Prospect Info: 2015 NHL Draft - Pick #89 - Aleksi Saarela

[MortUWary]

Finnish pro athletes including hockey players serve to urheilukoulu ( sport unit's name).
Urheilukoulu located in Lahti but Finnish defensive forces cut their budget and Lahti sport unit closed.
Now new sport unit is in Helsinki.

Serve time in urheilukoulu depends that what, military special training Saarela gets there.
Shortest serve time is 6 months and longest 12 months.

In urheilukoulu hockey players will get plenty time to use practice their hockey skills.
And if they have game with their liiga team, they can go play that game and after the game they return back to urheilukoulu.

Sounds made up

 

[Esko6]

What would the military duties be?

I think the army unit for athletes trains mostly scouts and light infantry. Basically stuff where you don't have to learn how to use complicated machinery but need to be in good physical shape.

 

[ChicagoBullsFan]

Aleksi Saarela has chosen for, Finland's first world juniors evaluation camp roster.
This season in FEL, Saarela has scored 15 points ( 10 goals 5 assists) in 26 FEL regular season games ( his PPG is 0,57).

If Saarela stays healthy, he'll be locked for Finland's final world junior roster.
Team Finland world junior roster, will be announced 23rd December.

 

[SnowblindNYR]

Aleksi Saarela has chosen for, Finland's first world juniors evaluation camp roster.
This season in FEL, Saarela has scored 15 points ( 10 goals 5 assists) in 26 FEL regular season games ( his PPG is 0,57).

If Saarela stays healthy, he'll be locked for Finland's final world junior roster.
Team Finland world junior roster, will be announced 23rd December.

Thank you for the info!

 

[ChicagoBullsFan]

World juniors are played and Aleksi Saarela was one the best Finnish players.
He played really well in Finland's 3rd line left wing.

He scored 7 points ( 4 goals 3 assists) in 7 world junior games. PPG 1,00.
Also he was Finland's face-off leader Saarela won 63,89% his face-offs and he was 5th best face-off taker in tournament.

There's now some rumors that Saarela won't play FEL next season.
If those rumors are true Saarela is going to play Frölunda Gothenburg SHL team.

His father Pasi played there before his retirement.
It's still early to say nothing for Aleksi's NHL future but seems that he was a steal for Ny Rangers last summers draft.

 

[nyr2k2]

A big reason he fell was because of concussion concerns. The talent is there. Hopefully he holds up and stays healthy.

 

[ChicagoBullsFan]

Aleksi Saarela recorded his last assist in world juniors to Finland's golden goal against Russia.
Kasperi Kapanen scored in time 61:33 and Finland's gold medal celebrations begin.

Here's the video of that goal.
Saarela is player who's wearing number 19 game jersey.

Look how he plays before Kapanen scores.
Russian goalie Georgiev had no chance to save that goal

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k5EmqkNkWb0
Sorry for that Finnish commentator i didn't found TSN version.

 

[Igor Shestyorkin]

Saarela's stat line seems very nice this year. 7 points in 7 games in the WJC for Finland. 15 points in 27 games this season in Liiga. Already beat his point total on his Liiga team from last year. Don't want to get ahead of myself, but if he doesn't face many more injuries, he could be a very nice 3rd round pick once again for the Rangers.

What kind of player do you guys see him as? a goal scorer, a playmaker, a two-way forward, etc??

 

[HockeyHistorian]

He is quite a versatile player. He is a natural C but can play as a winger as well. While defensive play has never been one of his major strengths, it's not a weakness either. He has recently shown a lot more tenacity and intensity in his play which have been perhaps a bit lacking in the past. He is strong and reasonably fast, but could be more agile.

He thinks the game at a high level and has great vision and creativity, but he also has a howitzer of a shot (his slapper was measured at 95mph just a few weeks ago). In my opinion he could be called a poor man's Zetterberg, but I've seen other comparisons as well (i.e. Parise, although I don't agree).

 

[Mac n Gs]

One of the more underrated things I've noticed about Saarela is how he LOVES positioning himself to shoot in the slot. He also was a strong forechecker in the WJC.

 

[Revel]

One of the more underrated things I've noticed about Saarela is how he LOVES positioning himself to shoot in the slot. He also was a strong forechecker in the WJC.

We've been mentioning that he is not afraid to go to dirty areas. I agree with you and think this is one of the most likeable things about the guy....especially considering that he is under 6' tall.

 

[ChicagoBullsFan]

Aleksi Saarela is injured again.
Saarela got minor upper body injury last Friday's Ässät HIFK FEL game.

Saarela's injury status is day to day and he should play this week if all goes well.
Also there's been some interest about Saarela's duties in NHL.

 

[Pavel Buchnevich]

Also there's been some interest about Saarela's duties in NHL.

What do you mean that there's interest about his NHL duties?

 

[Revel]

What do you mean that there's interest about his NHL duties?

Seriously. What does that mean? Is it good? lol

Also, any update on his health?

 

[Rangers in 7]

Aleksi Saarela is injured again.
Saarela got minor upper body injury last Friday's Ässät HIFK FEL game.

Saarela's injury status is day to day and he should play this week if all goes well.
Also there's been some interest about Saarela's duties in NHL.

We all want to know what this means!!

 

[Joey Bones]

What do you mean that there's interest about his NHL duties?

Seriously. What does that mean? Is it good? lol

Also, any update on his health?

We all want to know what this means!!

I think he meant that other NHL teams are inquiring NYR about obtaining his rights, but that's just what I think he meant.

 

[Rangers in 7]

I think he meant that other NHL teams are inquiring NYR about obtaining his rights, but that's just what I think he meant.

If anything that means he's worth keeping haha

 

[Brooklyn Ranger]

I think he meant that other NHL teams are inquiring NYR about obtaining his rights, but that's just what I think he meant.

Actually thought it meant that there was speculation Saarela might consider coming over sooner rather than later.

 

[we want cup]

Actually thought it meant that there was speculation Saarela might consider coming over sooner rather than later.

That was my interpretation, too. If so, I think that would be an excellent idea. Get him over here, give him a look with the big club, and if he doesn't work out, he probably wouldn't have a problem with being sent down.

 

[RempireStateBuilding]

Little piece about Saarela's WJC: http://www.blueshirtsunited.com/article/saarela-finnish-people-will-remember-long-time

“A little bit,” Saarela said when asked about his confidence rising. “Biggest thing was noticing I could compete against the best U20 players in the world and in some cases be better than them.”

The 19-year-old said being reliable in all three zones is more important than putting up points. “It actually means more than scoring goals,” he said. “Ever since the draft, I have concentrated on becoming a better all-around player,” and added that he knows in order to compete in the National Hockey League, a player must be balanced and play in all types of situations if needed.

I dig it. Also pretty cool that Saarela and Raanta's paths crossed in Finland.

 

[Revel]

Little piece about Saarela's WJC: http://www.blueshirtsunited.com/article/saarela-finnish-people-will-remember-long-time

“A little bit,†Saarela said when asked about his confidence rising. “Biggest thing was noticing I could compete against the best U20 players in the world and in some cases be better than them.â€

The 19-year-old said being reliable in all three zones is more important than putting up points. “It actually means more than scoring goals,†he said. “Ever since the draft, I have concentrated on becoming a better all-around player,†and added that he knows in order to compete in the National Hockey League, a player must be balanced and play in all types of situations if needed.

I dig it. Also pretty cool that Saarela and Raanta's paths crossed in Finland.

HFNYR doesn't want complete, three zone players like Nash. We only want players who can score goals and more goals, or PMDs. No one else need apply.

 

[wloff]

Saarela is in the lineup for tonight, so seems the injury wasn't too bad after all. One newspaper reported that they didn't find any fractures in his MRI scans - apparently that's all they were looking for.

Also, I have no idea what "interest in Saarela's duties in the NHL" means either There have been strong rumors that he's not going to stay in Ässät after this season, and some Ässät fans are pretty pissed about it (especially if he moves to another Liiga team instead), idk if it has something to do with that. I guess it's possible that he could be planning to make the move over the pond this summer already.

 

[Pavel Buchnevich]

HFNYR doesn't want complete, three zone players like Nash. We only want players who can score goals and more goals, or PMDs. No one else need apply.

I think any player who's playoff production is significantly worse than their regular season production would get criticized like Nash does.

 

[Revel]

I think any player who's playoff production is significantly worse than their regular season production would get criticized like Nash does.

Except he gets criticized for his regular season production.

 

[Pavel Buchnevich]

Except he gets criticized for his regular season production.

He's getting criticized this season because he's not producing like he usually does in the regular season.