It's time for Oilers' Puljujarvi to seize NHL opportunity

For Edmonton Oilers forward Jesse Puljujarvi, the 2017-18 season truly began Friday afternoon.

On the back of the unfortunate news that Anton Slepyshev was placed on injured reserve, the Oilers called up their prized 2016 first-round selection from the Bakersfield Condors.

For Puljujarvi, his promotion to the big club came in the midst of a questionable second professional season in North America, one that has seen him post just one goal and five points in 10 AHL games.

Last season, Puljujarvi tallied one goal - scored in the first game of the season - and eight points in 28 games with the Oilers before being sent down to the Condors in January for the remainder of the campaign.

Puljujarvi went the remainder of the year notching a respectable 12 goals and 28 points in 39 games. However, with a dip in production to begin his second stint in the AHL, it's clear there remains some skepticism regarding the 19-year-old's game.

"I think the talent is OK, but you get better by finding open spots, working hard," Mike Griffith of the Bakersfield Californian told theScore. "If he's all everyone wants him to be, I would think he would find a way to be dominant. How much is mental? I don't know. I think last year he probably was a little mentally burnt out and stuff. His numbers were OK last year, but they weren’t 'wow this is the next big thing.'"

(Photo courtesy: Action Images)

The call-up also comes at an interesting time for the Oilers. After a dreadful start to the season, the team had won three of four games prior to Saturday, but had only averaged two goals per game over that span.

It's the lack of offense that influenced the decision, and head coach Todd McLellan insists Puljujarvi will be given a chance to make an impact. Playing alongside Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and Milan Lucic, the hope is he can aid the team with what historically has been his biggest strength - creating offense.

"We'll likely play him in the top six and we look for his shot and ability to score," McLellan said Friday, according to Paul Gazzola and Chris Wescott of EdmontonOilers.com. "We'll see if he's been able to work on some of the things we asked him to defensively and his checking skills."

Through the first month and a half of the season, all signs suggest Puljujarvi has taken the Oilers' constructive criticism to heart, making improvements to his overall game.

"I think his wall play has improved, but from last year it almost had to, there was nothing but going up," said Griffith. "He's a big guy, but I don't think he ever battled that hard on the wall last year. I think his wall play has certainly improved this year."

This was also quite evident Saturday afternoon in Puljujarvi's first game since being called up. He tallied one of the Oilers' two goals in a 4-2 loss to the New York Rangers, finishing with five shots and two hits, recording 15:37 of ice time.

So, while his offensive numbers in the AHL may not have been great to begin the year, it is evident Puljujarvi has developed his overall skill set. Griffith notes that Oilers general manager Peter Chiarelli has also been impressed with what he's seen out of the Fin this season.

Meanwhile, it's worth observing that a certain Oilers star faced similar hardships before becoming a mainstay in the lineup.

(Photo courtesy: Getty Images)

After being plucked third overall in 2014, Leon Draisaitl was sent down to the Western Hockey League after recording just two goals and nine points in 37 games with the Oilers.

The following season he started with the Condors, tallying just one goal and one assist in six games before being recalled by the club after an injury to Jordan Eberle. He made an immediate impact - remaining with the club - finishing the year with 19 goals and 51 points in 72 games. The rest is history.

"If I can make a comparison, he's (Puljujarvi) been here a lot longer than Draisiatl's six or seven games," said Griffith. "He (Draisaitl) had a definite 'wow' factor and he only got called up because of injuries. They weren’t planning to call him or (Darnell) Nurse up then. That was the pre-change of all the hierarchy there in Edmonton too and those guys were supposed to be down there probably until December or something, but there was injuries and whatnot and boom, never to come back."

For Puljujarvi, it's now time for him to follow in the footsteps of Draisaitl. On a team many have coined potential Stanley Cup favorites, there will only be so much time allotted for players to get up to speed and get the hang of things.

Puljujarvi has been gifted a rare and sizable opportunity to show he can still be the same dynamic player who turned heads during the 2016 World Junior Championship. On Saturday he made a great first impression in his return, but as coaches will tell you, you're only as good as your next game. It will be up to Puljujarvi to maintain his strong play if he plans to permanently cement his spot with the big club.