[Calgary4LIfe]

I agree that the article pushing the NHLe is a bit of a junk article. Good posts above explaining why.

Also, I would like to add this to some of the reasons why.

Doesn't Puljujarvi play on one of the better teams (as Laine does, but on another?). It is difficult for me to imagine they were simply given the reigns with top-line or top-six icetime, PP time, etc. I would bet that they started off pretty slowly and were given more ice-time as they earned it. Their first quarter/half/three-quarter season numbers might have been much lower than when they finally pushed themselves up on the top line (or just plain got the coach's trust) and have shown who they really are as players.

Given that they are so young, and the sample size so small, and the fact that they apparently both play for top clubs makes me not put too much stock in the numbers there.

Edit: Another explanation - though more of a reach - would be Stamkos' rookie season. Stated off with a coach that didn't like him in Tampa and gave him low minutes. Coach got canned, and Stamkos proceeded to explode. Without looking at the numbers more carefully, without having a larger sample size, and without really following the Finnish league, I find it difficult that the author could draw even modestly reliable data (no offence if he posts here). His example (which he quickly debunked) about basing the numbers off the World Junior Championships was arguably a better one. Much smaller sample size due to games played, but at least there is a much larger sample size of players that went through that tournament and into the NHL at a younger age. (And no, I don't think we can derive any conclusions out of the world championships - just merely pointing out sample sizes).