Should the Edmonton Oilers claim Noah Juulsen?
By Zach Laing
3 years agoThere’s a ton of players on waivers this morning including Adam Cracknell and Seth Griffith, who the club announced would be placed there last night.
But there’s one player who caught my eye in Noah Juulsen, who could be a solid depth addition to the Oilers organization. He’s still only 23 years old and has the draft pedigree as a former 1st rounder taken by the Montreal Canadiens.
Since then, Juulsen has struggled to get a solid foothold bouncing between the AHL’s Laval Rockets and the Habs. He’s appeared in 44 NHL games scoring two goals and eight points since being drafted in 2015, and 47 AHL games scoring nine points.
Here’s how EliteProspects describes his game:
A solid two-way defender, Noah Juulsen is able to force plays and always find ways to support his teammates. Juulsen is a smooth, yet not dynamic skater, and is mobile when he needs to be. Plays with a chip on his shoulder, and isn’t afraid to take the hit to make the play. Sees the ice well and has the individual skills to carry out the possibilities he sees. Very poised with the puck; calm and controls the play with authority. Has good hands. Without the puck and in high-pressure situations, Juulsen tends to overthink things and can try to do a little too much; that will go away with time and maturity. All-in-all, an impactful presence on the ice that strives to be difficult to play against; given how hard he works and how smart he is with the puck, he can be a very difficult player to read with and without the puck.
Juulsen has struggled with vision issues and headaches over the last two years, but I still think there’s a solid player there. As Sportsnet’s Eric Engels noted above, the Habs want to still see what he has to offer.
Another note, this by The Athletic’s Arpon Basu, highlights the fact that any team claiming Juulsen would need to be confident in his ability to play at the NHL level. Any team who claims him couldn’t stash him on their taxi squad, or AHL team, without putting him on waivers. I could see him coming in and being a solid 6/7 defenceman for the Oilers.
On Twitter: @zjlaing
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