2016 NHL Draft: Puljujärvi Needs to Carry World Junior Success to Liiga
By Max Marko
2016 NHL Draft: Puljujärvi Needs to Carry World Junior Success to Liiga
The impressive play of Jesse Puljujärvi and Patrik Laine at the 2016 World Junior Championship turned a lot of heads. Many went as far as to say that Puljujärvi has passed top prospect Auston Matthews as the number one 2016 NHL Draft eligible.
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What some seem to have forgotten about are the four months that took place before the World Juniors.
Matthews has been dominating the NLA all season long for the ZSC Lions. His play has helped the Lions to a 21-10-4 record this season, putting them first in the league with 74 points. Matthews has collected 16 goals and 11 assists in the 23 games he has played in. Keep in mind that he is playing against grown adult men instead of junior players.
After watching that game, Auston Matthews might stay in Europe for the rest of his career.
— Bryan Hayes (@HayesTSN) January 14, 2016
Matthews is 4th in the NLA in goals and 5th in points per game (1.17). He has played in approximately 10 fewer games than the rest of the league leaders.
Another nice factoid to keep in mind about Auston Matthews is his point totals with the United States National U18 Team. His 116 total points in 60 games broke Patrick Kane‘s previous record for the most points in a single season for the developmental program. Kane had 102 points.
It is also wise to remember that Matthews was put with Connor McDavid and Jack Eichel during last year’s draft. Matthews was only a couple of days off from being eligible for the 2015 NHL Draft. Scouts have said that Matthews would have gone within the top three of that draft.
Matthews’ historical skill and strong play in Switzerland are what put him ahead of other 2016 NHL Draft prospects. One World Junior tournament shouldn’t put one prospect over another in draft rankings.
Jesse Puljujärvi had a fantastic World Junior Championship, there is no doubt about that. He finished tied for second all-time for the most points, by a player under 18, at the World Juniors.
Prior to the tournament, Puljujärvi struggled to play in Finland with Kärpät. He has scored five goals and eight assists in 32 games this season.
He has been outworked at times and seems to be dulled down a bit by the higher age group. The World Juniors could act as a turning point for Puljujärvi this season. If he gets off on the right foot and can put together a consistent second half that is full of production, then maybe he can begin talks of the Finnish native jumping over Matthews on the draft board.
After all it seems every year at the World Juniors one goalie gets on a hot streak and plays insanely well. If you were to go into the draft based on World Junior performances last season, Denis Godla would have been in consideration for a top 5 selection and the Montreal Canadians can trade Martin Réway for a first round pick.
Auston Matthews won’t slow down either. Even if Jesse Puljujärvi goes on a tear and rattles off a couple of hat-tricks and five point game, Matthews will still be right there in front of him. What Jesse can do, is reassure the people that the World Junior Championship was not a fluke. He has the potential to eventually become one of the most powerful and skilled wingers in the NHL. 13 points in Liiga won’t help prove that.
Next: 2016 NHL Draft Eligible's Dominate WJC
There is still plenty of time from now until the NHL Draft in June and plenty can happen between now and then. If all goes well for Jesse Puljujärvi, he will create some buzz when it comes to who will be selected 1st overall in the 2016 NHL Draft