Say It ain’t so! According to Boston Bruins beat writer Jimmy Murphy, Jesse Puljujarvi’s name is making the rounds amongst GMs. He has the Bruins, the Canadiens, and the Flyers as teams to keep an eye on with regards to organizations who could have interest in our big Finnish winger.
I’ll say this, I will be right pissed off if the Oilers deal away Pulju. He’s this close to putting it all together and he’s only 20. He will be a value contract on his next deal regardless and they Oilers need as many of those as they can get.
That being said, when I was thinking about the things Ken Hitchcock has been saying about Jesse, what he sees, how he’s going to use him, or what Puljujarvi needs to do; I wondered to myself if those are the same things he said when Nail Yakupov was traded to St. Louis when Hitchcock was coaching there.
Listen to that interview and tell me the overriding theme is very similar to what Hitchcock had to say when the Oilers recalled Jesse.
Now, don’t get me wrong please! I’m not comparing Pulju to Yak. I know a lot of fans see Jesse and think that since he’s been over here for three years and hasn’t found traction statistically that there’s a bit of Yakupov in him but they’re not alike at all. Jesse likes to practice. He enjoys challenges. And most important of all, he’s a 200-ft player already.
All I’m saying is that I see similarities in how Hitchcock approaches this sort of scenario.
Getting back to the teams Murphy has connected to Edmonton here. I think that if we’re going to talk about this, we might as well discuss what we’d expect if the Oilers were dumb enough to move Puljujarvi.
- Montreal – My source subtly mentioned Brendan Gallagher’s name in talks the other day, so that’s my line in the sand. You never know if the Habs are thinking how nice the next 15 years would look with a Kotkaniemi/Puljujarvi tandem running wild on the Atlantic Division.
- Boston – I talked about Bruins GM Don Sweeney being in Edmonton here and the rumors of a Nuge/Krug+DeBrusk trade making waves here. I don’t like that trade necessarily but a package deal built around Pulju and DeBrusk kinda makes sense.
- Philly – There are quite a few names that I like on the Flyers but I don’t feel like they’re a fit for the former World Junior MVP. They’ve got Voracek and a soon-to-be UFA in Wayne Simmonds on their RW already. Unless one of those guys is coming back (not sure how given the salary cap), I can’t see the Flyers being a viable option. I do however like Ivan Provorov and Shane Gostisbehere.
As you can see, I value Puljujarvi very much. Some might say too much but everybody has a player to whom they really like apart from the big names and Jesse is that player for me.
Bottom line here is the Oilers, for once in their bloody lives, have to work with a prospect, Jesse Puljujarvi in this case, and mold him into the force we all know he’s got the potential to be.
That said, it’d be so Oilers if they did move on from him after a shade over one full season in the NHL and not even one in the AHL.
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2019 World Junior Hockey Championships Group B Preview
Finland | Last Year: Quarters Loss | Projection: Gold
This Finnish team is going to be very interesting. They have a few players that are questionable for attending the tournament that could be game changers. Kristian Vesalainen wasn’t named to the preliminary roster, but he’d likely be the top Finnish player. It could be because of his situation with where he’s playing. He played a while for Winnipeg but is now in the KHL. Eeli Tolvanen and Urho Vaakanainen are the other two. Both are players that have seen some NHL action, and we aren’t sure if their NHL teams will release them. Neither were named to the preliminary roster either. Also, Vaakanainen is on injury reserve for a concussion and is reportedly ill with the flu. If these guys come to the World Juniors it would make Finland the top contender for gold by quite a bit for me. I’d expect that Vaakanainen doesn’t go and Tolvanen and Vesalainen do.
Aleksi Heponiemi | C/W | Kärpät Oulu | Florida
As a 19-year-old he Finland’s top league, Liiga, Heponiemi has dominated the competition. The 2017 Florida 2nd rounder leads all U23 players in points per game. The playmaking center or wing is playing with Kärpät alongside his partner in Rasmus Kupari. The two have combined to be one of the most effective young duos in Europe.
Last season, Heponiemi played for the WHL Champion Swift Current Broncos. He was well over 2 points per game that season and made the Finnish World Junior team too. Without a few guys that may not be sent to the tournament, we can expect Heponiemi to take a first line role with Finland.
Rasmus Kupari | C | Kärpät Oulu | Los Angeles
Heponiemi’s partner is right with him in terms of dominance in the Finnish league. He stands with about a .8 points per game rate. Kärpät has had two reliable youngsters putting them on the board night in and night out. Kupari is also another returning player from last year’s squad. He is another guy that will share the first line duty. It seems as if Kupari will take the center role rather than Heponiemi, but both can play center.
Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen | G | Sudbury Wolves | Buffalo
The starting goalie will no doubt be the Sudbury standout and Buffalo 2nd rounder. Last season might have been a rough one for Luukkonen as he couldn’t keep a spot in Finland’s top league and had a tough World Juniors, but Finland fully expects him to be a top-tier goaltender for them this time around. Despite the rough go in last year’s tournament, Luukkonen was still their starting goaltender. After that tournament, he was taken 3rd overall in the CHL Import draft by the Sudbury Wolves. He’s so far had a great season so expect him to come into the tournament ready to compete for the title of top goaltender.
Kaapo Kakko | C/W | TPS Turku | 2019
Kaapo Kakko is the player to watch for Finland. The clear number two prospect for the coming draft has separated himself from the rest of the class. The rising star out of the TPS Turku system is the projected 2nd center behind the Kupari-Heponiemi duo. Only those two sit ahead of him in Liiga U20 scoring. You know when he is on the ice and immediately makes the average viewer go “Who’s that guy?” He’s physically imposing, powerful, and very skilled.
Whoever misses out on Jack Hughes will not be disappointed with what they get in Kakko come draft time.
Anton Lundell | C/W | HIFK | 2020
The only 2020 prospect other than Alexis Lafrenière at this tournament is Anton Lundell. My 3rd ranked prospect for 2020 is currently playing in the Liiga in his draft minus one year, something very few prospects can do. Despite being a 2020 prospect, Lundell produced at a strikingly similar rate to Kakko. Lundell is averaging around a half a point per game while Kakko has around a 0.65 to 0.70. What Lundell is doing is truly amazing. While I hate when people say this because it feels like it’s said every year, Lundell would be a number one or two pick in any other draft. The 2020 draft is absolutely stacked and I could see teams getting top three talents as late as the number nine or ten pick.
The Draft Eligible Defensemen
This Finnish squad is projected to have up to four draft-eligible defenders. Of these, I consider three to be top 20 players and likely to make the team.
The top two are Anttoni Honka and Mikko Kokkonen.
Honka is currently playing in the Finnish 2nd league as he’s had a slow start to the season so far. Last year Honka was squaring up to be a top three pick and had a comparable season to Dallas’ rookie standout Miro Heiskanen. Although, this year he has been arguably worse than last season. Even with that Honka is still a great player and is a shoo-in to be on this team.
Kokkonen is the next guy and another likely guarantee to make the team as he has a great season with Jukurit in the Liiga.
The other player that I’d expect to make the team is Lukko’s Ville Heinola. Heinola is an all around great defender with some dynamic skating abilities.
The last guy is Lassi Thompson of the Kelowna Rockets our in the WHL. Thompson is having a breakout season with the team and has an outside shot at a role at the 6th or 7th defender.
USA | Last Year: Bronze | Projection: Bronze
The Americans look to replicate the success of the 2017 team that won gold against Canada. With the two star Hughes brothers and top players returning from last year it’s certainly possible. This US team has great depth in every position. Breakout players like K’Andre Miller and Evan Barratt further solidify this squad. While I have them as my pick for bronze the prospect of them going for gold is not far off.
Quinn Hughes | D | U of Michigan | Vancouver
My pick for the American’s top player and captain is the returning Quinn Hughes. Hughes has surprised everyone this season with his NCAA dominance. Of all players eligible to play in the World Juniors, Hughes is top 3 in scoring as a defenseman. He’s on a huge point streak that currently spans 10 games where he has 14 points. As a 19-year-old he’s hovering around 3rd in scoring for all defenders in the NCAA. Quinn Hughes not only looks to be the United States’ best player, but he’ll have his eyes on the MVP as well.
Evan Barratt | C | Penn State | Chicago
The NCAA’s leading scorer is probably the most overlooked player on this team. The 2017 Hawks’ third-rounder has had an unexpected breakout season with Penn State. His collegiate career has so far been a major success after his time with the Development Program. Barratt has always been a great playmaker, but recently he’s begun to put some pucks in the net. Barratt will likely start the tournament as the third center behind Jack Hughes and the returning Ryan Poehling. Although as the tournament goes on expect him to prove he deserves a better role.
Josh Norris | C/W | U of Michigan | Ottawa
The San Jose pick recently dealt to the Senators in the Erik Karlsson trade is eyeing a top role with the Americans. Norris is a triple-threat player that can score, pass and play defense. Norris leads the Univ. of Michigan in scoring.
In 2017, at the U18s, he was the key piece in their gold medal run. This year, he looks to replicate that success at the U20 level.
Spencer Knight | G | USNTDP | 2019
Since Illya Samsonov in 2015, we haven’t seen a goaltender hit the top 20 in the draft. Spencer Knight looks to break that mold. Knight has not only been great at U18 and junior competition but also in collegiate crossover games. Against colleges, he’s stood up to players half a decade his senior. Last year as an underager he played at the U18 World Juniors where he stole the starting spot from an established goaltender in Drew DeRidder.
Spencer Knight deserves a chance at this tournament, and he still has two more years of eligibility after this year. Whether he’ll be the backup or the starter is still up in the air.
Jack Hughes | C | USNTDP | 2019
Jack Hughes is Jack Hughes, what’s there left to say about him? He’s destroyed the U18 competition where in one tournament he scored 16 points in just 4 games. The clear 1st pick in 2019 is in a class of his own. You get the point, he’s going to the tournament and he’s going to dominate. Bob McKenzie recently compared him to Mitch Marner.
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Sweden | Last Year: Silver | Projection: Fourth
This Swedish team is all about defense. No other team has the star power or depth on the blue line that Sweden does. The problem is that up front and in net, they lack quality. Olle Eriksson Ek is their best bet in net. At forward, they have a possible star in Isac Lundeström who’s spent some time in the NHL, but their forward crop is thin this year.
Isac Lundeström | C | San Diego Gulls | Anaheim
He might only be 19 and the 23rd overall pick in last year’s draft, but Lundeström already has 15 games of NHL experience. Being the only player with NHL games under his belt he’s the leader of this team. Lundeström is going to have to be the main offensive producer upfront without much supporting talent.
Erik Brännström | D | Chicago Wolves | Vegas
At almost a point per game in the American League, nobody is doubting Brännström’s ability. His offensive capabilities are like no other defender at this tournament. Brännström is the definite number one defender for Sweden, and will likely face off with Bouchard and Hughes for the tournament’s top defender.
Adam Boqvist | D | London Knights | Chicago
After a tough, but short, adjustment period to the North American game; Boqvist is showing himself to be the best of the best in the OHL. Boqvist is one of the most dangerous players with the puck in this tournament. He can rush the puck like few at this tournament and can shoot like nobody his age. Boqvist will keep any team on their toes when he’s on the ice.
Nils Höglander | C/W | Rögle BK | 2019
The only draft eligible, non-overager, named to the original preliminary roster is Nils Höglander. Philip Broberg was added in case Timothy Liljegren couldn’t play due to injury, but I don’t consider him to be in real contention for the roster. Höglander, although, is a likely pick on a Swedish offense in need of depth.
Höglander is a feisty forward that some have compared to that of Theo Fleury. He would serve as a really good fit for a fourth line role on the team.
Samuel Fagemo | W | Frölunda HC | 2019 (overager)
Many people in the prospect world were shocked when Fagemo went undrafted in 2018. He was one of the better players in the SuperElit (Swedish U20 league) and got some time in the SHL. This season he’s proving NHL teams wrong by dominating the SuperElit and now is playing a big role in the SHL. Fagemo is on a mission to prove himself and get drafted. Expect Fagemo to be at his best to get himself come June.
Slovakia | Last Year: Quarters Loss | Projection: Ninth
With the Slovakian team, there isn’t a bunch to talk about and less to go in-depth about. They do have one high-level player on the team, that being Martin Pospisil who is the 2nd leading USHL scorer as of this writing. Other notables include the 2019 eligible Maxim Cajkovic who led the 2018 U18 World Juniors in points per game. Also, the Vancouver Giants’ Milos Roman is another player to keep an eye on. Every once in a while we see a team that can upset a big team like the US, but it’s not often.
Kazakhstan | Last Year: Promoted | Projection: Relegated
Kazakhstan is another team without much to talk about. They do have a dynamic duo of two of the top five leading MHL (Russia U20 league) scorers. Sayan Daniyar and Artur Gatiyatov played a huge role in getting this Kazakh team the promotion to the top division of the World Juniors. The x- factor for Kazakhstan could be their team chemistry. Almost all players on this squad play for the same team in the MHL, Snezhnye Barsy Astana. The others, for the most part, play on the same team in Kazakhstan’s men’s league. Only one player on the team doesn’t play in Kazakhstan.
