FIN: Juutilanen in the spotlight

Scouting notes on the top 2006 NHL Draft eligible Finns not named Jesse Joensuu. Notable names include sniper Jan-Mikael Juutilainen and hulking netminder Niko Hovinen of Jokerit as well as the Czech manchild Peter Freiberg.

Jan-Mikael Juutilainen, F, Jokerit

Probably the top 88-born Finn .. all-star selection at the U17 regional selects tournament .. player of the year with the Finnish U16 team in 2003-04 .. a slick-skating winger with quick feet and good bursts of speed .. loves to take charge of the puck and create at full speed .. makes excellent instinctive feeds at full throttle and drives the net when the opportunity presents itself .. a finesse type and at this time lacks the size and tolerance in traffic to dominate in all situations .. strong finisher, excellent vision and an uncanny ability to pick open spots, shaking off opposing defensemen with a lively first step and deceptiveness .. excellent pure finishing skills; soft hands and a quick release.

Erik Lamberg, D, Jokerit

Fragile rearguard has been the standout blueliner in the Finnish ’88 group .. all-star at the Finnish U17 regional selects tournament .. very light and avoids physical contact, but undeniably crafty and skilled .. excellent vision and puck savvy .. quick feet and good positional instincts .. a creative pure puck mover; feeds are quick, crisp and tape-to-tape .. stickhandling moves are a tad rough .. needs to be more aggressive when moves the puck; does not take enough chances with long-range passing .. has a dangerous release from the point despite the small stature.

Niko Hovinen, G, Jokerit

Huge netminder has drawn considerable attention and unfair comparisons to Kari Lehtonen (also formerly Jokerit property) .. plays in the U18 league .. swallows up the net with a spacious frame, long legs and surprising flexibility .. covers the lower part of the net effectively due to a lively lower body .. calm and economical .. stays deep in the net; has to challenge the shooter more and improve his play with the puck .. very raw rebound control and rough recovery .. has to improve his skating, especially laterally .. U18 league does not appear to be a challenge for him where he is giving the opposition very few holes to work with.

Robert Nyholm, F, HIFK

Has untapped offensive upside, but has not yet shown elite finish expected of him .. comparatively strong to players of his age group in Finland .. has to work out harder in the gym; get quicker and develop additional stamina for late-game situations .. looks good for periods one and two, but runs out of gas thereafter .. a good straightaway skater but has to polish his first step and agility .. has a very good shooting arsenal; a heavy slapper and a quick, accurate wrister .. does not show the kind of elite hunger for attacking the net that you see from the best players from his age group .. exhibits nifty puck skills and a creative sixth sense where he anticipates plays before they happen in a rare elite-level fashion .. just recently made the jump from the U18 3rd league and is only now getting used to the more intense action against the top players in his age group, thus his work habits are not yet at a desired level .. exciting tools but scattered.

Jonas Enlund, F, HIFK

Late 87-born forward plays both as C and RW .. has been on fire to begin the season; puck wizard is silky and effortless in possession .. good agility and balance, but has to upgrade his first few steps .. has soft hands and a quick, lively stick .. moves his feet and picks his spots wisely on the ice .. shows admirable instincts on the attack; knows when to drive the net with abandon and when to make the feed to the open man .. defensively unreliable .. not the type to bring the fans out of their seats, but does all the right things.

Peter Freiberg, F, HIFK

Massive Czech is in his second season in Finland .. missed 2005 draft eligibility by one day (Sept. 26 birthdate) .. so far has split his season between the Finnish Junior league and the U18 league .. has considerably improved his skating and stickhandling skills since a fringe showing last year in the U18s .. a mainstay in shorthanded situations due to a wide reach, the intimidating size, good puck protection skills and admirable decision making abilities .. has not shown an above-average offensive range and mostly creates near the crease .. effective with his size in traffic situations, but the expected mean streak is not there yet .. has not mastered the art of bodychecking; no timing whatsoever .. a big tree of a kid who needs some of that Finnish meanness rub off on him.