Prospect Info: Aleksi Heponiemi (2017, #40 overall), Kärpät (Liiga)

[MintyFresh88]

Hepo and Swift Broncos go to WHL finals for first time in 25 years

Heponiemi vs. Bajkov?

 

[Jussi]

According to rumours at the biggest Finnish hockey site jatkoaika.com, Heponiemi is being shopped to Liiga clubs at around 150K euro salary request. But there's talk in Tampere that he's already signed a two year deal with a Liiga club. Accourding to the poster's source,the club was "the best choice from a sports and development viewpoint and that money was not the primary motivator".

 

[SoupyFIN]

According to rumours at the biggest Finnish hockey site jatkoaika.com, Heponiemi is being shopped to Liiga clubs at around 150K euro salary request. But there's talk in Tampere that he's already signed a two year deal with a Liiga club. Accourding to the poster's source,the club was "the best choice from a sports and development viewpoint and that money was not the primary motivator".

Does this poster/posters have a proven track record of breaking info, or is this the "I heard from a friend, who heard from a friend.." -type. I use jatkoaika very rarely, so I'm not really up to date on how their rules see rumours, as in can anyone just post whatever they want as a "rumour".

From a developmental view and which teams still have room (most teams had their 2018-19 rosters set months ago while the current season was still ongoing), the team in question is probably Kärpät.

 

[Jussi]

Does this poster/posters have a proven track record of breaking info, or is this the "I heard from a friend, who heard from a friend.." -type. I use jatkoaika very rarely, so I'm not really up to date on how their rules see rumours, as in can anyone just post whatever they want as a "rumour".

From a developmental view and which teams still have room (most teams had their 2018-19 rosters set months ago while the current season was still ongoing), the team in question is probably Kärpät.

I don't know because only registered users can search for posting history. But since it wasn't shot down by anyone yet and because Finland is a small place (e.g. back in the day, I heard Pasi Saarela going to Jokerit at my and his hometown R-kioski from a discussion by two guys) and there's history of transfers being out first at Jatkoaika, it's possibly true.

 

[letsgrowcactus]

If there is a two year Liiga deal (which would make sense for Hepo), I wonder if there will be an NHL out clause after one year?
I mean, even if Hepo shines right away an additional year oversees wouldn't be the end of the world; just curious.

 

[SoupyFIN]

I don't know because only registered users can search for posting history. But since it wasn't shot down by anyone yet and because Finland is a small place (e.g. back in the day, I heard Pasi Saarela going to Jokerit at my and his hometown R-kioski from a discussion by two guys) and there's history of transfers being out first at Jatkoaika, it's possibly true.

This doesn't necessarily mean it's true, since we can't establish whether jatkoaika has rules for posting insider information like HF has.

If there is a two year Liiga deal (which would make sense for Hepo), I wonder if there will be an NHL out clause after one year?
I mean, even if Hepo shines right away an additional year oversees wouldn't be the end of the world; just curious.

Liiga has a transfer agreement with the NHL, so that won't be a problem.

Another option (& more likely IMO) is that Hepo signs his ELC and we loan him overseas. First year of his ELC would slide in this case.

 

[kerrabria]

This doesn't necessarily mean it's true, since we can't establish whether jatkoaika has rules for posting insider information like HF has.

Liiga has a transfer agreement with the NHL, so that won't be a problem.

Another option (& more likely IMO) is that Hepo signs his ELC and we loan him overseas. First year of his ELC would slide in this case.

Only the first year would slide? So if they sign Heponiemi to an ELC and loan him then that must mean that they are planning on brining him to the AHL for 2019-20, right? How do you think that affects him with expansion? Shouldn't right? I wonder if they are going to do any planning for that. I mean if they sent him back to the WHL (which is the worst option) then he would come to the A that season anyway, but depending on when Seattle finalizes that could put him at risk. Wonder if this is on Tallon's mind with the two year loan rumor.

 

[SoupyFIN]

Only the first year would slide? So if they sign Heponiemi to an ELC and loan him then that must mean that they are planning on brining him to the AHL for 2019-20, right? How do you think that affects him with expansion? Shouldn't right? I wonder if they are going to do any planning for that. I mean if they sent him back to the WHL (which is the worst option) then he would come to the A that season anyway, but depending on when Seattle finalizes that could put him at risk. Wonder if this is on Tallon's mind with the two year loan rumor.

Not necessarily, Repo for example was under contract & on loan overseas this season. First year for Hepo (should he sign this offseason) would slide because he's under 20yo, that goes for all leagues as long as the player doesn't play over 9 NHL games that season. Hepo being drafted out of the CHL also means that we have to sign him by 2019, compared to the 4 years prospects drafted out of Euro leagues are under.

Expansion shouldn't be a problem because Hepo's ELC would run through 2021-22, Seattle expansion is expected to happen in 2020 or 2021. ELCs are exempt.

 

[jvr32]

Heponiemi also missed 15 games in the regular season.

 

[Ryuji Yamazaki]

I hope he pans out. Having another elite playmaker would be a huge load off Barkov

 

[SoupyFIN]

Watching the game, looks like their PP lives or dies on Hepo's stick. The other 4 guys are just kinda standing there and waiting for him to do something.

 

[Mogo]

Heponiemi also missed 15 games in the regular season.

Who's Conor Garland?

 

[jvr32]

Who's Conor Garland?

Arizona's prospect.

I have been watching Heponiemi awhile now, and he reminds me of Nikolaj Ehlers from the Winnipeg Jets. I hope next year Heponiemi is NHL ready like Ehlers was in his draft+2 year.

I wonder why Panthers haven't signed him yet. CHL eligible players playing in juniors with contracts are exempt from the 50 player contract limit. And Panthers are not even close to that limit either. They seem to procrastinate more than other teams in the NHL.

 

[FinlandPanther]

Arizona's prospect.

I have been watching Heponiemi awhile now, and he reminds me of Nikolaj Ehlers from the Winnipeg Jets. I hope next year Heponiemi is NHL ready like Ehlers was in his draft+2 year.

I wonder why Panthers haven't signed him yet. CHL eligible players playing in juniors with contracts are exempt from the 50 player contract limit. And Panthers are not even close to that limit either. They seem to procrastinate more than other teams in the NHL.

Yeah an NHL team is procrastinating. Solid analysis.

 

[jvr32]

Yeah an NHL team is procrastinating. Solid analysis.

Argument from authority - Wikipedia

Yeah procrastinating, not playing hardball early enough, whatever.

Heponiemi was drafted from the WHL team Swift Current Broncos from the CHL who held his rights at the time of the draft. Therefore because of the transfer agreement between the NHL and the CHL, among many other things, the drafting team holds rights to sign the player for two years. So it means in Heponiemi's case that his rights expire in June 1st 2019. Let's compare him to signed CHL players from other teams from the 2017 draft where rights expire at the exact same date. Here's the info:

From the first round, everyone is signed except for Chicago's 29th pick Jokiharju. All of the signed first round picks were signed in 2017.
2nd Round #32 Colorado - Conor Timmins SIGNED March 2 2018
2nd Round #33 Vancouver - Kole Lind - SIGNED March 1 2018
2nd Round #34 Vegas - Nicolas Hague - SIGNED September 29 2017
2nd Round #35 Philadelphia - Isaac Ratcliffe - SIGNED August 3 2017
2nd Round #39 Dallas - Jason Robertson - SIGNED May 3 2018
#40 Heponiemi
2nd Round #41 Los Angeles - Jaret Anderson-Dolan - SIGNED September 25 2017
2nd Round #47 Ottawa - Alex Formenton - SIGNED October 2 2017
2nd Round #50 Anaheim - Maxime Comtois - SIGNED March 3 2018
2nd Round #52 Boston - Jack Studnicka - SIGNED September 27 2017
2nd Round #55 Vancouver - Jonah Gadjovic - SIGNED October 16 2017
3rd Round #67 Carolina - Morgan Geekie - SIGNED May 9 2018
3rd Round #72 Los Angeles - Matt Villalta - SIGNED April 27 2018
3rd Round #78 Edmonton - Stuart Skinner - SIGNED May 14 2018
3rd Round #84 Edmonton - Dmitri Samorukov - SIGNED September 7 2017
3rd Round #85 Minnesota - Ivan Lodnia - SIGNED December 11 2017
4th Round #97 Minnesota - Mason Shaw - SIGNED April 27 2018
4th Round #106 Philadelphia - Matthew Strome - SIGNED March 15 2018
4th Round #107 Philadelphia - Maksim Sushko - SIGNED March 12 2018
4th Round #115 Edmonton - Ostap Safin - SIGNED March 6 2018
4th Round #121 Ottawa - Drake Batherson - SIGNED October 3 2017
5th Round #128 Arizona - Tyler Steenbergen - SIGNED March 6 2018
5th Round #143 New Jersey - Marian Studenic - SIGNED April 2 2018
5th Round #146 Edmonton - Kirill Maksimov - SIGNED March 15 2018
6th Round #185 San Jose - Alexander Chmelevski - SIGNED April 3 2018
7th Round #212 San Jose - Ivan Chekhovich - SIGNED April 20 2018

And the Panthers took until this spring to play hardball with 2016 pick Mascherin to know that he doesn't want to sign here. His value is down now and Panthers have hands tied with him. Also this spring they signed Ang and Stillman, just months before their rights were going to expire. Really this issue should be only a case of if the player is thought to be good enough. If they don't sign Heponiemi soon after his Memorial Cup is over then alarm bells are ringing.

 

[KW]

^ The above list is very damning evidence against the Panthers.

 

[RainingRats]

When they sign the players, do they get a cash bonus on signing? Anyone know? If so, maybe it's related to that and maybe Tallon plans on trading him so no need to sign him and pay out a bonus.

With the list of guys above getting signed, I can't say it looks good that we haven't signed him.

 

[letsgrowcactus]

A lot of those guys above were signed this March-May and Hepo is one of the very few whose season is still ongoing. It makes some sense to leave the negotiations until the Memorial cup is over.

That said, we could have easily done it in say December when he was already producing huge numbers and the playoffs weren't an issue. We do have a worrisome tendency to procrastinate on these signings...

 

[Jean Luc Discard]

We do have a worrisome tendency to procrastinate on these signings...

You're not by chance insinuating that Dale isn't on top of things?

 

[Brokin]

When they sign the players, do they get a cash bonus on signing? Anyone know? If so, maybe it's related to that and maybe Tallon plans on trading him so no need to sign him and pay out a bonus.

With the list of guys above getting signed, I can't say it looks good that we haven't signed him.

One of the few things I'm not an expert on.

I think they are entitled to collect their one time signing bonus of 10% of lets use 925K or 92K as long as it won't affect their amateur status. That's not a problem with CHL juniors. NCAA guys can't do that. Not sure about the Euros.

 

[letsgrowcactus]

You're not by chance insinuating that Dale isn't on top of things?

I'm not insinuating anything - just saying we have a bad history of not signing good/decent players that we drafted.
Mascherin is just the most recent example and one that's as much on "analytic guys" as it is on Tallon. If we signed him in, say, December 2016 (when he was already having a strong season), we wouldn't be losing him now. It's not like we don't have the contract spots.

Hepo could become a star. We still have plenty of time, but we can't afford to lose him.

 

[letsgrowcactus]

One of the few things I'm not an expert on.

I think they are entitled to collect their one time signing bonus of 10% of lets use 925K or 92K as long as it won't affect their amateur status. That's not a problem with CHL juniors. NCAA guys can't do that. Not sure about the Euros.

ELC INFO
The signing bonus can't exceed $92,500; all other bonuses are performance-based, meaning player needs to be in the NHL for them. And yes, the signing bonus is paid regardless of contract sliding - however, if we're so worried about Hepo possibly collecting less than 100k that we'd delay signing him, then this organisation really has some MAJOR problems.

 

[FinlandPanther]

Argument from authority - Wikipedia

Yeah procrastinating, not playing hardball early enough, whatever.

Heponiemi was drafted from the WHL team Swift Current Broncos from the CHL who held his rights at the time of the draft. Therefore because of the transfer agreement between the NHL and the CHL, among many other things, the drafting team holds rights to sign the player for two years. So it means in Heponiemi's case that his rights expire in June 1st 2019. Let's compare him to signed CHL players from other teams from the 2017 draft where rights expire at the exact same date. Here's the info:

From the first round, everyone is signed except for Chicago's 29th pick Jokiharju. All of the signed first round picks were signed in 2017.
2nd Round #32 Colorado - Conor Timmins SIGNED March 2 2018
2nd Round #33 Vancouver - Kole Lind - SIGNED March 1 2018
2nd Round #34 Vegas - Nicolas Hague - SIGNED September 29 2017
2nd Round #35 Philadelphia - Isaac Ratcliffe - SIGNED August 3 2017
2nd Round #39 Dallas - Jason Robertson - SIGNED May 3 2018
#40 Heponiemi
2nd Round #41 Los Angeles - Jaret Anderson-Dolan - SIGNED September 25 2017
2nd Round #47 Ottawa - Alex Formenton - SIGNED October 2 2017
2nd Round #50 Anaheim - Maxime Comtois - SIGNED March 3 2018
2nd Round #52 Boston - Jack Studnicka - SIGNED September 27 2017
2nd Round #55 Vancouver - Jonah Gadjovic - SIGNED October 16 2017
3rd Round #67 Carolina - Morgan Geekie - SIGNED May 9 2018
3rd Round #72 Los Angeles - Matt Villalta - SIGNED April 27 2018
3rd Round #78 Edmonton - Stuart Skinner - SIGNED May 14 2018
3rd Round #84 Edmonton - Dmitri Samorukov - SIGNED September 7 2017
3rd Round #85 Minnesota - Ivan Lodnia - SIGNED December 11 2017
4th Round #97 Minnesota - Mason Shaw - SIGNED April 27 2018
4th Round #106 Philadelphia - Matthew Strome - SIGNED March 15 2018
4th Round #107 Philadelphia - Maksim Sushko - SIGNED March 12 2018
4th Round #115 Edmonton - Ostap Safin - SIGNED March 6 2018
4th Round #121 Ottawa - Drake Batherson - SIGNED October 3 2017
5th Round #128 Arizona - Tyler Steenbergen - SIGNED March 6 2018
5th Round #143 New Jersey - Marian Studenic - SIGNED April 2 2018
5th Round #146 Edmonton - Kirill Maksimov - SIGNED March 15 2018
6th Round #185 San Jose - Alexander Chmelevski - SIGNED April 3 2018
7th Round #212 San Jose - Ivan Chekhovich - SIGNED April 20 2018

And the Panthers took until this spring to play hardball with 2016 pick Mascherin to know that he doesn't want to sign here. His value is down now and Panthers have hands tied with him. Also this spring they signed Ang and Stillman, just months before their rights were going to expire. Really this issue should be only a case of if the player is thought to be good enough. If they don't sign Heponiemi soon after his Memorial Cup is over then alarm bells are ringing.

Maybe we let him focus on winning a championship before talking a contract. Your list shows no evidence whatsoever the the panthers are lazy. Other picks haven’t been signed either lol.

 

[Jakeybonz]

Maybe we let him focus on winning a championship before talking a contract. Your list shows no evidence whatsoever the the panthers are lazy. Other picks haven’t been signed either lol.

why would we need to wait for him to win a championship when he clearly mentioned we couldve signed him in december? his numbers more than justified an ELC obviously. and its not an entirely weird insinuation to make given what just occured with masch and whats happened in the past. plus that list did show that most picks were signed. he didnt say all. there is clearly a problem for the panthers with signing prospects. they were so terrified of losing borg, they signed him near seasons end and burned a year of his ELC plus likely exposed him in the seattle expansion draft. that is not the mark of a confident org. and if u think it was to help us make the playoffs, thats literally laughable since we did almost nothing last offseason or at the TDL to that effect. so....yea why havent we signed hepo?

 

[FinlandPanther]

why would we need to wait for him to win a championship when he clearly mentioned we couldve signed him in december? his numbers more than justified an ELC obviously. and its not an entirely weird insinuation to make given what just occured with masch and whats happened in the past. plus that list did show that most picks were signed. he didnt say all. there is clearly a problem for the panthers with signing prospects. they were so terrified of losing borg, they signed him near seasons end and burned a year of his ELC plus likely exposed him in the seattle expansion draft. that is not the mark of a confident org. and if u think it was to help us make the playoffs, thats literally laughable since we did almost nothing last offseason or at the TDL to that effect. so....yea why havent we signed hepo?

As long as he signs a contract with us, which he will. It doesn’t matter when we sign him in my opinion. For Borg I was on the fence. Yes it would be nice to not expose him to the expansion draft but those 4 games will be very valuable for him this offseason. I don’t reslly worry about our Finns who are also better prospects than Mascherin by a long shot. They are loyal. Teams lose prospects. It happens.