SHOOT!
By Lowetide
7 years agoThe Edmonton Oilers need shooters. In trading Taylor Hall—who delivered 286 shots to lead the team by over 100—the club opened a large area of need. Who is going to be Edmonton’s straight shooter in 2016-17?
OILERS SHOTS-PER-GAME LEADERS, 2015-16
- Taylor Hall 3.48
- Jordan Eberle 2.51
- Connor McDavid 2.33
- Teddy Purcell 2.13
- Nail Yakupov 2.12
- Benoit Pouliot 1.98
- RNH 1.93
- Leon Draisaitl 1.85
- Mark Letestu 1.30
These men placed 100 or more shots on net during the 2015-16 season. Hall’s absence will not be replaced in this category by Milan Lucic, who averaged 1.53 shots per game—a total that (rightly) indicates Lucic is more of a passer than shooter—always has been, throughout his NHL career.
BUBBLING UNDER
- Anton Slepyshev (AHL) 2.31
- Tyler Pitlick (AHL) 2.24
- Jujhar Khaira (AHL) 1.96
- Bogdan Yakimov (AHL) 1.86
JESSE PULJUJARVI
Jesse Puljujarvi averaged 3.5 shots per game in the Sm-Liiga.
WHAT DOES IT ALL MEAN?
I believe the Oilers would be wise to bring Jesse Puljujarvi into training camp with an opportunity to win an NHL job—but nothing guaranteed. If they are to do that, it might be wise to consider adding a player like Radim Vrbata—a shooting winger who might offer some cover while Puljujarvi develops in the AHL or Finland. Vrbara averaged 3.16 shots a game in a down year with Vancouver in 2015-16, and that one thing gives him value to a team in need of a shooter.
Will we see such a move? Or will the Oilers risk Puljujarvi being NHL-ready?
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