Quote:
Originally Posted by 1qqaaz
How does Puljuarvi compare to Barkov? Barkov had more than twice the point production than Puljuarvi at the same age. Barkov was also known for being good defensively. They are the same size.
I guess one major difference is that Puljuarvi is a RW.
The only thing that "worries" me is that Barkov, who had twice the production of Puljuarvi, has not even been a great pick for at number 2 overall (thus far). Although you could argue that he has been one of the best in the draft after MacKinnon and Monahan.
Another thing that worries me about Puljuarvi is that his production has decreased quite a bit from last year. Comparatively, Barkov tripled his production during his draft year.
Of course, I know next to nothing about how Puljuarvi actually plays. This is purely from stats.
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I don't see anything in common as far as play style. Barkov is a workhorse center, he turned 20 in september and is already a two-way monster; you expect Laine and Puljujärvi to be an offensive wingers. Neither of the 2016 guys are advertised as especially smart players.
With teenagers in men's leagues, reading stats doesn't get you very far. Barkov was freakishly mature and had great chemistry with his linemates. The 2016 wingers are not as complete. Youngsters tend to score more and more as the season progresses, especially after U20.
Watch Puljujärvi at the U20 and compare to other draft age players. See if he finishes his chances. Watch how he sees his linemates. It's not conclusive but it's a lot more reassuring than trying to interpret stats. I imagine Puljujärvi's physical attributes will make the transition to the NHL relatively easy. A lot of the discussion is just how high you'd want to pick him.
What I can say is that forwards taken as high as Puljujärvi is currently projected to go basically never bust. No one with significant questions about him will be picked that high. If you pick that high you're getting someone worth getting excited about. The discussion for me is about what makes a real star quality forward.
Let some time pass and look at the situation again. Hockey forums are good for registering new trends, like for example I don't think some official publications have noticed how good Laine actually looks this fall, which reflects badly on them, but there's a risk of flavor-of-the-month type of thinking as well.