Forgotten prospect Hakanpaa

[Renard]

Many Blues fans are still interested in acquiring a big, hard hitting defenseman.

That got me to thinking about Jani Hakanpaa. He has been overtaken (at least in discussions ) by other defensemen in the Blues system. But he is the biggest defenseman listed at 6'5", 218 pounds (slightly bigger than Parayko). I think he is a big hitter. He has appeared in 25 games for the Wolves, and is a plus player (at +3).

Is he a prospect in name only now, or is he still in the mix?

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[ManyIdeas]

We're still looking forward to him, but Lindbohm has been a huge surprise and it looks like Parayko is trending upward, not to mention the pmd we have.

Gonna be tough to crack the lineup soon, although there are always surprises.

 

[tfriede2]

Many Blues fans are still interested in acquiring a big, hard hitting defenseman.

That got me to thinking about Jani Hakanpaa. He has been overtaken (at least in discussions ) by other defensemen in the Blues system. But he is the biggest defenseman listed at 6'5", 218 pounds (slightly bigger than Parayko). I think he is a big hitter. He has appeared in 25 games for the Wolves, and is a plus player (at +3).

Is he a prospect in name only now, or is he still in the mix?

Small correction - Parayko recently stated in an article that he is closer to 6'6 than 6'5, and his most recently updated weight before the start of the season was 225.

As for Hakanpaa, he is still in the mix, but based on what I have read, he needs to improve his skating if he is ever going to make it in thee NHL. It can be done, but another big guy in Ponich couldn't do it, so it's not a sure thing.

 

[STL fan in MN]

As of now, I see Hakanpaa as a bit of a long shot prospect at this point. He's huge but he's still struggling with the speed of the game at the AHL level so that means he's still quite away from being good enough for the NHL. His skating is ok but it's a bit of a weakness. His main attribute holding him back IMO is his hockey sense/ability to keep up with the speed of the game.

 

[Renard]

I just saw the HF article about the Blues' prospects at Chicago. The author of this article has the very un-hockey sounding name of Suraj Sukumar. He says that Hakanpaa has been physical and impressive this year for the Wolves.

 

[ChicagoBlues]

Xenophobia aside, Sukumar has the unenviable task of living up to St. Louisans' high expectations. Hakanpaa has not looked all that good this season. He has not taken a step forward.

 

[Vincenzo Arelliti]

Xenophobia aside, Sukumar has the unenviable task of living up to St. Louisans' high expectations. Hakanpaa has not looked all that good this season. He has not taken a step forward.

True.

 

[Renard]

True.

So you think that the name "Suraj Sukumar" is well known in hockey circles?

The forces of political correctness have permeated even the world of the hockey forum. I am not permitted to notice that anyone has a non-European name.

Did I disparage the man? (I assume "Suraj" is a name normally given to a man.)

 

[542365]

I was really hoping for better reports on Hakanpaa. He's a physical specimen, but there's a lot more to being a good hockey player. I'm still being patient though. Dmen have historically taken longer to develop, as have bigger guys so he has two traits of a late bloomer working in his favor. Thankfully we don't need him any time soon, but it would be nice if he panned out.

 

[Vincenzo Arelliti]

So you think that the name "Suraj Sukumar" is well known in hockey circles?

The forces of political correctness have permeated even the world of the hockey forum. I am not permitted to notice that anyone has a non-European name.

Did I disparage the man? (I assume "Suraj" is a name normally given to a man.)

My mistake. I (and seemingly someone else) just thought that you were trying to imply something, since you seemed to have brought that up from nowhere (unless of course bringing up his name WAS within the context of what you were talking about; my point still stands). "Well known in hockey circles". It sounds like you're trying to discredit him based on his dissimilar name and your own ignorance of who he is and what he does.

"Political Correctness"? Who's vote am I trying to win? What does that even mean? Should we also put an asterisk by Wayne Simmonds's, P.K. Subban's, and Dustin Byfuglien's names, because, hey, these guys aren't traditionally of 'races' that play hockey? It's the same idea.

What was the point of even bringing that up? You do know this is the internet, right? What did you expect? An overwhelming agreement to "just let that one slide?"


ANYWAY, we're really stockpiling a lot of defensemen, and with Parayko, Vanelli, and Schmaltz doing so well, I could easily see Hakanpaa being shipped out in a package to grab some picks or pick up a rental.

It's sad because I've been really hoping for him to find his game and be apart of a new core of big defensemen for our bottom pair. Hopefully he gets that chance on another team (just not in the West, please and thank you).

 

[execwrite]

The Ponich comparison is probably a fair one. Ponich proved in two seasons that he probably isn't going to make the NHL although his knee problems may have been a factor.

Have to hope that Hakanpaa keeps at it - there is no hurry as long as the Blues see potential, he can take as long as he needs in Chicago.

His size would be a huge asset.

 

[ChicagoBlues]

I was really hoping for better reports on Hakanpaa. He's a physical specimen, but there's a lot more to being a good hockey player. I'm still being patient though. Dmen have historically taken longer to develop, as have bigger guys so he has two traits of a late bloomer working in his favor. Thankfully we don't need him any time soon, but it would be nice if he panned out.

At this point, the Blues have a huge black hole on the "defensemen development depth chart" and this could have major implications on the salary cap and roster if Army has to dip into free agency in order to fill voids on defense.

The most recent defenseman developed in-house is Ian Cole and before that I guess Polak. Shields kind of came outta nowhere last season while the organization's expectations for him were, seemingly, not very high, but he has come back down to Earth.

We really needed one of Hakanpaa or Edmundson to step up and get better. Between the two, Edmundson progressed the most over the course of last season, but this season is practically lost in terms of development. There is still time, but the Blues are at least one full season behind the development schedule.

Maybe Army and his staff will get lucky and find an NHL-ready gem coming out of college or something like that. It's rare, but it happens and the Blues might need some magic like that in the next few years.

My mistake. I (and seemingly someone else) just thought that you were trying to imply something, since you seemed to have brought that up from nowhere (unless of course bringing up his name WAS within the context of what you were talking about; my point still stands).

No "seemingly" going on here. Free speech is multi-directional.

 

[STL fan in MN]

I would say Hakanpaa is a decent step above Ponich. Hakanpaa is no super prospect but Ponich was borderline AHL caliber. Hakanpaa needs to improve his mobility but Ponich's lateral mobility was way below par.

 

[ChicagoBlues]

I would say Hakanpaa is a decent step above Ponich. Hakanpaa is no super prospect but Ponich was borderline AHL caliber. Hakanpaa needs to improve his mobility but Ponich's lateral mobility was way below par.

Yep. Ponich's north-south skating actually was not as bad as we all thought, but he was not very agile (lateral skating issues). Hakanpaa is still a lumbering skater and very slow to get back to his own zone. In fact, collectively, Wolves defensemen are slow getting back. But Joni is not very noticeable.

Edmundson was at least noticeable last season.

 

[2 Minute Minor]

So you think that the name "Suraj Sukumar" is well known in hockey circles?

The forces of political correctness have permeated even the world of the hockey forum. I am not permitted to notice that anyone has a non-European name.

Did I disparage the man? (I assume "Suraj" is a name normally given to a man.)

I thought it was an interesting observation. Is that an Indian name? I can't really think of any Indian hockey players or media that I've heard of before.

 

[ChicagoBlues]

Here is an interesting article about hockey players of South Asian descent. link

 

[STL fan in MN]

Yep. Ponich's north-south skating actually was not as bad as we all thought, but he was not very agile (lateral skating issues). Hakanpaa is still a lumbering skater and very slow to get back to his own zone. In fact, collectively, Wolves defensemen are slow getting back. But Joni is not very noticeable.

Edmundson was at least noticeable last season.

Speaking of Edmundson, does anyone have any idea when he might return to action? How did he get hurt again? Something in camp or the Traverse City Tourney? I had him a notch above Hakanpaa but he can't develop if he's not playing.

 

[STL fan in MN]

Regarding the current Blues writer for HF, Suraj Sukumar, I don't think he should at all be judged based on his name or ethnicity. That said, I can't really say I've ever been all too impressed with anything he's written. It's hard for me to take a guy seriously when he ranks our prospects as follows:

1. Barbashev
2. Binnington
3. Allen
4. Rattie
5. Fabbri
6. Schmaltz
7. Vannelli
8. Letunov
9. Jaskin
10. Parayko

 

[542365]

Regarding the current Blues writer for HF, Suraj Sukumar, I don't think he should at all be judged based on his name or ethnicity. That said, I can't really say I've ever been all too impressed with anything he's written. It's hard for me to take a guy seriously when he ranks our prospects as follows:

1. Barbashev
2. Binnington
3. Allen
4. Rattie
5. Fabbri
6. Schmaltz
7. Vannelli
8. Letunov
9. Jaskin
10. Parayko

Yeah...I mean, it's nice to see them from someone else's perspective, rather than basing it solely on draft position, but it's hard to justify many of those choices.

 

[ChicagoBlues]

I also agree that Sukumar does not seem to be very knowledgeable of the Blues and their prospects.

I have no clue what Edmundson's status is.

 

[Frenzy31]

Many Blues fans are still interested in acquiring a big, hard hitting defenseman.

That got me to thinking about Jani Hakanpaa. He has been overtaken (at least in discussions ) by other defensemen in the Blues system. But he is the biggest defenseman listed at 6'5", 218 pounds (slightly bigger than Parayko). I think he is a big hitter. He has appeared in 25 games for the Wolves, and is a plus player (at +3).

Is he a prospect in name only now, or is he still in the mix?

Honestly, I will think he is a prospect in name only at this point. He has been passed on the depth chart by Lindbohm.

We have 3 big prospects coming into the AHL next year. All RH and all puck movers. Likely all will blow past Hakanpaa. Schmaltz is likely the best of the bunch and almost at a point per game pace which is pretty flipping great for college. There is a thread about CP.

The true forgotten Dman is Vannelli. He was very solid in the prospect tourney - d zone play was much better. I would go further - based on Stats (+/-). He is well ahead of where he was last year. +/- is a difficult stat to compare players, but I think within a team and also looking at a player year to year it is important.

Last year despite his impressive stats, he was a +4. This year, he is a plus 19. Only 2 goals off his total from last year and will surpass his offensive totals if he keeps it up by a decent amount.

 

[MissouriMook]

The true forgotten Dman is Vannelli. He was very solid in the prospect tourney - d zone play was much better. I would go further - based on Stats (+/-). He is well ahead of where he was last year. +/- is a difficult stat to compare players, but I think within a team and also looking at a player year to year it is important.

Last year despite his impressive stats, he was a +4. This year, he is a plus 19. Only 2 goals off his total from last year and will surpass his offensive totals if he keeps it up by a decent amount.

I've only been able to watch parts of 2 Medicine Hat games this year, but based on that little bit of data and quite a few updates from trusted posters it appears he is still not physically prepared for the pro game so I suspect he spends another year in the CHL. Had he stayed in the NCAA he probably would have developed better physically, but perhaps not as much with his offensive tools given the situations he is playing in now.

 

[taylord22]

Speaking of Edmundson, does anyone have any idea when he might return to action? How did he get hurt again? Something in camp or the Traverse City Tourney? I had him a notch above Hakanpaa but he can't develop if he's not playing.

Ruptured disc was the early word.

 

[Renard]

The only news I have seen about Hakanpaa was a clip of him in a fight after he administered a hard hit on another player. Hakanpaa reminded me of Roman Polak in the fight, which is not a good thing.

If you are going to be a hard hitting defenseman, you've have to expect to be challenged now and then. You don't have to win, but you have to be able to defend yourself.

But I only saw the one fight. Everone has a bad day now and then.

 

[Renard]

Honestly, I will think he is a prospect in name only at this point. He has been passed on the depth chart by Lindbohm.

We have 3 big prospects coming into the AHL next year. All RH and all puck movers. Likely all will blow past Hakanpaa. Schmaltz is likely the best of the bunch and almost at a point per game pace which is pretty flipping great for college. There is a thread about CP.

The true forgotten Dman is Vannelli. He was very solid in the prospect tourney - d zone play was much better. I would go further - based on Stats (+/-). He is well ahead of where he was last year. +/- is a difficult stat to compare players, but I think within a team and also looking at a player year to year it is important.

Last year despite his impressive stats, he was a +4. This year, he is a plus 19. Only 2 goals off his total from last year and will surpass his offensive totals if he keeps it up by a decent amount.

Vannelli is still very slender. He needs to take advantage of some of those miracle body building "secrets" that keep appearing in advertisements on the Yahoo home page.