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The news is good news for Edmonton Oilers general manager Ken Holland when it comes to prospects playing overseas and young players who could potentially crack the Oilers lineup whenever the 2021 NHL season gets under way. Jesse Puljujarvi, Philip Broberg, Evan Bouchard and Joakim Nygard have all had a few great days with some excellent production.

All four players lit the lamp during Friday and Saturday’s action in Finland and Sweden and all four players have a legitimate shot at the NHL roster coming out of camp.

Defenseman Evan Bouchard continued to stay hot and impress during his stint with Sodertalje SK in Sweden’s second division HockeyAllsvenskan. He scored a power-play goal and added an assist on Friday in a 5-2 victory. That gives him six goals and 10 assists in 19 games during his loan. He’s in line as a potential seventh defenseman for the Oilers this coming season.

A potential future defense partner in Broberg has also started to come on and contribute on offense. Broberg found the back of the net on Saturday for Skelleftea AIK in the first division Swedish Hockey League. That gives him two goals and five assists in 19 games. The 2019 first-round pick has already nearly tied last season’s production out of the water in 26 fewer games at the same level. He may not be destined for the Oilers roster in 2021, but the season after he could be a big part of the blue line plans.

Less of a prospect and more of a fringe NHLer is Joakim Nygard who played a number of games for the Oilers last season. Coming off an injury that cut his 2019-20 season short, Nygard scored his first goal of the SHL season for Farjestad BK in a 3-2 win on Saturday. He now has three points in nine games. The Oilers see him as a potential fourth-line player or extra forward.

What About Jesse Puljujarvi?

Finally,  all eyes are on winger Jesse Puljujarvi. He scored his second overtime winner of the Liiga season for Oulun Kärpät in a 5-4 victory on Saturday. That now gives him seven goals and four assists in 14 games. Puljujarvi is tied for eighth in goals in the top Finnish league.

The steady production for Puljujarvi is extremely important for the Oilers who expect the winger to join the roster and play regular minutes next season. He’s yet to really transition his overseas production to NHL success, but if he comes to Edmonton with confidence and gets an opportunity with some highly-skilled centers, he could post strong numbers and give the Oilers a quality top-six forward at a low cost.

Of all the players on this list, Puljujarvi is the one who most fans are likely keeping tabs on. His relationship with the Oilers has been tumultuous at times but this season things are expected to take a much better turn for both the player and the team.

This article first appeared on NHL Trade Talk and was syndicated with permission.

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