RDOilerfan wrote on Thu, 30 June 2022 15:40

Kr55 wrote on Thu, 30 June 2022 15:11 So, guess we're fully into the softening the fanbase up phase with Pulju? Team leaking that they and Pulju are OK to part ways. Wouldn't be surprised for him to look like Nichushkin in 2-3 years after he polishes up his finishing and gets a little more confidence. Nichkushin signed for 850K on a 1 year, then 2.5 mill per for 2 years having his big year this season at 27. Everyone raves about Nichushkin because he score 25 goals making 2.5 mill. IF/when he probably signs for more than twice that amount and put up similar numbers, no one will rave about him anymore. At the end of the day, does the player not have some say in what happens to him. I would bet that in his close out meetings, his future role would have been discussed by the coach and GM. I would bet that a salary range based on that role would have been floated out there. So if the rumors are true and JP is open to leaving, is it not safe to assume that whatever role they see JP in and whatever salary range they want to pay him, doesn't match what JP envisions himself being and making? I think the perfect role for JP is exactly how they played him this year. Top 9 forward who slide up and down the line up, got some PP time and if he is a fixture on your 3rd line, you probably have yourself a pretty good team. Cup teams seem to have guys just like JP who maybe play a little lower and make a little less than what they would on other teams but they are cool with that because they win a lot. Coleman was that guy for Tampa last year, then goes to Calgary and signs for almost 5 mill. At 1.8 mill he looked unbelievable, at 4.9 mill, not so much. But if in JP's mind, he should be stapled to McD's wing, get exclusive PP time and be paid accordingly, doesn't work so great. If he is saying he'd welcome a change, that tells me he sees himself way higher up in the line up no matter what.

I'm only talking about how Nichushkin was arguably the 2nd most impactful forward on a cup winning team. He was pushing play into the offensive zone non-stop, which he did do already for other teams, but then he added some finish to his game and he dominated.

I want players like that. I am OK to keep trying to push and work with a kid to fine tune his game to become that too if he already is showing he is pushing play the right way like Pulju is, or like Nichushkin did for some years before he broke out this last season.

I guess though the Oilers are not interested in that and will go chasing to try to find that player in their final form, probably at a premium. Or we just don't have that kind of player and try to win other ways.

It is up to this org to make a judgement on what Pulju is capable of long term. We drafted him, we developed him. Zero teams should have a better idea of what he's capable of than the Oilers. So, I guess they are concluding he's topping out in where his career can go and is not worth investing in. So be it. If he breaks out somewhere else, just one more thing to keep bringing up in every thread

[Updated on: Thu, 30 June 2022 15:51]

"We need to get better immediately. That starts today"
- Lowe, 2013

"Next year I would forecast as another developmental year"
- MacT, 2015

5 x $5,000,000