FIN: Kemppainen Stands Out

Mikko provides notes from Finland's U18 tryout camp for the ongoing Junior Cup. Among the players scouted is Joonas Kemppainen – a rugged winger making a name for himself.

Riku Helenius (2006), G

Huge goalie gives attackers little to shoot at .. just sucks up pucks by getting in front of them fluidly and economically .. standup, blocking style .. does not have the quickest legs and can be beaten with low, accurate shots .. up-and-comer will be a guy to watch this season.

Mika Jarvinen (2007), G

Small, quick goalie .. some size disadvantage .. moves well in the crease but is vulnerable laterally on occasion .. fast glove .. has to rely on his quickness to be effective and isn't slow, just a little scrambly and awkward at times .. very vocal on the ice .. tries to come out of the crease to play the puck when needed .. late-88 birthdate.

Mikko Tolvanen (2006), G

Tall netminder hasn't shown a consistent playing style .. leg speed is problematic and allows some bad goals five-hole .. loses control and focus on the puck at times when a scramble occurs in the crease .. probably the third or fourth best Finnish goalie for the 2006 draft right now.

Erik Lamberg (2006), D

Smallish and mobile rearguard .. nice agility and speed .. likes to hold on to the puck too much rather than dumping it in safely at the end boards .. a little fumbly with the puck and loses concentration, causing turnovers .. relies heavily on his skating when moving down the ice .. needs to work on pretty much everything else, from shooting to stickhandling.

Atte Erkamo (2006), D

Nice size, intriguing tool set .. can play a physical game, but could still be meaner .. must keep working on his skating which has some real potential as he is quite capable straight away but rough on twists and turns .. hard shot, not-so-good release .. very good stamina for his age; played in two matches on one day and didn't slow down at all.

Nico Aaltonen (2006), LW

Small, honest, all-around player .. sound at both C and wing .. fine stickhandling skills .. starts the offensive out of his own zone .. suffers in one-on-one battles due to a lack of size .. fast stride, very technical skating style with good balance .. could be more a bit more efficient with decision-making .. quick wrister, good enough hands to flick the up into the net .. must keep scoring to stay on the radar.

Joonas Kemppainen (2006), C

The kind of Finn scouts expect to see on the national team; strong, rugged .. already played for Finland at the U18s last spring .. can line up at both center and wing .. nice size, willing to battle for position .. doesn't have top-end skills .. cycling game is strong and polished .. still getting bigger and could add an inch or two and get over 200 pounds soon .. two-way guy with jam.

Juuso Puustinen (2006), RW

Versatile forward plays both center and wing .. above-average offensive skill-set .. smooth skater and nifty stickhandler .. can bring the puck up the offensive zone by himself and will find the open man when the lane presents itself .. adequate size .. an extra boost to his style in traffic could be a boom to his point totals .. few nice hits, but would like to see some meanness .. maybe the best skills among 1988-born Finns.

Jan-Mikael Juutilainen (2006), C

Traditional European pivot .. good vision, affinity for setting up linemates .. good hands, nifty puck trickery .. regularly returns to help out on defence .. does not possess great top speed but is agile and has a nice first step burst .. very stealthy and can pounce on a puck instantly .. would benefit from adding more muscle .. captain of the Finnish u18 national team.

Robert Nyholm (2006), RW

A strong, hard driving winger .. has adequate top speed, but acceleration and agility need some work .. doesn't have the smoothest stride and seems to be wasting some energy in his skating .. has been able to enhance his stamina, not fading away during longer shifts like before .. always shoots to score .. has a pretty quick wrist shot, but better accuracy would come handy .. should use his linemates better .. has some learning to do in defensive game, doesn't mark up player effectively in defensive zone .. plays a straight forward style without much pizazz.

Jani Savolainen (2007), LW

All-around winger is a quick learner, spending much of last season in the Finnish juniors as one of the youngest participants .. tenacious forechecker .. good lower body balance .. always buzzes around the opponent's crease .. shooting skills are kind of plain and limit his finish .. get his frame involved but isn't particularly big, though has room to grow.

Ilkka Heikkinen (2006), RW

Skilled winger likes to carry the puck and shoot .. sweet dangle and dekeing ability .. on his best when finds open space .. does not thrive in a physical game; mostly a one-sided game .. does not possess high-end shooting skills to complement impressive stick skills.