Oilers’ decide youngsters not yet ready for prime time
Edmonton Oilers general manager Peter Chiarelli had seen enough and decided forwards Jesse Puljujarvi and Kailer Yamamoto are still in need of more seasoning.
On Saturday, the Oilers assigned the pair to the Bakersfield Condors of the American Hockey League, where, barring a rash of injuries in Edmonton, they will stay for an extended period to work on their game.
“I think, broadly speaking, I’d like them to get more touches,” Chiarelli said Sunday prior to the Oilers hosting the Colorado Avalanche. “With Jesse, it’s about getting his confidence back. I thought he had a strong camp and it didn’t translate to the start of the season. You could see some of the frustration in his game, but having said that, there was some maturity in his game, too, so we just have to build it back up a little bit. It’s easier to do that down there with more minutes and a little more latitude and margin for error.
“With Yamo, I thought he played pretty well as a complementary player. He was responsible, he supported things without the puck, he was good on the PK. We took him out of the game, he sat a little bit and it was confidence. For him, it’s about finishing, going down there and finishing his opportunities. He did have a lot of opportunities when he wasuphereandIdidn’twanthis confidence to struggle either.”
Puljujarvi, 20, had one goal in 11 games for the Oilers this season. He struggled finding a regular spot in the lineup and was a healthy scratch on five occasions. The fourth overall selection in the 2016 NHL Entry Draft has struggled to gain traction with the Oilers in his three seasons with the organization. It’s the third time in three years he’s been sent back to the AHL.
“He was disappointed,” Chiarelli said. “We’ve done it each year with him. He was disappointed.”
Yamamoto, 20, also had a strong pre-season, but had just one goal in 12 regular-season games with the Oilers. The Spokane, Wash., product was selected 22nd overall by the Oilers in the 2017 NHL Entry Draft.
“It’s a luxury to have the two young guys up here,” Chiarelli said. “We had three young guys up here with (Evan) Bouchard and we sent him back to junior. For now, and certainly the book isn’t closed, they’ll go down and play. They’re doing a great job down there and all the young guys are thriving down there and it’s a good environment, so I’m certainly happy to send them down.”
In 49 games with Bakersfield the past two years, Puljujarvi has 13 goals and 33 points. Yamamoto has yet to play in the AHL, having returned to the Spokane Chiefs of the WHL last season after nine games with the Oilers, where he had three assists.
“I thought one of them would bubble up,” Chiarelli said. “I thought they both had real good camps, but play ramps up after that,andafter20gamesitramps up again and we’re already seeing that. So it was a bit of a luxury to have them both here.”
BOUCHARD IMPRESSES
In Bouchard’s case, the 10th overall pick in last summer’s NHL Draft looked impressive in his seven-game audition with the Oilers. The 19-year-old returned to the London Knights of the Ontario Hockey League, where he is captain of the squad.
“Hewas,forlackofabetter word, a victim of the ramping up of the play,” Chiarelli said. “But he has tremendous poise, broad vision out there, and a very good shot, everything we could hope for. We’re real happy with his time spent up there.”