A question for some of you that have watched more of the Finnish prospects than I have...
Is there a chance Puljujarvi is massively overrated? I'm far from a pro scout but every time I watch him he seems to have poor puck handling and fans on most of his shots. His numbers in his draft year also fall quite a bit short of what Barkov achieved in the same league.
I guess I'm just looking for someone to placate my fear that we move up for him and he disappoints. The good news is I usually get prospect projections completely wrong.
I feel this as well. He really doesn't scream top 3 pick if you're looking at his Liiga draft year stats.
The reason I think so highly of him is just how dominant he was at the past two u20's. He has speed and skill in spades, and from every interview I've seen of him, he has his head on straight enough to get the most out of them.
His draft year Liiga stats definitely aren't great, but Puljujarvi is definitely still a kid. In his draft year, Barkov was a man, even though they were the same age. Pulju has so much more development to do, he in nowhere near a finished product. In my mind he is definitely not NHL ready this year, and maybe not even the year after. He needs time to refine his game but the sky is the limit. He has everything. Big, fast, hands, smart, pedigree, production, late birthday, not physically developed.
The team that drafts him better do right by him and develop him properly.
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Benning on the Canucks draft plans
-He really likes 6 players
-Talks about getting a 1st line player or a top pairing dman
-Says they'll get a foundational piece
-Tkachuk is great down low, maybe not as big as Dad but better vision. Thick and strong
-Dubois is a better two-way player. Can play fast, skilled or play a heavy style. Sees him being able to play centre
-Says they want to keep Miller and Markstrom. Markstrom future #1, Miller can mentor him
-wants to bolster team through UFA to be competitive next year
Don't want to be mean, but that dude is just odd. That whole looking left and then skyward over and over again just reeks a lack of confidence? Jitters?
Odd
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Benning on the Canucks draft plans
-He really likes 6 players
-Talks about getting a 1st line player or a top pairing dman
-Says they'll get a foundational piece
-Tkachuk is great down low, maybe not as big as Dad but better vision. Thick and strong
-Dubois is a better two-way player. Can play fast, skilled or play a heavy style. Sees him being able to play centre
-Says they want to keep Miller and Markstrom. Markstrom future #1, Miller can mentor him
-wants to bolster team through UFA to be competitive next year
What a painful man to listen to.
Does he mean 6 players that have a chance of being there? Or does this list include Laine and Matthews? Couldn't tell from the interview, but I'd have to assume it's probably:
Does he mean 6 players that have a chance of being there? Or does this list include Laine and Matthews? Couldn't tell from the interview, but I'd have to assume it's probably:
Tkachuk
Dubois
Brown
Sergachev
Juolevi
Chychrun
I think the list includes Matthews, Laine, Puljujarvi. So he likes a couple forwards and a d-man in the 4-6 range is what I'm deducing.
IMO it's 2 of Dubois, Tkachuk, Brown and 1 of Chychrun, Sergachev or Juolevi.
If you really wanna read between the lines I'd suggest watching these quick hit videos the Canucks did where both Benning and Linden comment on the players.
Chychrun:
Juolevi:
Sergachev:
Brown:
Then here's some profiles on guys I don't think they'll take but should be of interest to Flames fans
Nylander:
Jost:
Fabbro:
Bean:
Benson:
Read between the lines if you can. Personally I thought they gushed about Sergachev. On HF Canucks they seem to think that Benning/Linden really like Chychrun. Brown as well wouldn't surprise me. What does everyone else make of those videos?
I feel this as well. He really doesn't scream top 3 pick if you're looking at his Liiga draft year stats.
The reason I think so highly of him is just how dominant he was at the past two u20's. He has speed and skill in spades, and from every interview I've seen of him, he has his head on straight enough to get the most out of them.
His draft year Liiga stats definitely aren't great, but Puljujarvi is definitely still a kid. In his draft year, Barkov was a man, even though they were the same age. Pulju has so much more development to do, he in nowhere near a finished product. In my mind he is definitely not NHL ready this year, and maybe not even the year after. He needs time to refine his game but the sky is the limit. He has everything. Big, fast, hands, smart, pedigree, production, late birthday, not physically developed.
The team that drafts him better do right by him and develop him properly.
Puljujärvi's stats aren't good but like you say, comparisons to Barkov aren't informative. I watched Barkov and he played like a 28 year-old when he was 17. He had the first line center position secured in his draft year. Puljujärvi has had to fight for ice time on a team with a pretty deep forward roster.
There was a moment in november-december when I thought he might be falling, but the latter half of his season was very good, including 9 points in 10 games in the league playoffs and the gold medals at U20 and U18. Towards the end of the season he was slowed down by his injury (I think he got as early as march) but he still produced. At U18 I thought his skating wasn't near his normal level but he still stood out as the best player on the ice.
I would give him a shot at camp, unless his injury takes too much time heal and he doesn't get a chance to train much in the summer, but I wouldn't expect him to contribute in the NHL next season. Still, at most a year in the AHL I think, but of course no one can predict that.
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I feel this as well. He really doesn't scream top 3 pick if you're looking at his Liiga draft year stats.
Well, I dunno. Maybe those stats wouldn't sell you on a Mikael Granlund type prospect (who lacks the skating/wall game that you're getting from a Jesse P) but I think they're good stats.
Consider this:
17YO Puljujarvi (RH RW) had 13-15-28 in 50 games
18YO Rantanen (LH RW) had 9-19-28 in 56 games
Most of us would be pretty happy with Rantanen at 6. I think Pulju and Dubois a tier above.
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What about that Joseph Woll goaltender? Committed to BC. Damn big for a 17 year old. Some scouting report says he is terrible at moving, but maybe that is a throw away comment. He was one of the USA goalies at WJC-18
Not just my opinion. Where is Keller on Bob Mackenzie's list (and thus the lists of 10 real NHL scouts)? Redline often loves small skilled players, they had Hudler top 10 in his draft year. Real scouts had Kane rated 1st in his draft year and real scouts have Keller as a fringe top 10 pick this year. There's a difference.
Now that Bob MacKenzie's list is actually out - 8th.
As in, within the top 10 and right in our draft pick range with his variance being as high as 4th on some lists.
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