Finnish Draft Review 2005
Draft followers know the name Tuukka Rask well because his athleticism and composure will likely translate into being one of the top two goalies drafted by NHL teams this summer. But which other Finnish players are making waves? We take a look at that very question with guys like Mikko Lehtonen and Risto Korhonen, while also uncovering a possible gem in Jesse Uronen – someone NHL teams passed over at last year's draft.
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Tuukka Rask has been exposed to a lot of media coverage and, of course, the subsequent criticism. He was the starter in the World Junior Championships early on and in his draft year, which is not a common situation. Rask has had to play his international games behind inferior teams thanks to Finland's sudden drop in talent in the U18 level, but with a winning team in the Finnish juniors he was able to turn in some exceptional performances. An athletic and quick goalie, Rask's technique has been polished for a couple of years thanks to some pro level coaching. He already has a spot in Finnish SM-liiga to at least be the backup for Ilves Tampere, which will put him on the same path as several Finnish goaltenders from recent years.
Risto Korhonen is a battler on the ice and looks to be suited for the smaller North American ice surface. He is a very solidly built player with nice strength and a willingness to always play the man and finish checks. He still has work to do on his skating and decision making and while his offensive potential is limited, his contributions to the offensive side of the game are slowly growing. He has already signed to move from deep Kärpät Oulu team to HPK Hämeenlinna, an organization known for its ability to develop young players. At this point the future looks bright for Korhonen.
Another player that had a bright Spring is center Perttu Lindgren, although he wasn't able to carry his magnificent Finnish junior league playoffs performance over to the U18 World Championships. At the U18's he was good, but not spectacular. He's a skilled puckhandler with very good vision on the ice like a traditional center, he can create chances for his wingers. Aside from the obvious limitation of his size, he's also a team player who will battle at both ends of the rink. Lindgren is already pencilled in on the Ilves Tampere SM-liiga roster, where there is a history of playmaking finesse centers and that bodes well for his chance to skate in an offensive role.
Juho Mielonen has seeg his stock rise in the past few months leading up to the draft. The big and steady defenseman is not unlike Risto Korhonen, with a similar defense-first role. Mielonen is NHL-sized and moves well on his skates. He is not extremely physical, but is willing to use his size more and more. Mielonen has some offensive tools, but so far he hasn't used them too often. He's not a player who can be drafted for instant help, as his development is still in progress. While his performance in 2004-2005 got better as time went on, Mielonen is still expected to start next season in Ilves Juniors and possibly work his way up from the junior squad in the 2006-2007 season.
The enigma of the Finnish draft class, Mikko Lehtonen has all the tools to be a player in the NHL. He has good puck skills to go with his size and skating ability, but so far Lehtonen has not been able to put it all together to produce for his teams. Still, the potential of this traditionally finesse forward is hard to ignore. As a result, Lehtonen has not gone unnoticed and will be a high pick. Whether Lehtonen can turn out to be NHL player or not remains to be seen, but the next couple of seasons should give a strong indication about whether he is able to continue developing his overall package. Lehtonen is not expected to make the Espoo Blues SM-liiga roster at the beginning of the season, but a spot with the big team during the year would clearly be a sign of good development.
A prospect who was considered to have first round potential at the start of the season, Laakso hasn't been able to capture the same magic in international tournaments that he enjoyed in 2003-2004 at the Viking Cup and U18 World championships. He was exposed to tougher competition at the WJC and he looked small and lacking in strength. His past year has been plagued with injuries and that has really limited his development. When healthy, Laakso played some good hockey. His injuries and lack of strength on the ice are currently preventing him from using his good hockey sense. The good news is that he's rising up the ranks in Finland thanks to so many players leaving SM-liiga, which means he is all but guaranteed a spot that brings him lots of press and visibility next season.
Tommi Leinonen is an unheralded defensive prospect who has been buried behind Risto Korhonen in Kärpär Jrs. He's got attributes that make him an interesting prospect: good size, skating ability, decent offensive upside and despite a lack of muscle he has a willingness to play physical hockey. He could use better hockey sense to put his talents to better use, but nevertheless he is a solid prospect worth taking a look at. He'll continue his development with Kärpät Jrs for at least next season, and will be brought up slowly.
Miika Lahti was used as a utility player on the Finnish U18 team as underager last season, but failed to rise to the challenge and take a bigger role this year. Lahti, who usually lines up at center but can also play wing, is a two-way player with adequate size, strength and willingness to play physical hockey. He excels in the face-off circle and defensive zone coverage, but his offensive game is limited to looking for loose pucks in the slot and battling along the boards. Lahti's style could suite North American rinks, but it's essential that he keeps developing his offensive skills in order to ever reach that destination.
Erkka Leppänen entered the season as a projected first day pick and saw his stock drop considerably because of a lack of development, much like his JYP Jrs teammate Miika Lahti. Leppänen is a finesse defenseman who skates well and likes to rush the puck up the ice. He has solid offensive skills and a good shot, but so far he has not been able to produce consistently enough to be considered a real offensive defenseman. On the defensive side, he needs to develop his decision- making and gain some strength. Despite his disappointing season he's still on the right track, having already played a handful of games with JYP in SM-liiga in past two seasons.
Big forward skipped his last year of junior hockey and joined TuTo Turku in Finnish Tier two instead. Ignored in his first two years of draft eligibility, Makkonen got some press at the WJC, where he showed some offensive potential with four points (2G, 2A) in five games, second only to Petteri Nokelainen among Team Finland players. At 6'4" Makkonen has a good frame, but he could still use his size better to out-power opponents. He's expected to fight for a spot in the TPS Turku lineup for next season and that should help his development.
11 Mikael Kurki
A small defenseman, Mikael Kurki is compensating in every way he knows how. He's got good smarts and uses them to position himself defensively. He doesn't shy away from contact, but his size hurts him in his defensive game. Kurki has good offensive instincts and his shot has a quick release. He's known as a team player and leader, but he needs solid development to make a difference as an NHL prospect.
Forward Ville Korhonen is best described as a good all-around player who can play different roles adequately. He doesn't have glaring weaknesses aside from the overall level of talent, which isn't considered great. He's projected to be a supporting player on lower lines, but during the season he was also utilized in scoring line roles with both Ilves Jrs and the Finnish U18 team.
Bloodlines don't always mean the next person in the generation will be talented too, but in the case of goalie Juha Toivonen his background can only be considered a good thing. Like his brother Hannu, Toivonen has quick legs and can cover the lower part of the net effectively. However, what the younger Toivonen does not have is the great size of his brother. Standing at 5'10", Juha has troubles covering the upper part of the net and has to constantly compensate for his size. With the right coaching, Toivonen could still turn out to be a goalie who can work with his speed to play solid hockey.
14 Jesse Uronen
Previously seen as too much of a lightweight and one-dimensional (He was passed over in the 2004 Entry Draft), Jesse Uronen had an eye-opening performance in Finnish juniors He scored 36 goals in 39 games, which won him the goal scoring title by seven goals. He still has a long way to go to transfer his scoring touch from juniors to better competition, but his knack for putting the puck in the net could make some teams wonder and spend a late round pick on this rising young scorer.
Hallikainen made the Finnish roster at the WJC and played some solid hockey despite having to face the elite shooters from Team Canada in one of his two starts in the tournament. At 6'0" he looks like he is covering a lot of the net and he is a goalie who is used to playing under heavy fire. He's not on the fast track to pro level hockey at this point, but is obviously doing some things right considering his selection over players like Karri Rämö for the Finnish WJC team.