Puljujarvi is probably the player I’m most confused about. There’s a reason Columbus GM Kekäläinen didn’t draft him 3rd overall and took PLD instead. With all his Finnish connections, he of all GM’s knows him best. That was probably the first red flag. His play is uninspiring since then. Sure, he had a very good first year with the opportunities he was given and his fancy stats back that up. In the last two seasons however, more red flags.
******************This recent article is pretty damning, ARTICLE STARTS
“If you missed Jesse Puljujarvi on Friday re-stating his demand to be traded, the Cult of Hockey’s David Staples recounts it here. While I have written and still think it’s possible Puljujarvi will be in camp this Fall, the bigger question has really become: How did we get to this point? There’s no question the organization has made its share of mistakes in developing the player. But the examples of stubbornness that Puljujarvi and his agent have displayed through these “negotiations”? Multiple observations and insider comments suggest to me that this same stubbornness showed up all-too frequently on the ice and in the dressing room as well. Examples:
-It has been described to me by multiple sources close to the team how Todd McLellan invested hours upon hours into trying to un-lock Puljujarvi when he first arrived in Edmonton. One of Todd’s frustrations was Jesse’s inconsistency in getting to the net. There, the player’s size & skill combination could be a real factor. When Puljujarvi would do this and was successful Todd would not miss the opportunity to praise him. He would point out how positioning on the play was critical. But then the next shift Puljujarvi would stubbornly appear back on the perimeter again. Todd got frustrated.
-Part of McLellan’s struggle was that he was often in the position of being “the bad cop” on the staff. Perhaps a good complimentary step would be to assign a coach to Puljujarvi whose job would be to “catch Jesse doing things right”? So this past fall Manny Viveiros was brought in. One of his key assignments was to attach himself to the young Finn which he did. But Manny didn’t even make as much progress as McLellan had. And remember: Viveiros has a reputation of being able to connect with today’s player. Observers say it was if advice would go in one ear…and right out the other.
-New head coach Ken Hitchcock was so confident that he had the answer he reversed a decision to have Puljujarvi spend the rest of the season in Bakersfield. Much to the consternation and confusion of the Puljujarvi camp, the Oilers recalled him yet again. Hitchcock is the very personification of stubborn when it comes to insisting that players play for him a certain way, especially without the puck. But as it turned out Hitch (the 2nd winning-est coach in NHL history) didn’t have the keys to the car, either. The winger’s TOI over his last 10 games topped 10 minutes only 3 times. 3 other times it fell into the single digits. Yes, the bad hip also contributed to that.
-Meanwhile, through all of the above, his teammates struggled to connect with him on the ice. Often, especially on the power play. Puljujarvi would repeatedly head to the wrong spot. He would literally bump into them. And when they would try to explain it to him their words of advice seemed to fall flat. Was he not listening…not understanding…or not agreeing? Eventually, although none of these players would ever dream of saying it in public…I am made to understand that they quietly asked just not to play with him anymore. There’s no suggestion they disliked him as a guy. Just that he was just hard to play with.
Did Jesse perhaps just not understand? I think we’d all have time for that issue, right? Well…there has been a lot of ink spilled on Puljujarvi’s perceived language barrier. However, one particular person who was in that dressing room last season was asked about that very factor, and he answered:
“No, he knows way more that he lets on”.
That same person (who shall remain anonymous) was then asked, “So what’s the problem with Jesse, really”?
The answer, shrugged back, was once again: “He’s just stubborn”.
Huh. You don’t say…
So…if you’re a prospect for whom things have just not gone your way (and again, not all his doing by any means) at some point…don’t you figure out that “stubborn” isn’t a trait that is going to do you any favors?”
******************* ARTICLE OVER
I wouldn’t give up very much for him at this point. But this is also the point that you want to take a chance on him, so I’m conflicted. He could be another Filatov or Yakupov...or you could be acquiring another Olli Jokinen. It is a perfect comparable for what could be. Another big Finn drafted high. 4-6 years of play and stats that make you wonder why he’s still in NA and the NHL, and then a star is born. Bigger players take time. That irrefutable. Will his attitude evolve with his game? That could be the biggest hurdle.
Overall, I’d take the risk even though it might not work out. I’d take the risk because this is close to as low as price it would take to acquire him. Next year his price will be rock bottom, before in two years he’s a star out of nowhere.