Edmonton Oilers draft Jesse Puljujarvi fourth overall
The Edmonton Oilers have selected Jesse Puljujarvi fourth overall at the 2016 NHL Entry Draft.
Virtually nobody expected Puljujarvi to be available with the No. 4 selection. Most mock drafts had him as the third-best prospect in the draft; there was even some speculation that the Winnipeg Jets might take him second overall. Instead, the Columbus Blue Jackets, went off-script in the No. 3 slot, selecting Pierre-Luc Dubois out of the QMJHL, a very talented player most outlets projected to go around fifth overall.
Puljujarvi is believed to be NHL-ready, and is basically a dream come true for Edmonton at right wing, a 6’3″, 200-pound right shot who plays a mature two-way game.
The Hockey News, in part, had this to say in their 2016 Draft Preview:
Unlike Laine, Puljujarvi is more of a playmaker and 200-foot player than a pure scorer. He’s not expected to have the same offensive impact Laine will at the NHL level, but there’s a two-way component to his game that scouts like … Puljujarvi will never shortchange his team in effort. But while he’s hugely competitive he’s far more than just a high-motor guy. “Sometimes people see his competitiveness and activity, they get caught looking at that and forget what a good player he is.”
International Scouting Services had a similar view of the player in their 2016 Draft Guide:
Played for SM-Liiga powerhouse offense in Karpat and has developed his way into a core member of their offense. Was MVP and dominant at times at U18 and finished the tournament with a hat trick, as Finland beat Sweden 6-1 to win the gold medal. Forces opposition players to respect his shot, which is elite, and can create plays because of this. Big and strong with a long reach and he just shrugs guys off. Always seems to have good body position whether protecting the puck or defending. Has a powerful skating stride and has another gear when needed – responsible in all three zones – soft quick hands and a heavy shot. Reads the play well and plays well away from the puck. Has excellent hockey sense. Character guy with all the attributes to be a top end player in the NHL – Showed superstar potential.
Puljujarvi played just over 15:00 per game in Finland’s top league last season, and that increased to 16:30 per game in the postseason. Finland’s top league tracks advanced stats, and thanks to that we know that Puljujarvi got a bit of a bump in terms of offensive zone starts but also had a 57.5% Corsi rating for Karpat, which led all regular forwards on the team.
There is a lot to like about this selection. Puljujarvi brings size, speed and skill, and gets high marks for competitiveness and two-way play. He’s a right-shot on a team crying out for them, and it’s entirely possible that he’ll be ready to step into the lineup immediately.
Concerns are minimal. Puljujarvi has not had a high shooting percentage in either of his two years at the pro level in Finland, so there’s some reason for worry that he won’t be a pure goal-scorer, though he can help in other ways. His readiness to step into the NHL immediately may also further exacerbate Edmonton’s bonus cushion problems; because the team has so many entry-level contracts with bonuses it cannot defer them all, and so increasingly they act like a hard cap.
Based on what we know today, though, this is a fantastic addition for the Oilers.
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