Edmonton Oilers: Finding time for Jesse Puljujarvi critical for future

The Edmonton Oilers have made young forward Jesse Puljujarvi a healthy scratch for four straight games. They must find him playing time, whether that be in the NHL or AHL. 

The Edmonton Oilers came into this season as a team desperately needing to win, for the sake of everyone in the organization. After getting outscored nine to three in their first two games, the Oilers have won six of their last eight games, picking up at least a point in seven of them. On paper, everything is fine in Edmonton. However, that’s not the case, because a familiar trend is once again rearing its ugly head. The Oilers are struggling to find playing time for 2016 first-round pick Jesse Puljujarvi.

Tuesday, Oct. 30 will mark the fourth consecutive game he’s been a healthy scratch. It’s obvious head coach Todd McLellan doesn’t trust him. This begs a question many Oilers fans have likely asked at some point over the past two seasons – why is Puljujarvi on the NHL roster if he’s not getting playing time?

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Getting consistent playing time is crucial for the development of young players. The Oilers don’t have the best track record for developing young players, but this is pretty outrageous even for them.

Edmonton lacks wing depth, which explains why they often have at least one of (and sometimes even both) Leon Draisaitl or Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, two natural centers, playing with Connor McDavid on the top line. This makes the development of Puljujarvi critical for the success of the Oilers, who need value from their guys with entry-level deals. Puljujarvi’s entry-level contract, by the way, expires after this season.

Rushing Prospects

The Oilers shouldn’t have rushed their 2016 first-round pick to begin with. Puljujarvi, in hindsight, should have either spent the entire 2016-17 season in the AHL or overseas. Instead, the Oilers started the first year of his entry-level contract far sooner than they should have, allowing him to play in 28 games before finally sending him down to the AHL.

In his second year, Puljujarvi played in 65 of 82 games, seemingly finding a spot in the lineup regularly, usually alongside Milan Lucic and Ryan Strome. He even earned some playing time with Connor McDavid (though the captain played a fair bit with just about every player).

That’s what makes this season’s scratches so baffling. How did Puljujarvi go from finding a consistent spot in the lineup to being a healthy scratch? And why are the Oilers deadset on making him sit in the press box instead of playing more regularly in the AHL?

Puljujarvi is just 20 years old, but Edmonton seems to be putting his development on the back burner. What makes this especially odd is the Oilers appear to be practicing patience with 2017 first-round pick Kailer Yamamoto. Much like Puljujarvi, he’s had his struggles. Which all young forwards have at some point. However, the Oilers keep giving him a spot in the lineup.

It’s easy to point to Puljujarvi’s alarming 5.25 turnovers per hour at five-on-five. However, that doesn’t excuse halting his development by keeping him off the ice. The Oilers have a concerning history with developing skilled wings. Their last successful one? Jordan Eberle, who found himself traded for Strome last summer.

The Oilers history with young players is alarming at best. Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl were both were too good to screw up. Puljujarvi’s lack of continuity thus far is a sign things haven’t really changed in Edmonton.

They say winning cures all ailments. McLellan and general manager Peter Chiarelli better hope the Oilers keep winning. Because even though they are, their treatment of Puljujarvi is baffling at best and fireable at worst.