Oilers Jesse Puljujarvi opens up about his recent struggles and seems to have given up
It's rare to find a 24 year old player, loaded with talent, becoming available on the trade market.
When this happens, it usually means that nothing is going right for him at the moment with his team.
Sometimes there are great stories, where a change of scenery can be very beneficial to the morale and development of a struggling player, and when this happens, the team that acquired him for normally very little money has made a great move.
This is unfortunately what is happening with Jesse Puljujarvi of the Edmonton Oilers and he has made a sad mea culpa about his situation in the NHL.
Of course I'd like to be a productive first line player. But right now, I don't know if I can do that in the NHL. Maybe in another league.
I'm trying to figure out who I am as a player, since it doesn't seem to work for me here. I've started to hit a lot and I lead the team in checking. At least there's a little bit of a positive.
If you play with Connor, you have to score. Maybe I just don't have it." - Jesse Puljujarvi
It's important to remember that the Finn has a high level of raw talent. He was sensational in his draft year, during the World Junior Championship, when he scored an impressive 17 points in just seven games at age 17.
It was an incredible performance!
On paper, the big 24 year old winger still has the potential to be a good player in the National League. I believe that the Oilers have unfortunately played an unfavorable role in his development, as have many of the young players that have passed through this organization in the last decade.
It is imperative that the Finn needs a change of scenery. Will it definitely revive his NHL career? Absolutely not.
However, there is often a positive and favorable effect when a struggling player changes his address and is embraced by an organization that is willing to do everything in its power to support him and help him regain his touch.
What if Canadiens GM Kent Hughes could pull off a move and get Puljujarvi?
It's possible that it could be very profitable for the Habs. Martin St-Louis' system of play seems to be perfect for getting talented young players unstuck. He could very well find a chair with a lot less pressure in Montreal than in Edmonton, which is still waiting for its fourth overall pick in 2016 to blossom.
Seeing the magic that St. Louis has on the offensive blossoming of Cole Caufield, Nick Suzuki and Kirby Dach since they've been playing with him, I still think he could help Puljujarvi regain some confidence in himself so he can get a little closer to the player he was meant to become in the big leagues.
It could be a very interesting gamble for the team that acquires him.
Credit: LetsGoHabs.com
| POLL | ||
Do you believe Jesse Puljujarvi should keep pushing or give up? | ||
| Pushing | 60 | 73.2 % |
| Give up | 22 | 26.8 % |
| List of polls | ||
