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New York Rangers: Pros and cons for making a move for Puljujarvi

By Andrew Steele-Davis

EDMONTON, AB - DECEMBER 22: Jesse Puljujarvi #98 of the Edmonton Oilers skates during the game against the Tampa Bay Lightning on December 22, 2018 at Rogers Place in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. (Photo by Andy Devlin/NHLI via Getty Images)
EDMONTON, AB - DECEMBER 22: Jesse Puljujarvi #98 of the Edmonton Oilers skates during the game against the Tampa Bay Lightning on December 22, 2018 at Rogers Place in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. (Photo by Andy Devlin/NHLI via Getty Images) /
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EDMONTON, AB – DECEMBER 7: Jesse Puljujarvi #98 of the Edmonton Oilers lines up for a face off during the game against the Minnesota Wild on December 7, 2018 at Rogers Place in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. (Photo by Andy Devlin/NHLI via Getty Images)
EDMONTON, AB – DECEMBER 7: Jesse Puljujarvi #98 of the Edmonton Oilers lines up for a face off during the game against the Minnesota Wild on December 7, 2018 at Rogers Place in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. (Photo by Andy Devlin/NHLI via Getty Images) /

1. Pros to trading for Puljujarvi

You don’t get selected with the No. 4 overall pick in the 2016 NHL Entry Draft if you don’t possess some talent and, although there is such a thing as a bust, Jesse Puljujarvi has flashed glimpses of his potential.

He has 17 goals and 20 assists for 37 points in 139 career NHL games, including 12 goals and eight assists for 20 points in 65 games during the 2017-18 season.

It is important to note, however, that Puljujarvi wasn’t exactly handled with care by the Oilers given that he was often put in situations that didn’t help to elevate his talents.

For instance, he played a total of 674 minutes on a line with grinder Milan Lucic, while he was never really able to generate any momentum after being constantly sent down to the AHL with the Bakersfield Condors.

That arguably led to the breakdown in the relationship between player and team, and the dysfunction that has existed within the Oilers organization for years now probably didn’t help matters either.

However, Puljujarvi is demonstrating now, albeit in Finland, what he is capable of with those 20 points (11 goals, nine assists) in 18 games for Karpat in Liiga.

He is clearly benefiting from a change of scenery and new surroundings in North America could be the key to unlocking Puljujarvi’s true potential in the NHL.

And this is where the New York Rangers come in. They are stockpiling as much talent as they can at the moment in order to become a dominant contender within the next few years, and they could do with a high-end top six wing.

Puljujarvi ticks that box. He boasts skill, speed, can create and score goals and, at 6’4″ and 201 lbs, he has a big body and a powerful frame that can handle the grueling rigors of an 82-game NHL regular season.

He is also young too. At just 21-years-old Puljujarvi is only just scratching the surface when it comes to developing his game, so it seems somewhat foolish to question his long-term future in the NHL on a less than 200-game sample size.

Some players are late bloomers after all and Puljujarvi may well benefit from being in a better situation in New York, surrounded by fellow high-end young talent with a common goal – to eventually win the Stanley Cup.

The Rangers could do with some help on the right side too. Kaapo Kakko should be the team’s top line right wing for the long-term, but the jury is still out on Pavel Buchnevich and Jesper Fast is a bottom six forward, while Brendan Smith is only a temporary (and expensive) plug-in.

Trading for Jesse Puljujarvi would give the franchise another young stud with plenty of upside and, if given the tools to succeed in The Big Apple, then the 21-year-old could really blossom into a top six star for the New York Rangers.

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