Edmonton Oilers’ forward Jesse Puljujarvi has been like a trade deadline pick up, producing five points in his last seven games since returning to the lineup after missing a month. Depending on who you ask in Oil Country, he’s either having a great campaign in his second season back in North America, or he’s still a raw player with flaws in his game that still need fine tuning.

The Finnish forward recently reunited with captain Connor McDavid on the top line against the Arizona Coyotes after playing on the second and third lines since returning. Evander Kane plays on the opposite side of Puljujarvi, and it remains to be seen if he’ll re-sign with the club after this season. The ideal scenario is if Edmonton can bring him back on a short-term deal, yet, if this season is his only tenure with the Oilers, it has the potential to pay dividends even if he leaves. His flair for physicality and knack for scoring goals around the net has the potential to rub off on his young teammate from Finland.

 

The Evander Kane Experiment is Working Well

Kane is the best natural winger on the Oilers. I previously wrote an article stating the Oilers should re-sign the rugged forward, but only to a short-term deal. He’s performing tremendously well with the club, but it should still proceed with caution due to his previous off-ice issues. That said, Edmonton hasn’t seen a player like him since the days when current Minnesota Wild general manager Bill Guerin was scoring goals and being a physical force with the blue and orange in the late 90s.

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In 28 games, Kane has played mostly in the top-six with either Leon Draisaitl or McDavid as his centermen, and he’s shown the ability to play and produce with the elite duo. He missed the first half of the season, but he’s found his skating legs in the last stretch of games.

He’s on pace for 44 goals in an 82-game season. What’s remarkable is his 96 hits in 28 games, which rank fourth on the team, despite missing 39 games. He hits heavy and finishes every check he can, taking the opposition out of the play.