He's got great edge work and agility, straight line speed could use a bit more work but I think that comes when he bulks up in his legs. Those hands are smooth and his puck control is great. His shot is an NHL shot, accuracy is there, release point is quick, there's velocity. Love the pick after missing out on Berggren.
Ylonen made a big splash at last year’s U-18 World Hockey Championships, where he finished with 9 points in 7 games, helping Finland win the silver medal. This year, he didn’t make the World Junior team in December, and played in Finland’s 2nd pro league with Espoo United and had 27 points in 48 games. Next year, he’s expected to play in Liiga with the Pelicans. His father Juha played in the NHL for Phoenix, Tampa Bay and Ottawa. Jesse was actually born in Phoenix. He’s a very different player than his father, as Jesse is winger that likes to play the game with a lot of speed and pace. His top speed is good and his acceleration really helps him challenge defenders one-on-one. He’s very agile, and his stickhandling skills are close to elite as well. He’s a very fun player to watch with the puck on his stick. With his combination of speed and puck skills, he’s really tough to defend against for opposing defensemen. He’s a scorer and his vision and playmaking abilities are decent. There’s some concern with his overall hockey sense and his play selection at times. He’s a risky player who often tries to beat players one-on-one, and that can result in turning pucks over. He has grown a bit since last year, and is more physically strong, but still has a ways to go before being ready for the grind of the North American game. He’ll need to become stronger to protect the puck and win more one-on-one battles but that is the case for many players in the draft each year. Ylonen has proven that he can score and bring some good offense to the table. As far as the NHL goes, he has the talent to play an offensive role, but the rest of his game will need to improve in order for him to achieve it. “Only saw him play once so…” NHL Scout, May 2018 “Really hungry 200 foot game, not always the smartest but overcomes his average smarts with great work ethic and equally good hands.” - NHL Scout, May 2018 “Mid second rounder.” - NHL Scout, May 2018 “Our euros love him. Early second (rounder)” - NHL Scout, May 2018 “Easily one of the best players at the Under 20.” - NHL Scout, May 2018 “I seem to be the one who is highest on him amongst our scouts.” - HP Scout, Mark Edwards
Scouts have learned to be careful with Eu-
ropean prospects that look like they have yet
to reach puberty, both in facial features and
in body structure.
“I’m not sure why it is, but some Euro-
pean kids just takes a little longer to ma-
ture,” said one scout. “Look at Teuvo
Teravainen a few years ago, and Elias Pet-
tersson last year. You would think they
were just starting high school, and you say
to yourself, how could they ever compete at
the NHL level being that skinny?”
Well...Teravainen led all players in his
draft class in NHL points this past season as
he finally reached physical maturity, and
Pettersson stepped into the SHL at 18 and
dominated as the league’s top scorer.
Ylonen is this year’s Pettersson in that re-
gard; perhaps 160 pounds soaking wet, and
a late birthday, some worry about him
being able to handle the physical nature of
the NHL any time soon.
He's a little behind physically, I guess,”
noted one North American scout who made
a special trip to scout him. “He's skilled and
he's a great skater; he just gets pushed
around because he’s so skinny.
“He’s not as skilled as Pettersson, but not
far off. He’s one of the better skaters in the
draft.. He skates better than Pettersson did
at the same age, just not quite as crafty.”
The other issue is a lack of views. As a
late birthday, Ylonen was too old to compete
in U-18 events, but also wasn’t physically
mature enough to play in U-20 events or
crack the Finnish Elite League, so North
American scouts saw him rarely, if at all,
this season.
“I never saw him,” said one scout. “I was
really impressed last year though. He was a
dominant player at the U-18’s last spring.
He’s got NHL skills all day long.”