Prospect Info: Eeli Tolvanen

[Kebs]

How are people feeling about his ceiling now?

I'm still holding out, the boost to the PP is nice but I'm hoping more 5 on 5 goals will start to come. His even strength goal came when TB was up 4 at the time. Teams going to start to take notice and start putting more pressure on his side knowing if you give him space he's going to rocket it. So, he's going to hit a wall soon and how he over comes it is going to define what kind of player he is. Life is good now.

 

[molotce]

I'm still holding out, the boost to the PP is nice but I'm hoping more 5 on 5 goals will start to come. His even strength goal came when TB was up 4 at the time. Teams going to start to take notice and start putting more pressure on his side knowing if you give him space he's going to rocket it. So, he's going to hit a wall soon and how he over comes it is going to define what kind of player he is. Life is good now.

What an other posted said is true though, on the otherside theres forsberg who you dont want to let shoot any more... so i think this unit can still work fine, tolvanen is able to playmake on the wall on this PP too ! Also i am happy he is able to help the team, be reliable. Its the recipee to find confidence and inprove 5v5 play at the same time! Time will tell, but its not like the preds have scored so much at EV anyways

 

[MrJoshua]

I'm cautiously optimistic. So far so good; now we'll see how he develops. I hope he keeps working on his skating and overall strength. I like his game and his shot is dynamite; if he can get a little harder to knock off the puck it'll make him even more effective.

 

[wadesworld]

Needs more finishing skill to hit 20. The PP goals have been great, but he’s had chances at 5-on-5 he just has to bury.

Craig Smith consistently got 20 and nobody would ever accuse him of having finishing skill. Tolvanen can finish a lot better than Craig Smith. The only thing that could stop him from getting 20 in an 82-game season would be effort or injury.

 

[Porter Stoutheart]

How are people feeling about his ceiling now?

It's hard to tell, since we haven't really had optimal line combinations that lasted for any time. I like Tolvanen's hustle and engagement so far, even if he hasn't really connected 5-on-5 yet, but if we ever do find a way to create a meaningful 2nd line that sticks, like Tolvanen-Duchene-Tomasino, I'm more optimistic than ever about Tolvanen doing just fine outside his PP shooter role.

If his ceiling is a 2nd line winger who snipes on 1st-unit PP, scoring 20-30 goals, that's pretty good. It might not be all that different than the "ceiling" we previously envisioned, but it sure looks a lot more hopeful that he can actually hit it, compared to the "wishful thinking" it was starting to look like even 6 months ago.

 

[Predsanddead24]

Maybe Mike Hoffman as a comparable for a ceiling? Although I think he could still be a bit more well rounded of a player than Hoffman if all goes right. One interesting thing looking at Tolvanen's stats is he has 26 hits in 16 games so he isn't afraid to play with a bit of physicality even if it isn't a strength.

 

[Flgatorguy87]

He's been impressively physical. I'll say the only area of his game that has me not optimistic is his speed. He is fast enough to play, but I do think it'll be something he needs to overcome. He does think the game very very well, so that can cover a lot of issues with foot speed. I think he can be as successful as his line mates. I think upside is our version of James Neal, with hopefully a better 2 way game. I am just waiting for him to catch a puck off a FO win and rip it in like Neal use to do.

 

[Porter Stoutheart]

Maybe Mike Hoffman as a comparable for a ceiling? Although I think he could still be a bit more well rounded of a player than Hoffman if all goes right. One interesting thing looking at Tolvanen's stats is he has 26 hits in 16 games so he isn't afraid to play with a bit of physicality even if it isn't a strength.

Absolutely agreed. He is TRYING, anyway. He is doing what he needs to do. Nobody is really scared about getting hit by Eeli Tolvanen, but at the same time, it's really nice and encouraging to see him make the effort anyway.

 

[Flgatorguy87]

Absolutely agreed. He is TRYING, anyway. He is doing what he needs to do. Nobody is really scared about getting hit by Eeli Tolvanen, but at the same time, it's really nice and encouraging to see him make the effort anyway.

I agree, he isn't head hunting, but I think his physical play on the boards is the more impressive part. I mean hits are great, but if you watch how often he wins a puck battle, keeps possession, or allows for maintained possession…that is what I have been most excited and impressed with. Power play is the epitome of all that for him. He has just been so good at being in the right spot. It's rare that the puck swings around the boards and he is in bad position so he isn't able to hold it in. He makes great reads without the puck to shift the defense and finds a hole/lane to make himself available. Just really advanced in his power play understanding. That shot is pretty good too.

 

[Porter Stoutheart]

I agree, he isn't head hunting, but I think his physical play on the boards is the more impressive part. I mean hits are great, but if you watch how often he wins a puck battle, keeps possession, or allows for maintained possession…that is what I have been most excited and impressed with. Power play is the epitome of all that for him. He has just been so good at being in the right spot. It's rare that the puck swings around the boards and he is in bad position so he isn't able to hold it in. He makes great reads without the puck to shift the defense and finds a hole/lane to make himself available. Just really advanced in his power play understanding. That shot is pretty good too.

Excellent post. This is really what is impressing me about Tolvanen. He seems to understand the game and where he needs to be on the ice.

 

[GoldOnGold]

 

[Legionnaire11]

I like it. On the ice and on the bench, it looks like he's always smiling and his teammates seems to enjoy having him there.

 

[David OSullivan]

Haven't watched any of the recent games but his doing well numbers wise. How's he doing overall lately. Is he continuing to improve? I see the post from mar 8 but that's ages ago in this covid season.

 

[Flgatorguy87]

I feel really good about where he is. He's got some developing to do, but you assume he will get stronger, he will continue to see the game better, and he will continue to improve on his 5v5 offensive numbers. I have noticed his passing/playmaking is starting to flash here and there. That's an area I hadn't really heard much discussion through his development time. I am interested to see if he improves more with the puck on his stick. To this point he's a very on his stick then off his stick type of player with the puck. That's not a bad thing with his shot, but I have noticed him try to carry/gain entry and he still get's pushed off the puck too easily at this stage. I think if he can improve that part of his game he will really round out even more of his game than he already has, but I am in no way downplaying how much he has already developed. He has certainly worked very hard, and I have no concerns that he will continue to push to round out his game.

If he is nothing more than a good 2 way player at 5v5 and PP sniper specialist, then I still think he a major asset to our team. We haven't had a player like him on the power play since Neal. He's already getting a lot of respect from teams PK, so as he develops his passing/play making he can further add value to our PP.

 

[Porter Stoutheart]

I would like to point out that today we are 18th in the league on the PP. Now, that might not seem soooo fantastic, but considering how we started out the season... I think a lot of the credit in that improvement does go to Tolvanen, and having a PP that can connect has helped us win some games too.

 

[David OSullivan]

Great stuff guys. Cheers for the update. Much appreciated.

Must catch a game soon. Just so damn late where I am from.

 

[nine_inch_fang]

I would like to point out that today we are 18th in the league on the PP. Now, that might not seem soooo fantastic, but considering how we started out the season... I think a lot of the credit in that improvement does go to Tolvanen, and having a PP that can connect has helped us win some games too.

Too build off of this thought. It's not just Tolvanen's shot that has been valuable on the PP. His understanding of how to unbalance the defense that leads to his movement on and off the puck, availability for passes, and ability to make clean passes has effected everything.

 

[Predsanddead24]

The Calder is still probably between Kaprizov and Robertson, but I wonder if Eeli might be able to play his way into being a finalist. He's currently 3rd in P/GP among rookies. Smith and Shesterkin are probably ahead of him now but I don't really see anyone else.

 

[jumb0]

The Calder is still probably between Kaprizov and Robertson, but I wonder if Eeli might be able to play his way into being a finalist. He's currently 3rd in P/GP among rookies. Smith and Shesterkin are probably ahead of him now but I don't really see anyone else.

Seems like it's Kaprizov's to lose with Robertson and Stutzle as the other finalists.

 

[Scoresberg]

The Calder is still probably between Kaprizov and Robertson, but I wonder if Eeli might be able to play his way into being a finalist. He's currently 3rd in P/GP among rookies. Smith and Shesterkin are probably ahead of him now but I don't really see anyone else.

Lankinen’s gonna be there especially if Chicago makes the playoffs.

 

[Zub]

I'm happy seeing him doing so well, didn't expect him to make such an impact, seems like u guys drafted a solid one

 

[nine_inch_fang]

Kid's a smoke show. He was handing out some serious hits tonight even a major reverse hit after making a dzone exit pass. Oh yeah, wound up on the scoresheet too.

 

[NoNecksCurse]

Kid's a smoke show. He was handing out some serious hits tonight even a major reverse hit after making a dzone exit pass. Oh yeah, wound up on the scoresheet too.

@desmondtootoo mocked me when i classified tolvanen as a physical skater. he might be our best forward at knowing when to lay the body on the forecheck.

 

[nine_inch_fang]

I was in on that convo.
Blah blah goon blah blah.

 

[NORiculous]

9 pts in his last 6 games... what a turn around.