2016 Draft: 3rd Pick: Markus Niemelainen

DaJackal

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I think this would be the best for his development. 2 seasons in the larger rink would make adjustment for NA ice tougher again. (IMO this is more important for defenders.) So if he plays another year in HIFK then I don't expect him to be called up before 2019-2020 season.

Anyway, good pick to take in the 3rd round. Big Dman who makes calm plays and is able to make a good first pass, what's there not to like? Defencemen don't usually hit NHL ice until they're at least 20 or 21 anyway, so him being a project doesn't actually delay things more than a year or two. Drafting a bunch of forwards with bottom six ceiling in the later rounds isn't that good of an idea anyway.
 

ChicagoBullsFan

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I think this would be the best for his development. 2 seasons in the larger rink would make adjustment for NA ice tougher again. (IMO this is more important for defenders.) So if he plays another year in HIFK then I don't expect him to be called up before 2019-2020 season.

Anyway, good pick to take in the 3rd round. Big Dman who makes calm plays and is able to make a good first pass, what's there not to like? Defencemen don't usually hit NHL ice until they're at least 20 or 21 anyway, so him being a project doesn't actually delay things more than a year or two. Drafting a bunch of forwards with bottom six ceiling in the later rounds isn't that good of an idea anyway.

As a HIFK fan i wanna see Markus in HIFK next season.
But as you know his job to crack HIFK's TOP6 / TOP7 defenceman isn't easy.

In HIFK's defence hierarchy next guys are all above of Markus Niemeläinen
Teemu Eronen
Saku Salmela
Miihkali Teppo
Tommi Taimi
Daniel Grillfors
Joe Finley.

Then there's prospects Miro Heiskanen,Eemeli Heikkinen and Miro Karjalainen.
Especially Miro Karjalainen is competing same spot with Markus Niemeläinen.

Karjalainen is Dallas Stars 5th round draft selection in 2014 draft and his contract with HIFK is finishing spring 2017.
Also situations of Matt Generous and Joonas Järvinen are wide open.

There's been rumors HIFK might re-sign Matt Generous and what Joonas Järvinen makes if he don't get NHL contract.
Järvinen has said he isn't going to KHL if any NHL team wont sign him.

So odds for that Niemeläinen plays to HIFK are only 30-50 percent right now.
If Niemeläinen wont get TOP6 minutes in HIFK it's better for him to go back to Saginaw and play big minutes there.

Yes there's chance HIFK assign Niemeläinen to Kiekko-Vantaa or A juniors ( U20 team) and Markus gets called-up when HIFK has injuries in their defence.
But bouncing between HIFK liiga team / Ajuniors and Mestis isn't necessarily good to Niemeläinen's development.

Liiga rules allows only 7 defenceman's in game lineup and as we know 7th defenceman plays usually 10-15 minutes per game.
And that's not enough to Niemeläinen.
 
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Aceboogie

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Hell be returning to OHL next year which I think is best move. Get #1 minutes, all situations and be able to develop offensive abilities. IMO FEL is roughly on par with AHL (not interested in a debate about league strength), so really FEL wasnt the best option. Would probably be buried as a #6 D in limited situations

For me:
16/17- OHL- Hopefully lights it up
17/18-Depends here. OHL if not a greta seaosn before. FEL if AHL is too full of D prospects. AHL if we feel he could contend for NHL soon
18/19- AHL or NHL if ready
 

belair

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Hell be returning to OHL next year which I think is best move. Get #1 minutes, all situations and be able to develop offensive abilities. IMO FEL is roughly on par with AHL (not interested in a debate about league strength), so really FEL wasnt the best option. Would probably be buried as a #6 D in limited situations

For me:
16/17- OHL- Hopefully lights it up
17/18-Depends here. OHL if not a greta seaosn before. FEL if AHL is too full of D prospects. AHL if we feel he could contend for NHL soon
18/19- AHL or NHL if ready

No, he's playing for HIFK in the Finnish league.

Scratch that, he's been taken off their roster, which likely means he'll be returning to Saginaw.
 
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ChicagoBullsFan

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No, he's playing for HIFK in the Finnish league.


Niemeläinen hasn't been HIFK's lineup in preseason games and past Friday's Champions Hockey League game against Swiss NLA team Zug.
Also his name is removed HIFK's FEL lineup which is available in HIFK's official websites www.hifk.fi.

These details gives signal Niemeläinen is returning to Saginaw.
 
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belair

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Niemeläinen hasn't been HIFK's lineup in preseason games and past Friday's Champions Hockey League game against Swiss NLA team Zug.
Also his name is removed HIFK's FEL lineup which is available in HIFK's official websites www.hifk.fi.

These details gives signal Niemeläinen is returning to Saginaw.

Good news for me. I'll get to see him a couple times.
 

40oz

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Aceboogie

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No inside info, but I assume he goes home next season when his two years in the CHL are up.

Youd think? I doubt if NHL was in reasonable grasp hed go home and be that much further away/ down depth chart

IMO Russians hed home when there is a bigger challenge to make NHL. Fins and Swedes tyopically stay in NA till there is almost no shot for them in NHL
 

BarDownBobo

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Youd think? I doubt if NHL was in reasonable grasp hed go home and be that much further away/ down depth chart

IMO Russians hed home when there is a bigger challenge to make NHL. Fins and Swedes tyopically stay in NA till there is almost no shot for them in NHL

It'll be interesting to see where he goes for his 19 year old season. Since he was loaned to Saginaw for his draft year I believe the Oilers could assign him to the AHL as a 19 year old. But they'll also have Caleb Jones and Ethan Bear turning pro that season too, so the blueline in Bakersfield could be fairly crowded.
 

Aceboogie

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It'll be interesting to see where he goes for his 19 year old season. Since he was loaned to Saginaw for his draft year I believe the Oilers could assign him to the AHL as a 19 year old. But they'll also have Caleb Jones and Ethan Bear turning pro that season too, so the blueline in Bakersfield could be fairly crowded.

+ Paigin could likely come over, he got a 1 year deal and if he plays well I expect them to bring him over asap

Add to that Simpson/Laleggia could still be there in their make or break years. Musil will be flushed out of system, either by making NHL, being dealt or not resigned
 

Bryanbryoil

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I have a feeling that this guy is going to be a long term player for the Oilers. Good mix of size, skating and skill. Hopefully he improves on his shot and becomes an absolute steal for us.
 

BB88

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I have a feeling that this guy is going to be a long term player for the Oilers. Good mix of size, skating and skill. Hopefully he improves on his shot and becomes an absolute steal for us.

Yep, I saw lots of positive posts about Niemelainen on the Bruins draft boards and even some were okay of picking him at 29/early 2nd.
 

Bryanbryoil

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Yep, I saw lots of positive posts about Niemelainen on the Bruins draft boards and even some were okay of picking him at 29/early 2nd.

Do you have a link for that? IMO he has a LOT going his way, ultimately it'll be up to him in terms of how far he'll go but there's a lot to like with Niemelainen.
 

BB88

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Do you have a link for that? IMO he has a LOT going his way, ultimately it'll be up to him in terms of how far he'll go but there's a lot to like with Niemelainen.

Ooops I'm sorry I meant Bruins draft threads here, but this actually reminded me of seeing posts saying Bruins were high on Niemelainen and scouted him heavily.




He has 2nd pairing potential, but like you said he himself needs to realize it.

edit,
https://scoutingpost.com/2016/06/20/scouting-post-2016-nhl-draft-podcast-pt-2-tiano-duthie-forge-on/

Right at the start of video says would absolutely take him over Logan Stanley. 1st few mins are about Niemelainen.


https://scoutingpost.com/2016/04/21/back-from-grand-forks/

"Markus Niemelainen, D Finland- Huge at 6-5 and a superb skater. Size and wheels alone isn’t a reason to take this Finn (the only 2016 draft eligible on a squad of seven D- all late ’98 or ’99-born guys) but his potential late-blooming offensive potential could push it over the edge. Anyone who has him ranked well out of the first-round is missing the boat on him in my view."

Bruins fans respect Kirk a lot.
 
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Bryanbryoil

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Thanks. They have a guy over there on HFBruins that does some OHL scouting IIRC named Dom. It'd be interesting to know what his take on Niemelainen is.

EDIT-I'd assume that the Dominic guy that Kirk talks to is probably Dom from HFBruins.
 

BB88

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Thanks. They have a guy over there on HFBruins that does some OHL scouting IIRC named Dom. It'd be interesting to know what his take on Niemelainen is.

EDIT-I'd assume that the Dominic guy that Kirk talks to is probably Dom from HFBruins.

He's the same,
https://scoutingpost.com/2016/06/18...uthie-on-the-2016-nhl-draft-ohl-edition-pt-1/

46.50- they are talking about Stanley and Niemelainen for few mins and it continues on that part 2 I linked yesterday for few mins again.

This is from the early 1st half,
https://ohlwriters.me/2015/11/29/markus-niemelainen-player-profile-saginaw-spirit-2/

Reading Kirks articles& podcasts on him and looking at that 1st halfs article it seems like he made a nice progress last season.
 
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Aceboogie

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This is the type of player we should have been taking in the 3rd rounds of past drafts. A prospect with great tools but a blemish here and there. But also in a situation that isnt ideal and where he can only go up. Dude was a projected 1st/ early 2nd with pretty low offense on a brutal team. Had he been on a good team his offense likely would have shot up and he could have gone in 20s or even up near 15

That is not to say he will forsure put up offense on a better team, maybe he is just a better skating Musil. But chances of him putting up better offense is a good one.

Plus for a D, he has 2 base tools every great D needs- good skating and smarts. He can build from there
 

Wewillrise

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Just looked up his stats this season as I haven't heard anything in a while. Stats don't say much but he has 5 pts in 35 GP this season but his +\- is +1. I know +\- doesn't mean much but last season he played 65 games had 27 pts and was a -23, that's quite a turn around!

Anyone have any news on him?

Very interested to watch this guys development curve.
 

McMozesmadness

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His stats don't concern me at all.

From what I've seen I'm still very happy with this pick. He is just such a good skater for his size. Very mobile. He plays defence first, but I really like his passing too.

Don't get to caught up with his point totals.
 

BarDownBobo

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Just looked up his stats this season as I haven't heard anything in a while. Stats don't say much but he has 5 pts in 35 GP this season but his +\- is +1. I know +\- doesn't mean much but last season he played 65 games had 27 pts and was a -23, that's quite a turn around!

Anyone have any news on him?

Very interested to watch this guys development curve.

He's been paired with Filip Hronek in Saginaw most of this season, and Hronek is extremely offensively oriented. That's why his offense is down, spending a lot of time covering for him.
 

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