to the ECHL or is traded/loaned. Nick Ellis, who’s had better AHL stats than Brossoit since taking over in Bakersfield is getting a raw deal here and I feel bad for him.

The Rumored Deal

What did Peter Chiarelli do to Darren Dreger? Geez.

Yesterday on Dustin Nielsen’s show Dreger dropped this massive bombshell that the Oilers had a deal with the Ottawa Senators that would’ve seen Taylor Hall traded for Cody Ceci but Sens ownership needed to approve it, was nowhere to be found, and subsequently Adam Larsson was traded for instead.

Taylor Hall was rumored to be traded for a lot of different dmen before he was actually traded. PK Subban was one, Dougie Hamilton was one, and Kevin Shattenkirk was another. So don’t get your speedos in a bunch by second-guessing Chiarelli’s player evaluation abilities.

We know GMs talk all of the time and they hash out potential deals on a weekly basis and then tweak them up if need be. Sometimes they sit on a trade for months before pulling the trigger.

The timing couldn’t get any better eh? Dreger had been sitting on this little tidbit of information for nearly two years before throwing it out into the world right when the Oilers mired in a 4-game losing streak and the heat couldn’t get any hotter on Peter Chiarelli?

Or was this a veiled shot at Sens GM Pierre Dorion?

Either way, what was Dreger’s motivation to do this? I can’t see any scenario where saying this would benefit anybody but himself or TSN’s radio numbers. He did mention it whilst talking about Edmonton and Ottawa not being good trade partners but still, I do not believe it was mentioned without ill intent aka it was a dick move.

Last Night’s Game

Fack! Was that a fun game to watch or what?!

The win versus the Ducks has their record versus teams in the Pacific to 4-1-0. They’ve outscored their division rivals 23-12 in that time but do you know what the fun part about the rest of the year is?

21 out of the remaining 41 games remaining in the season for the Oilers are against Pacific Division teams… And if you’re worried about that home PK (obligatory statistical preface: #smallsamplesize), the Oilers PK at home versus the Pacific, 85.7% and an added bonus is that their PP is 37.5%.

Peter Chiarelli said that he was going to build a team that would compete in the Pacific and despite how you feel about his handling of assets, you have to agree that he’s a man of his word.

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Armchair GM, Beer League Hero, Edmonton Oilers, NHL, NHL Entry Draft, Prospects, Rumors, Trades

What Will the New Year Bring the Oilers?

January 1, 2018 Beer League Hero

It’s been a while since I was left that emotionally frustrated by the Oilers but last night’s game versus the Winnipeg Jets had me near irate and I try my best not to let the team’s results control my emotions because it’s only entertainment, right?

I mean if we’re being honest, that was the first game in quite a while where Todd’s boys laid an egg. December was going oh so well until this latest skid and while I pride myself on being optimistic in the face of the ever-lingering pessimism that clouds this fanbase, I feel like I might be writing more draft dedicated articles soon.

THE COACHES’ FUTURE

There’s been a faction of the Oilers “supporters” that have been calling for McLellan’s head since the end of October and with every subsequent loss the Oilers are handed, I can relate with their angst. The usual response online is something to the effect of, “Haven’t the Oilers hired and fired enough coaches in the last ten years?”

The answer to that question is yes.

If we go back 10 years from today, the Oilers have had 7 separate head coaches.

Craig MacTavish
Pat Quinn
Tom Renney
Ralph Krueger
Dallas Eakins
Todd Nelson
Todd McLellan

From 1998 to 2008, the Chicago Blackhawks also had 7 different head coaches before finally settling on Joel Quenneville.

Dirk Graham
Lorne Molleken
Bob Pulford
Alpo Suhonen
Brian Sutter
Trent Yawney
Denis Savard

As a fan, you should be thankful, the Real Madrid football team went through 9 managers from 2003 to 2009. And that’s one of the most successful football (soccer) teams in history who’ve had some of the best players in the history of the beautiful game.

There’s a real possibility that the playing personnel and it’s coaches aren’t compatible. Maybe Todd McLellan and his staff are more appropriate for a team that isn’t driven by players so young. When he took over in San Jose, he had Thornton and Marleau right in their primes and a defense led by Rob Blake and Dan Boyle, an all-star goalie in Evgeni Nabakov, and the Sharks even added old cagey vets like Claude Lemieux and Jeremy Roenick to boot.

He does not have that in Edmonton at the moment.

The GM has basically two moves left to save his ass and that’s to make another trade in hopes that’ll jump start the team or to fire the coach and his staff but if he does fire the coach, his neck will be on the chopping block next. Usually, that’s the last card to be played before a GM is dismissed.

Now with that being said, the Oilers’ league-mandated week off is coming up and if a coaching change is going to be made in-season, that’s more likely when it’ll be. A pricey one might I add given that McLellan is one of the top paid coaches in the league.

My last thought on the coaches is that if they don’t have the answers to the special teams problems, something they’ve stated publicly, then who does? It is their job to come up with the solutions to the team’s problems and to inform the players, who then take that information and apply it on the ice. If the players aren’t doing that, then the coaches need to react appropriately. If the coaches reactions aren’t being taken seriously, then the GM has to take action be it by making a trade or by letting a coach go. If the GM is unwilling to do that, then… I think you get the point.

Are the players concerned enough about being traded to improve their play though? Are the coaches concerned enough about being fired to make wholesale changes?

SPECIAL TEAMS AKA THE PENALTY KILL

I’ve been taking a look at some of the goals scored vs. the Oilers PK in the last couple of weeks or so and I can’t find a constant error in their formation or tactics being used. What I do find are little brainfarts like over-committing, getting hung up on a teammate, dropping a stick, bad bounces, or not reading the ice properly that are costing the Oilers.

I was curious about the tactic the Oilers have been using on the kill, so I looked into it a bit more.

The Oilers, utilize something called the “Czech Press” on the PK. This tactic a more aggressive version of the “Triangle +1” or a “Wedge +1” and is described as thus:

The general concept of the Triangle +1 is that three penalty killers form a triangle shape down low, protecting the slot and net. The fourth penalty killer is the “plus-one,” focused on getting in shooting lanes, angling the play in certain directions, or pressuring the puck carrier. The key to understanding the Triangle +1 is knowing that the player functioning as the “plus-one” can shift mid-play, depending upon the location of the puck. If the play quickly transitions from left to right, the high forward can sag back into the triangle while the lower forward takes over the “plus-one” role.

Wedge +1

The same concepts of the Triangle +1 apply, but in the Czech Press, the “plus-one” forward is very aggressive. He actively attacks the high man at the blueline (usually a defenseman), and in the event of a pass to a forward on the half boards, he “presses” down on the new puck carrier to cut off space and time.(Source)

Czech Press

Here’s an example of what the Czech Press should look like if deployed properly,

According to the source from above, the Czech Press has it’s advantages and disadvantages,

The Czech Press, on the other hand, looks to actively force opposing power plays into mistakes. The result is more turnovers, but also more opportunities for dangerous chances, due to the chaotic play of the “plus-one” forward. Rapid puck movement has the aggressive forward constantly chasing, and can turn the formation into a “Triangle Plus-Nothing,” with three penalty killers in the slot just waiting to be eaten alive. (Source)

I think one of the things, apart from the possibilities discussed above, we’re witnessing this year with the Oilers is that teams are turning the extra man who chases the puck into the “nothing”. My understanding is that this formation when passive is used to combat the point shot and cross-seam passes. A team that doesn’t have the speed to use the Czech Press shouldn’t be using it in my opinion but maybe it’s more than that. One could argue it’s intelligence on the ice too because you can’t simply run around with your head cut off on the PK. The penalty kill is all about managing 2-on-1 scenarios, right?

Some players that are having good years on the PK according to some parameters set by Jon Willis (20 min TOI, GA/60, league avg=7 GA/60) on Twitter last night are:

Jujhar Khaira (36.1 TOI, 4.99 GA/60) – I believe that he’d be just as good as Pouliot on the PK if given the chance. He’s got good hands, a big body, AND he doesn’t take too many penalties.

Connor McDavid (47.9 TOI, 5.01 GA/60) – Of course he’s one of the best. He’s got the speed and agility to be used properly in the Czech Press PLUS he’s the smartest player in the game.

Brandon Davidson (33.3 TOI, 3.6 GA/60) – Matt Benning could use a night or two in the press box. He’s still young but he’s really hitting the sophomore slump this year and Davidson’s #s don’t lie here. Add to that Davy’s got a bit more experience and size on Benning.

Eric Gryba (29.43 TOI, 6.12 GA/60) – There’s not much to say about Grybs. He’s ineffective 5×5 and now he’s in the minors.

Other players that are hovering just over the league average GA/60 are Mark Letestu (8.79), Oscar Klefbom (8.98), and Iiro Pakarinen (8.85).

But the rest of the team are in double-digits. Drake Caggiula’s GA/60 on the PK is 17.81… Which is mad because he’s so fast and aggressive, right? You’d think that he’d fit right into this PK tactic. The worst dman is Matt Benning with 15.8 GA/60 on the PK…

If the Oilers don’t have the players who can effectively work within the penalty killing system, why use it? It reminds me of Dallas Eakins’ “swarm”. The coaches are trying to force it down the players’ throats and from what I’ve gathered, it doesn’t sound like the players are having anything of it anymore.

I think if you’ve noticed, that nearly every team that the Oilers get a PP versus uses the passive “triangle +1” because the Oilers are happy to pass it around the perimeter at their own pace. If the Oilers could move it around a lot quicker maybe by bringing the players on the wall a little higher to support the dman, they could open things up a bit better.

Another way to create scoring chances is… GO TO THE BLUE PAINT! Jesse Puljujarvi has scored but one from in the home plate if I recall correctly. I mean, I’m not a coach by trade but if the other team is parking the bus in front of the goalie, why not add some more chaos and throw three of your guys in front too and leave a 2-on-1 scenario for the remaining players. Then simply get the puck on the net for the players to battle over. I think an added bonus to those goal-mouth scrambles might be causing the other team to take more penalties due to the desperation of clearing the puck from so close to the net.

THE 2018 DRAFT

I suppose we’re going to have to start talking about it sooner or later… At this point, the Oilers are sitting pretty at 6th overall. Whether you’re the type to follow the draft or not, I’m sure you’ve heard who is going 1st overall, the Swedish Bobby Orr, Rasmus Dahlin. After Dahlin is a right-wing sniper who plays for Barrie in the OHL named Andrei Svechnikov.

Dahlin and Svechnikov will be going 1 and 2 at the draft, I have no doubt in my mind about that. But it’s from 3rd overall to 6th overall that it could get interesting. Right now I believe it’s a battle between a magical Czech forward named Filip Zadina and another Swedish Karlsson clone named Adam Boqvist for no.3. Matthew Tkachuk’s little brother Brady should go 5th and then the 2nd best skater in the draft, Quinn Hughes, a dman playing NCAA in Michigan should round it out.

We don’t know where the lottery balls will land come draft time but I’m not a huge fan of selecting a defender in the top 6 not named Rasmus Dahlin.

If the Oilers draft…

1st – Rasmus Dahlin (LD) – Swedish Orr
2nd – Andrei Svechnikov (RW) – Tarasenko V2
3rd – Filip Zadina (LW) – Very Barzal-like with his puck handling and shooting
4th – Brady Tkachuk (LW) – Better than his brother
5th – Adam Boqvist (RD) – Dazzling defender
6th – Oliver Wahlstrom (RW) – Shoots the lights out

Should the Oilers lose out in the lottery and be forced to move down, I think trading down to gather assets would be a good plan as the cluster from 7th overall to about 14th or 15th look to be a safe area for the Oilers to trade down to and still get a good player.

But if you’re wondering what some of those players look like, look no further than our 2018 November Top Ten Rankings over at the Beer League Heroes Youtube Channel!

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Armchair GM, Beer League Hero, Edmonton Oilers, Lindsay Ryall, NHL, Prospects

Can Todd McLellan Develop Young Talent? (Puljujarvi Recall to Test That) From Lindsay Ryall

November 14, 2017 Lindsay Ryall 2 Comments

In Pro hockey, one player’s misfortune can be another’s gain. And that was certainly the case when promising forward Anton Slepyshev went down with injury, and Oiler’s high-end draft pick Jesse Puljujarvi got the tap, tap, tappy, and was called up from the Bakersfield.

Slepyshev was fitting in well before the injury, scoring two points in two games on the Nuge’s second line. But JP also had a strong showing in his first game, scoring a goal, skating well and being a physical presence.

For many Oiler fans, there was a collective sigh of “I told you so,” when Puljujarvi’s star shone so brightly on his first game back. That feeling was aggravated when Oiler’s management stubbornly hung on to Kailer Yamamoto past his due date, keeping the diminutive dynamo with the big club when he clearly was not ready for full-time NHL work.

And while Yamamoto was with the big club, the only place for Puljujarvi was to languish on the farm where he could ostensibly work on his game. The bigger question is, was this the best move for Puljujarvi development and on a macro view, the Edmonton Oilers? When contrasted with similar moves since McLellan’s tenure has started, you have to question if there is a development plan, or if it’s flawed.

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Back in McLellan’s rookie year, he inherited a former first overall pick in Nail Yakupov who’s game clearly had stalled. Initially, McLellan put Yakupov in a position to succeed, right alongside the franchise Connor McDavid. The two played well together, Yakupov produced, but when injuries led to their separation they were never reunited, and Yakupov’s game and confidence evaporated. For the sake of a proper value pump before trade, he could have brought them back together, but chose not to. Later when Yakupov was traded McLellan chose to point fingers at the previous coach as the reason for player’s poor development. That may have been valid, but McLellan certainly did nothing to help.

In 2016 when oft-injured Tyler Pitlick came storming out of the gate, McLellan was specious in trusting the former second pick of the Oilers in the 2010 draft. Eventually, McLellan warmed to the player but there were a number of un-warranted nights in the press box before Pitlick passed the trust test, and for a younger player this could have led to confidence issues. Ultimately one more injury led to Pitlick leaving for Dallas in a move that may have purely been the GM’s. My guess is McLellan chimed in his two cents as well, and it wasn’t a thumbs up for a player that continues to produce in the bottom six on another NHL team.

Even in Draisaitl’s 2015 impact year when he scored 51 points, McLellan made the decision to start Leon on the farm where he scored two points in five games and openly spoke of how the decision bruised his confidence. To his credit, LD rebounded to have a productive year, but was it because of McLellan’s coaching? Or because he happened to spend a lot of time with players named Hall and McDavid.

Getting some perspective on McLellan’s coaching ability, he seems to be challenged with developing offensive players. This may sound strange considering the offensive teams McLellan had in San Jose, but as it stands right now the Oilers are in last place in goal production in the NHL . . . how does that happen on a team that has McDavid, Draisaitl, Nugent-Hopkins, and others on the team?

Meanwhile, the coach switches linemates frenetically like a like a teenager with ADHD, while players are unable to gain traction and chemistry with teammates. The end result being an Oilers power play loaded with talent continues to underachieve, currently ranked a pedestrian 24th.

As Puljujarvi continues to make his way in the NHL the pressure to produce will always be there for the player, as it should. There should be a growing focus on whether McLellan is doing his part to succeed and show he can create systems that produce offense, as well as defense. To this point, the Oilers look to be limiting their opposition to 1 or 2 goals letting the McDavid – Drai combo work its magic in overtime. That plan may have worked in a couple of games, but it definitely won’t get the Oilers into playoff contention this season.

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Bakersfield Condors, Beer League Hero, Edmonton Oilers, NHL, Prospects

It’s Pool Party Time Baby! Puljujarvi Recalled!

November 10, 2017 Beer League Hero

You probably already know this but today the Oilers put Anton Slepyshev on the IR with what I’m suspecting is a groin injury because that’s what the analysts were talking about in the game last night versus the Devils. So, in his stead, the one and only, Jesse Puljujarvi is being recalled for the first time (and only time I hope) this season.

Don’t mind the crass humor from above. I’m close to 40 than I am 30 but I’ve got the maturity of a 13-year-old when it comes to things I fund funny.

One could argue that the Oilers should’ve recalled Ty Rattie, who leads the Bakersfield Condors with 9pts in 10 games (6 goals and 3 assists) but is Rattie a guy that is more suited for the 3rd line in Edmonton? Whereas Puljujarvi has top-6 written all over him…

Anyways, how closely does this recall mirror the one that happened with Leon Draisaitl?

If you recall, as a 19-year-old in 2014-15, Draisaitl suited up for 37 games for the Oilers and put up a modest 9pts (2 goals and 7 assists) before being sent back to the WHL (and giving us a peak into what would become a trademark of his… A clutch playoff performer). The next season, as a 20-year-old, after 6 games and 2 pts in Bakersfield he was recalled and accrued 51 pts in 72 games for the Oilers. In 2016-17, the German put the world on notice that he was now one of the best centres in the NHL and finished the year with 77 points.

Now, I do not expect Jesse Puljujarvi to do any of that. For one, he’s just 19. So if he plays the rest of the year on the Oilers and scores, say 10 goals and 20 assists, or anywhere from 30-35 points, I’ll be happy because that’ll mean the coaching staff had put their faith in the kid.

But as we’re being warned by pundits across the Oilogosphere, if the Oilers do not handle things correctly, they risk losing Puljujarvi as they did with Magnus Paajarvi. Not only that but they lose a trade chip if they do decide to move on from him which I think would be a mistake. Chiarelli is already on thin ice I believe from his previous trades, which I supported and still do, but I’m not sure if the brass feels the same.

Back to Jesse though.

One argument that has been going through the Oilers Twittersphere re: Puljujarvi’s AHL production is that he hasn’t had a decent centre to feed him the puck, therefore he’s yet to show his true value in the minors.

Leon Draisaitl, as mentioned above, only scored 2pts in 6 games for Bakersfield in his short stint with the AHL club. Jesse Puljujarvi, last season, had 28 pts in 39 games as one of the youngest players in North American professional hockey last year. He’s still one of the youngest players at 19!

I’ve also said that Puljujarvi might benefit MORE from the NHL game than the AHL one in that it’s more structured. I’ve always thought that was why Draisaitl took off in the NHL and not the AHL.

The timing couldn’t be better for team and player as the Oilers are losing wingers left and right recently or they’re simply not performing up to par.

Kailer Yamamoto was sent back to Spokane (smart move btw), Slepy is made of glass, Drake Caggiula blocked a shot from one of the NHL’s best young shooters in Ryan Pulock (You know, I’m surprised his foot is still attached to his leg after that), and Jujhar Khaira has decided that he’ll try to kill the opposition with kindness instead of attempting to make each defender he forechecks on part of the board advertisements.

Now, we can assume that Pulju is coming up to play flank to RNH and opposite to Milan Lucic and that bodes well for the young Finn doesn’t it and THIS is an excellent opportunity for him. These two players will not only help carry Puljujarvi along but, and I preface this with an “in theory”, they should be able to paper over any huge mistakes he might make.

But even with that being said, Puljujarvi, Lucic, and RNH are going to be up against some of the best players in the league and I’m hoping that Lucic’s game is going to keep improving but RNH is just settling in as an offensive centreman. Asking him to cover for Puljujarvi might affect his scoring. Then again, I’d say that Pulju’s defensive game is miles ahead of where it should be for a 19-year-old.

Could everything he falling into place?

The dreaded afternoon game versus the Rangers (8-7-2), who are on a 5-game winning streak btw, is upon us and since I’m still getting over the jet lag and the game is on at 2am here, I’ll be watching!

Puljujarvi needs to have an above average game I believe and this will give him some space from the media, the fanbase, and himself. If he scores a goal or gets an assist, all the better! If he photobombs another McDavid interview, GOLD!

Good Luck Jesse! I’m cheering for you!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2lShHTusM1Y

Here are a couple of good articles on the subject from Jason Gregor and David Staples.

(Staples) Edmonton Oilers recall Jesse Puljujarvi. Will it be any different this time?

(Gregor) Patience for Puljujarvi

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