Passing judgement on the top Finnish draftees

[Pekka Lampinen]

The HF Draft Center should be up soon and with it these guys' profiles. Here's some stuff that couldn't be included there as it's based on gut feeling.

Lauri Tukonen treads in the ominous shadow of Jani Rita. If his offense doesn't improve properly over the next two seasons, it's time to panic. Fortunately, it's far more likely that he'll put up points, then some more points, and then waltz over to North America to put up points in the NHL, eventually up to about 60-70.

I'm very high on Petteri Nokelainen's two-way play. I predict that he'll be a regular on Finland's NHL-players-included national teams starting from 2008 all the way to the 2020's.

I'm having a hard time picturing what Sami Lepistö will be like as a player if he pans out well. The worst-case scenario is that his overly confident high-risk style of play (which helps his development a lot at this point) is not just a phase.

Lauri Korpikoski will be drafted in the hopes that he'll become an offensive NHL forward. At the moment Finland has only six of such rarities and it's hard to imagine him in such an exclusive group. At some point we'll be wishing he were more talented, but what that point is remains a mystery.

Miikka Tuomainen will run out of talent before he gets even one step away from the NHL.

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[Hunter Gathers]

I've never been high on Tukonen. Ever.

 

[A Good Flying Bird*]

I've never been high on Tukonen. Ever.

Me neither.
Though I must admit that I have been high on marijuana.

 

[DJ Spinoza]

Well, I'm pretty high on Tukonen, and I'm looking for the Pens to land at least one of, preferably both, Korpikoski and Nokelainen.

 

[TK79]

I've never been high on Tukonen. Ever.

And you've probably never seen him play either, so you don't know what you're talking about. Anyone who has can say he's easily more skilled than Jani Rita.

Lauri Korpikoski seems to be an really intriguing guy, but i'll pass judgement until I see with my own eyes. But he can't be too bad if he led the U18 Worlds in scoring.

 

[Karamazov]

And you've probably never seen him play either, so you don't know what you're talking about. Anyone who has can say he's easily more skilled than Jani Rita.

I don't think it's that easy to knock Rita. Back when I saw him play in the WJC's he seemed to have fantastic potential, and even now I'm not even close to writing him off. That being said, I think the 60-70 pt projection is a reasonable one...

 

[Pekka Lampinen]

It is interesting to see people (although just two) come out and announce their skepticism towards a player now that somebody merely hinted at a, say, 1/3 chance of bustdom, instead of when he was discussed and praised earlier. After all, only the equals of Ovechkin and Malkin can be expected to be safer picks, but still it is as if that were a notable letdown. My point being that downsides are, albeit acknowledged, generally too ignored.