RW Eeli Tolvanen - Jokerit, KHL (2017, 30th, NSH)

[ijuka]

Koskinen is a good goalie. Won't be easy. I think he's better than most NHL goalies honestly.

He is. He even had an NHL offer, but refused.

 

[Kshahdoo]

I hope, they will play Shesterkin. Who is probably even better, than Koskinen.

 

[SauceMyBiscuit]

Gusev's slapper is easily better. But it looks like Tolvanen doesn't use slappers a lot. Another similarity to Tarasenko.

His one-timer is actually pretty deadly when it's used.

 

[Finnished]

Viasat's sport channels are free this weekend so everyone in Finland (cable at least) can watch SKA-Jokerit for free.

 

[nomorekids]

It's a very interesting game. SKA is easily NHL level as a team and as such, this is going to be very interesting for the future. The roster is significantly stronger than those of the lower echelon NHL teams. If Eeli is able to play a good game against a team like this, that's certainly going to bode well when thinking about his future NHL career.

Let's not get carried away. Datsyuk and Kovalchuk not withstanding, from top to bottom the team doesn't stack up against even the weakest NHL team. When Sergei Shirokov, who couldn't even make a mark at the AHL level, is one of your best players -- that's telling.

 

[Fantomas]

Let's not get carried away. Datsyuk and Kovalchuk not withstanding, from top to bottom the team doesn't stack up against even the weakest NHL team. When Sergei Shirokov, who couldn't even make a mark at the AHL level, is one of your best players -- that's telling.

Shirokov was just fine at the AHL level.

 

[ijuka]

Let's not get carried away. Datsyuk and Kovalchuk not withstanding, from top to bottom the team doesn't stack up against even the weakest NHL team. When Sergei Shirokov, who couldn't even make a mark at the AHL level, is one of your best players -- that's telling.

Voynov, Kovalchuk, Datsyuk and you can probably pretend that Gusev is relatively good at the game as well. I also think you might underestimate the depth guys due to unfamiliarity.

 

[Ippenator]

Let's not get carried away. Datsyuk and Kovalchuk not withstanding, from top to bottom the team doesn't stack up against even the weakest NHL team. When Sergei Shirokov, who couldn't even make a mark at the AHL level, is one of your best players -- that's telling.

I wouldn't really call Shirokov one of the best players in SKA. He is an ok player for them, but not one of the best.

 

[Pavel Buchnevich]

Koskinen is decent, but his lateral movement is so bad. Even worse than Bishop's. If you make quick passes that make him move side to side, you'll score, he can't get over in time to cover the shots.

 

[ThirdManIn]

I have a relatively poor feed (casting it to my television as well) so maybe I'm wrong here, but on his last shift it looked like Eeli was playing deep, I assume to cover for a pinching defender. I was a bit distracted and missed how things happened.

Anyway, my question to those of you who have seen him more than more is this: what is his defensive awareness? Is he good about rotating out to cover for a pinching defender?

 

[ijuka]

I have a relatively poor feed (casting it to my television as well) so maybe I'm wrong here, but on his last shift it looked like Eeli was playing deep, I assume to cover for a pinching defender. I was a bit distracted and missed how things happened.

Anyway, my question to those of you who have seen him more than more is this: what is his defensive awareness? Is he good about rotating out to cover for a pinching defender?

I have liked his play a lot this game. I'd say that he rotates fine, his defensive play however might not be top notch.

He's been very impressive with his overall game to me and his line's been Jokerit's best by far. Considering the team they have played against and they've actually managed to have decent control, that's very admirable.

 

[QnebO]

Good game against SKA for guy his age. Isnt any sort of liability defensively, created 3 scoring chances. Confident with puck, one of good players. Game against ska is shortest jump to nhl there exists in club hockey. Comparing ska to some not top nhl teams its not a reach or getting carried away.

Jokerit couldve had this actually. To many penalties, at least 8 two min penalties.

 

[JJTT]

Jokerit really needs another center. ONeil is clearly winger.

 

[TheFinnishTrap]

Good game against SKA for guy his age. Isnt any sort of liability defensively, created 3 scoring chances. Confident with puck, one of good players. Game against ska is shortest jump to nhl there exists in club hockey. Comparing ska to some not top nhl teams its not a reach or getting carried away.

Jokerit couldve had this actually. To many penalties, at least 8 two min penalties.

I don't know if it's just that I've not watched other leagues for a while, but KHL seems to have A LOT of penalties.

 

[QnebO]

I don't know if it's just that I've not watched other leagues for a while, but KHL seems to have A LOT of penalties.

Aj niemi said that hooking and slashing has been very strictly called in preseason and first games

 

[Conspiracy Theorist]

Wonder how well he will do in U20. Assuming Jokerit lets him go.

 

[ChicagoBullsFan]

Wonder how well he will do in U20. Assuming Jokerit lets him go.

If i'm not mistaken Jokerit must release Tolvanen to world juniors.
But does KHL players have national team clauses on their contracts it's another story.

 

[Conspiracy Theorist]

If i'm not mistaken Jokerit must release Tolvanen to world juniors.
But does KHL players have national team clauses on their contracts it's another story.

Finland will be missing Laine, Puljujärvi, Tolvanen, Heiskanen at this rate, lol. But good for the national team long term.

 

[Jussi]

If i'm not mistaken Jokerit must release Tolvanen to world juniors.
But does KHL players have national team clauses on their contracts it's another story.

I beleive the IIHF rule of players being released for international tournaments applies to them as well.

 

[ChicagoBullsFan]

Finland will be missing Laine, Puljujärvi, Tolvanen, Heiskanen at this rate, lol. But good for the national team long term.

If Heiskanen comes back to HIFK after Dallas prospect and training camps at least he'll be in the team if he's healthy.
Of course Tolvanen belongs in the team if he's healthy and available but whether the KHL teams have an obligation to release their players to national team games.

 

[Kshahdoo]

I don't know if it's just that I've not watched other leagues for a while, but KHL seems to have A LOT of penalties.

Two of those penalties were too many men, and another one - delay of game. They would be called in any league.

 

[kelsier]

Watched the entire game yesterday. Wasn't expecting Eeli to end up on the score sheet in the beginning (SKA is as close to an NHL team as you can get by the European standards) and he was indeed left out of points in the game. Overall they managed to shut him down pretty good but there were glimpses of where he could carry & hold on to the puck in the O-zone, had already adapted some of the elements the "pro-style" game, quick passes to on open lane and setup his team mates for a scoring chances. The kid seems like he has some creativity & vision along with that deadly wrister of his. Seemed pretty apparent that SKA had scouted him because even on the power play they seemed to rather let the point man to skate closer and take the shot while Tolvanen was closely guarded for any passing lanes, and it worked too.

Now I have to say that the stream was pretty bad so I had some trouble locking sight on the jersey # (not to mention O'Neill who was playing #21 while Tolvanen wearing #20). Anyway, I didn't see any particular concerns in his skating and the kid can be very elusive at the same time. Not overly physical, but then we must consider the fact that he was playing against some of the very best players in the Europe, and against a team that had some pretty big guys on the line up. So even I (and expect that Jokerit as well) would rather have him play save and avoid injuries as opposed to engaging hard on the boards or take unnecessary chances on ice. When you're in a body of an 18 year old, it comes with certain limitations (that is of course unless you're a physical freak of nature like Ovechkin f.ex.). Really liked his efforts especially at the end with few mins remaining, where the team was already down by two goals and you could see he was really trying to make a difference and give Jokerit chance to get back at the game. That kind of effort always is something that really gets me pumped up. To be able to lift up the gear when it's needed the most.

All in all, he's in the process of making a huge transition to a whole different type of game he's been used to play. So far so good, and I expect him to get better and better as the season progresses. That means some filthy snipes and highlight reel goals as well as adding dimension in the complete game. Has the tools to become a one of the top scorers in the big league one day while unlike for instance Patrik, who has the frame to back up the skill. He'll need to find a style that is better suited for someone of his size.

 

[Fantomas]

Kitsyn scored his hat trick in October 2010 when he was 18 years and 10 months old, four months older than Tolvanen.

I cannot get completely accurate information on this, because this was a long time ago but I am referring to Kitsyn's 2008-09 season in which he got off to an extremely hot start.

I was actually slightly off about his age. He was 16 when the season started, scored a few goals in bunches, got everyone excited. This was a 16-year old kid producing in the KHL. Looked like a can't-miss. I believe there was a hat trick, but perhaps that was 2010. But that's immaterial. Kitsyn finished that season with 5 KHL goals, a career high, and the bulk of that came early.

And yes, Kitsyn was a hot shot prospect at the time, and not yet drafted.

His situation is sufficiently analogous to the very simple point that Tolvanen's hot start might be an indication of excellence, but one also has to be careful because hot starts sometimes turn into nothing. And even hotshot prospects misfire.

And I say this as somebody who is pulling for Tolvanen to succeed.

 

[Fantomas]

^^ And that Kitsyn comparison was completely irrelevant what comes to Tolvanen nevertheless. Know nothing about the exact player, but he clearly wasn't the same calibre of a prospect as Tolvanen.

He was as good a prospect as Tolvanen, maybe even better, at the time of his hot start in the KHL.

 

[Hokinaittii]

He was as good a prospect as Tolvanen, maybe even better, at the time of his hot start in the KHL.

What was his elite attribute that made him standout from the rest when he was teenager? Tolvanen already has an elite shot that will almost guarantee of him having a NHL career because of that.

I just don't see how a guy who is supposed to be at the level of Tolvanen as prospect, actually turns out to be an ECHL level player. That seems like he just got lucky with his hat trick and his overall game just wasn't as good as his hat trick made people to believe.