FIN: Not Your Average Joensuu

Jesse Joensuu is already touted as Finland’s top blue-chip talent for the 2006 draft. Also read on for notes on seven promising Finnish names for the 2005 selection, including Tuukka Rask and Teemu Laakso.

Jesse Joensuu (2006), RW, Ässät

The jewel among Finnish ’87-born skaters .. youngest player ever to perform in the SM-Liiga .. played for Finland at the u-18 world championships .. has a big, spacious body (6-3) .. strong upper body and powerful legs .. possesses impressive top-end speed, but must improve his acceleration; his first few steps lack crispness .. very good balance; adequate agility for a big man .. protects the puck very well, tough to knock off possession .. once the puck is on his stick, he can take it to great distances .. impressive vision, elite offensive instincts .. makes informed plays and makes surprisingly few creative mistakes for his age .. possesses an explosive slapshot and a nasty wrister with a quick release .. has to polish his scoring touch by working on the accuracy of his shooting.. overhandles the puck a little bit; must learn to simplify his game.. very effective at getting the puck into the offensive zone by virtue of his puck skills and size .. the puck follows him like a magnet, whether he plants himself in front of the net or on the confines .. a budding star sniper.

Tuukka Rask (2005), G, Ilves Jrs.

The latest highly-touted goalie prospect out of Finland .. established himself as the starter for Ilves juniors in his rookie season .. also the starting goalie for the Finnish Under-18 team .. has good size; an imposing frame that covers much of the net, leaving shooters few holes to aim at .. excellent positionally, cuts down angles effectively .. a very good athlete with good balance and quick legs .. reads the play effectively and sees the ice especially well .. poised and patient; knows when to get down and stay up on his feet; doesn’t flop around .. will contend for backup duty in the SM-Liiga next season .. a first round candidate in 2005.

Teemu Laakso (2005), D, HIFK Jrs

Came out of ‘nowhere’, more specifically the Under-18 second league to perform for the IFK Helsinki juniors this season .. rearguard has played with increased confidence in the second half since being named the top defenseman at the Viking Cup .. led all defensemen in scoring at the Under-18 WJC (6-2-4-6) .. positionally solid and makes well-timed hits at open ice .. has a mature mind; makes informed decisions with the puck .. good skater forwards, but at times struggles to move laterally and backwards .. overall agility is a little rough .. delivers hard, accurate outlet passes .. still hiding his powerful, right-handed shot on the powerplay; will have to unleash it sooner or later .. has played mainly in a defensive role on IFK Jrs. first defensive pair .. look for him to flourish next season.

Erkka Leppänen (2005), D, JYP Jrs

Late ‘86-born rearguard .. played at the 2003 Under-18 tournament, but missed the recent 2004 event due to a shoulder injury .. greatest strength is his skating .. a smooth skater who moves equally well to all directions .. effective at joining the rushes due to his quick first step and airy stride .. possesses a low, accurate shot from the point that he uses consistently .. confident in his own end; plays his man smartly and effectively for his age .. must cut down on mistakes with the puck; erratic and at times impulsive with feeds, especially with bodies around .. must bulk up to handle physical duties better; has to strengthen lower body .. does not possess great size.

Risto Korhonen (2005), D, Oulu

Oulu has unearthed another gem, after developing the likes of Niinimaa and Pitkanen .. has already seen icetime with the big club during preseason .. possesses a wonderfully spacious body for a d-man at 6-3 .. strong kid; long arms that will be powerful when he adds muscle .. plays a safe, defensive game; like meat-and-potatoes, he gets the job done .. a tough cookie in one-on-one situations, he’s a stalwart due to his reach and above-average agility .. good acceleration for a big guy .. physical, at times mean, but should get meaner .. finishes his checks .. has hidden offensive potential, but prefers to stay back .. will learn to chip in offensively with proper guidance.

Mikko Lehtonen (2005), F, Blues Jrs

Tall, lanky kid projects to be the top forward from Finland for the 2005 draft .. excellent frame (6-3), but untested body .. too often outmuscled despite the fact that he competes in the corners and traffic .. an okay skater; needs to work on straight-away speed, but has surprising quickness laterally and slick moves near the goal .. needs to work on balance; strengthening his lower body is essential for next season .. excellent stickhandler .. loves having the puck on his stick to create chances for teammates .. crafty and intelligent.

Miika Lahti (2005), F, JYP Jrs

A strong, chippy forward has already drawn interest from the pros, promoted to JYP’s SM-Liiga training group for the 2004-2005 season .. played at the U-18 WJC’s this April as an underager .. very mature physically; possesses a stronger body than most kids his age .. very compact; not flashy, but has an eye for both ends of the ice .. loves to penetrate wide open lanes and drive the net .. scores most of his goals around the crease area .. has no gaping weaknesses for his age .. lacks polished puck skills, which separates him from the likes of Miika Lehtonen .. plays center and both wing positions.

Tuomas Kiiskinen (2005), F, KalPa Jrs

Smallish speedster is a late ’86 .. has been a consistent, dangerous scorer in the Finnish junior leagues .. has scored wherever he’s played .. an elusive skater; earns top marks in all areas of skating .. quick, deceptive laterally .. able to control the puck at top speed impressively .. compensates for his lack of size with aggressiveness .. sneaky quick; shoves his nose in traffic .. an opportunist who pounces on loose pucks with his excellent first-step quickness .. a poor man’s Samsonsov.