LW Sebastian Aho (2015, 35th, CAR)

[FinPanda]

He deserves his own thread.

He did his first Liiga goal in his 4th Liiga game. He might be 1st or at least 2nd or 3rd rounder.

Last year with Kärpät U20 team he did 28+32 in 44 games.

I don't know very much about him but here is the thread.

http://www.eliteprospects.com/player.php?player=152111

Click to read more...

 

[JJTT]

Ehh, he isn't anything special. Good junior player but I think his size and lack off high end offensive talent are going to hold him back. 3rd rounder at most. Reminds me a lot of Janne Pesonen and I think he will have a similar career.

edit Or not

 

[wings5]

Ehh, he isn't anything special. Good junior player but I think his size and lack off high end offensive talent are going to hold him back. 3rd rounder at most. Reminds me a lot of Janne Pesonen and I think he will have a similar career.

Lack of offensive talent? I know stats aren't everything but am I missing something? He put up really good stats last year in the u20 league as a 16 year old and has played really well in the men's league. Plus he's only 17 and will likely still grow a few cm, not that he's a midget right now. Plus, Pesonen is a pretty damn good offensive player he was just too soft to play in the NHL.

 

[FinProspects]

Markus Granlund-level talent IMO, maybe a tad better.Could go in 3-4 round. In the mold of usual Finnish prospects, very skilled but undersized. Good player.

 

[Erikfromfin]

Somehow reminds me of Juuso Ikonen, good at young age putting up nice points but... dont know how his game would work in NHL.

 

[fr9dd9]

I watched the game against hifk and I have to say I kinda got that "this player is special" feeling.. but could be wrong!

 

[ChiGuySez]

THW has him currently ranked 34.

 

[BusQuets]

He feels to me the kind of player who is in the right place in the right time. Very curious to see what kind of player he ends up. Should be 1st round caliber. I like him much more than Lehkonen for example.

 

[ChiGuySez]

Posted excellent numbers with Kärpät U20 last year. Looking to hear more about his skills and skating ability.

 

[timlap]

Watched him against Sweden at the 5-Nations U18 tournament a couple of weeks ago. He looked to be Finland's most active/busy forward. Kind of a straw-that-stirs-the-drink guy for Finland. He's small but played aggressively- not necessarily physically, but always involving himself in the play and making things happen. Scored a tap-in goal on a wide open net. Seemed to be double-shifted on the power play.

I was always wanting to see Nattinen do things, but instead I kept seeing Aho.

I'll keep watching his career with interest as I have soft spot for small Finnish guys who play with lots of energy and heart. Not sure how well that describes him, but that's what I observed in this game.

 

[dropdeadjoey]

Watched him against Sweden at the 5-Nations U18 tournament a couple of weeks ago. He looked to be Finland's most active/busy forward. Kind of a straw-that-stirs-the-drink guy for Finland. He's small but played aggressively- not necessarily physically, but always involving himself in the play and making things happen. Scored a tap-in goal on a wide open net. Seemed to be double-shifted on the power play.

I was always wanting to see Nattinen do things, but instead I kept seeing Aho.

I'll keep watching his career with interest as I have soft spot for small Finnish guys who play with lots of energy and heart. Not sure how well that describes him, but that's what I observed in this game.

Who would you say a good comparison player would be? By the sounds of it, depending on his two way game, a Komarov light?

 

[timlap]

Who would you say a good comparison player would be? By the sounds of it, depending on his two way game, a Komarov light?

Not as physical or feisty as Komarov by a longshot, but not many prospects are. However, he's quite bit more offensively talented than Komarov appeared to be in his draft year. Different kind of player really, but could project to have a solid 200 foot 2-way game I would imagine.

 

[Ihmeilja]

Reminds me a lot of Janne Pesonen and I think he will have a similar career.

Although Aho is a much better player at young age, than Pesonen was.

Based on the performance at WJC, Aho is aggressive and hard working two-way forward. Is a decent to good skater and has a good wrist shot. Doesn't have special puckhandling skills. Hands and passing are decent.

 

[Esko6]

Aho just scored in the 2nd OT in game 7 of the Finnish league finals. He was pretty good during the playoffs in a men's league, I think he is a bit underrated.

 

[No1Joker]

Congratulations to the kid for scoring once in a lifetime goal.

Ending intense Liiga (Finnish Elite League) season in game 7 of the finals and 2nd overtime on a breakaway in front of sold out home crowd and beginning the championship celebration as a 17 year old.

 

[DuckJazz]

You think the bouncers gonna overlook him being underage tonight? haha

 

[FinnBruin]

OT goal to win the league:

 

[JJTT]

Going to U18 final tomorrow

http://www.iltalehti.fi/jaakiekko/2015042519581880_jk.shtml

 

[myrsky]

Floor: Janne Pesonen

Ceiling: Ville Peltonen

 

[ChicagoBullsFan]

I'll keep eye on this kid next season.
He's 2nd generation hockey player.

His father Harri Aho is former pro hockey player in liiga.
Also other fact is Sebastian's father Harri is a GM of Oulun Kärpät FEL team.

If Sebastian Aho wants to play in NHL someday, he must improve a lot his physical play.
I don't know how high Sebastian will get drafted but. i think he's somewhere end of 2nd round or earlier in 3rd round.

 

[ChicagoBullsFan]

Floor: Janne Pesonen

Ceiling: Ville Peltonen

Sebastian Aho is very promising player.
But i won't compare him to Ville Peltonen not yet.

Peltonen is a icon in Finnish hockey and he's been one the greatest captains in team Finland.
So it's not right to compare a legendary former national team captain and 17 yrs old draft prospect

If we must to compare Sebastian Aho and some other Finnish hockey player.
Let's compare Sebastian Aho and Kasperi Kapanen.

Of course Kasperi is a year older than Sebastian.
But as a players they are similar, both are wingers and well skilled future NHL players

 

[myrsky]

If Sebastian Aho wants to play in NHL someday, he must improve a lot his physical play.

I agree, he needs to bulk up a lot, but that also makes him a perfect prospect from my point of view because I don't have to worry about him leaving Kärpät for the NHL anytime soon.

Peltonen is a icon in Finnish hockey and he's been one the greatest captains in team Finland.
So it's not right to compare a legendary former national team captain and 17 yrs old draft prospect

Aho may not be a natural leader like Peltonen but otherwise I see a lot of similarities in their game.

If we must to compare Sebastian Aho and some other Finnish hockey player.
Let's compare Sebastian Aho and Kasperi Kapanen.

Kapanen is more of an artist, whereas Aho is a hard-working all-around player.

 

[TheOllieC]

Hard to find anything about him really. Seems to have produced well for a younger guy playing against men.

 

[APVJ]

Feels like Collberg 2.0

 

[myrsky]

Feels like Collberg 2.0

Really? You mean Sebastian "I've never cracked 10 points in the SHL" Collberg?

Of course, there's no guarantee Aho will make it in the NHL, but at the very least, he will become a player that tops the scoring charts in Europe year in, year out. And for that reason only, Collberg is not a good comparison.