Prospect Info: 2021 224th Overall Pick | RW Niko Huuhtanen

[LastWordArmy]

A little write up on the last pick in the draft in here.

Prospects 91-100: 2021 NHL Draft Scouting Reports:

Click to read more...

 

[TheDaysOf 04]

 

[TheDaysOf 04]

 

[JFleegs]

Looks like this kid has some silky mitts and hits like a truck! but skates like Maroon haha Although Maroon is effective so I like this pick.

 

[Felonious Python]

2nd overall in the import draft is pretty nice.

Every CHL team is in the import draft (so 60 teams), and it goes two rounds, although teams may skip one or both rounds. Teams can only have two import players, and this is how they're brought in (also why they may skip).

There can be an 'arranged' aspect, as teams don't want to draft players who have no interest in playing for them, but every year, a few future NHLers come over, typically in that first round. Sergachev, Palat, Laine, Hischier, Cernak, Pastrnak, etc.

 

[TheDaysOf 04]

Baby Big Rig

Huuhtanen reminds Murray of a player who has been instrumental to the past two Stanley Cup runs.

“He’s not Patrick Maroon, but he’s a Finnish 17-year-old version of Pat Maroon,” Murray said. “He’s a big body. He needs to improve his skating, but he’s got terrific hands. He loves to go net-front, he loves to play the corners."

 

[Zwui21]

Let's summon Barb Underhill and we should be good!

 

[TheDaysOf 04]

Al Murray on Huuhtanen:

"What 'the Finnish Pat Maroon' means is he’s a big body with very good hands, and high compete who will be aggressive with other teams players, and his skating is good but needs to improve. So he knows all that stuff and he’s an interesting guy because he went with the U-18 team for Finland this year. Often times he was on the 3rd or 4th line and his minutes were 3rd or 4th line minutes, but then when the game was on the line and his team was down a goal at the end of the game, he was out for the last 2 minutes net front, and he was playing, he was making life miserable for the goalie, and he was retrieving pucks from the corner, and he was banging bodies, and he had real good hands around the net, and hes one of the better shooters in this draft."

"He needs to improve a few things like a lot of them do but were gonna try to help him do that. He’s going to Everett in the western hockey league. He was drafted in the European draft the CHL does so he’s going to play in Everett. Stacy Roest’s son Austin plays in Everett so Stacy will get a lot of chances to see Niko and we’ll get a chance to work with him because he’s be able to come work with our strength and conditioning people, our skating people. He'll be here for the prospect tournament in the fall and we’ll get a real good chance to hang out with Niko for a little bit.”

 

[Artorius Horus T]

What a great pick for you guys. Really strong rookie season in the WHL.
as a 18 year old first timer for NA sized rink.

22 goals (7 pp) about 50 points, in 39 games so far.
He is +21, with 127 shots on goal and 61 penalty minutes.

Have had 3 fights so far.

---

1st in Silvertips game winning goals (6)
1st in Silvertips penalty minutes and fights
2nd in Silvertips goals and points
7th in Silvertips +/-

 

[Zwui21]

What a great pick for you guys. Really strong rookie season in the WHL.
as a 18 year old first timer for NA sized rink.

22 goals (7 pp) about 50 points, in 39 games so far.
He is +21, with 127 shots on goal and 61 penalty minutes.

Have had 3 fights so far.

---

1st in Silvertips game winning goals (6)
1st in Silvertips penalty minutes and fights
2nd in Silvertips goals and points
7th in Silvertips +/-

Another diamond in the rough?

 

[NatoGhost]

What a great pick for you guys. Really strong rookie season in the WHL.
as a 18 year old first timer for NA sized rink.

22 goals (7 pp) about 50 points, in 39 games so far.
He is +21, with 127 shots on goal and 61 penalty minutes.

Have had 3 fights so far.

---

1st in Silvertips game winning goals (6)
1st in Silvertips penalty minutes and fights
2nd in Silvertips goals and points
7th in Silvertips +/-

Is he as slow as the previous reports say? Is his speed improving at all?

 

[GoBoltz56]

Someone in prospects forum thread says his skating has improved. He has that "big heavy dude" look to his skating style, but in my (admittedly limited) views he definitely gets around well enough.

 

[Artorius Horus T]

Someone in prospects forum thread says his skating has improved. He has that "big heavy dude" look to his skating style, but in my (admittedly limited) views he definitely gets around well enough.

Indeed. A minor issue, but like you said, gets around well enough.

 

[Artorius Horus T]

Another diamond in the rough?

Could be, time will tell, he is only 18.
- super promising start for sure, like i said, looks like a value pick

3, 4, 5 years from now, who knows. - more skilled version of Pat Maroon?

His types usually develop a bit of slower, pun none intended

 

[JoVel]

His skating looks a little Laine-esque but slower. I probably would've preferred a big body like him stay in Europe to play in a pro league.

 

[Artorius Horus T]

Ill post this here as well.

23 goals (7 ppg, 6 gwg)
26 assists (10 ppa, 2 sha)
+23
70 pim (4 fights)
129 sog

In the WHL this season, in his rookie season

2nd in fights
2nd in game winning goals
10th in penalty minutes
11th in goals
16th in points
19th in +/-
19th in power play goals
28th in shots on goal

In the top 20 in 7 categories and top 30 in 8.

 

[NatoGhost]

Well I'll be happy if he can make the NHL as a 4th liner with upside! Can always use more big bodies that can hold their own with a bit of scoring potential!

I know that's likely a few years out but seems like a great first season and hopefully he keeps working hard and trending up.

 

[TheDaysOf 04]

Get Al Murray more 7th round picks!

 

[JoVel]

Get Al Murray more 7th round picks!

Someone in our organization just writes the number 7 without the cross and Al Murray gets confused.

 

[Artorius Horus T]

His 24th goal of the season pushes him to 1st in Silvertips points, with 50.

 

[Artorius Horus T]

In his 18 year old season so far (reg+p-o combined)

68 games
42 goals (15 pp g, 8 gw g)
44 assists
86 points
1.27 ppg
+26
93 penalty minutes
234 shots on goal

 

[Zwui21]

In his 18 year old season so far (reg+p-o combined)

68 games
42 goals (15 pp g, 8 gw g)
44 assists
86 points
1.27 ppg
+26
93 penalty minutes
234 shots on goal

That's some awesome stats!

 

[StammerHammer]

I wonder if a player picked last in the draft has ever made it to the NHL?

 

[JoVel]

I wonder if a player picked last in the draft has ever made it to the NHL?

Four guys since 2000

Patric Hörnqvist
Jonathan Ericsson
Jacob Middleton
Zach Trotman

Worth noting that Ericsson was drafted in 2002, when there were 9 rounds in the draft.

 

[Zwui21]