Prospect Info: 58th Joni Ikonen

Habs100

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Nov 6, 2013
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he had some injury problems I believe. But they just don't compare well, Lehkonen at 16 played 18 games in Liiga, at 17 he had 30 pts in 45 games, played for Team Finland at both the U-18's and WJC's (9 pts in 7 games @ U-18, 4 pts in 6 games WJC's) at 17 Ikonen did pick up 8 pts in 7 games at the U-18's.

To me Lehkonen at least appears to be on just another level then Ikonen, he was likely a 1st round pick that only fell due to his concussion and lack of size. We'll see what Ikonen turns into though.

Yes they're very different. I still see more offensive skill in Ikonen. But it remains to be seen if he can put it all together. For example, Benoit Pouliot and Scherbak are players that had a lot of skill coming out of Junior. Pouliot hasn't been able to put it all together, mainly I think because of his lack of drive and perhaps hockey sense. It remains to be seen what Ikonen and Scherbak will do with their raw talent.
 

Tyson

Registered User
Mar 1, 2007
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Ikonen is several years away, if ever. We all gushed when Collberg fell in our lap. Was regarded in some circles as being as talented at Filip Forsberg as I recall.
 

Habs100

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Nov 6, 2013
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Hopefully he makes the team. Love this tournament and even more when we have prospects playing in it.
Yeah I'm really looking forward to seeing Ikonen, Poehling, and perhaps Mete at the world juniors.

Does anyone know if Will Bitten or any of our d prospects from this year's draft have a chance of making it?
 

Habs Halifax

Loyal Habs Fan
Jul 11, 2016
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Ikonen has to have elite level skating and offensive skills in order for me to insert him into our future roster as a small forward. We have too many of them. It's the reason why we traded Ghetto IMO.

I know Ikonen has offensive skills but I'm looking for how he responds to the rough parts of the game when he faces team USA or Canada.
 

HOPE

Goal Caufield!
Jun 30, 2011
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That f***ing sucks. He already struggle last year he had to break out. Was realy high on him, it’s gonna be hard to get back on track after losing an very important developing season...

How dis it happen anyone knows?
 

MarkovsKnee

Global Moderator
Nov 21, 2007
50,887
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Toronto


6 months sounds ACL.

If he just had surgery then he's not coming back until January. He'll miss WJC. And next year will be about coming back from a serious knee injury and not developing. Perfect.

This something he was playing on or did he injure himself training?
 

Whitesnake

If you rebuild, they will come.
Jan 5, 2003
89,202
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Sucks. But seeing how it was for him this year, while he is still a fine prospect, it was going to be a long process. It just reiterates that it is...and might be just a little while longer. The real problem here is not the development factor but the effect that this injury will have on his play for the long run.

But this will ALWAYS be a fine draft pick. Pick for talent. No matter what happens. If he doesn't succeed, it will suck. And will be added to our record. But the pick in itself made sense. Not like the Walford which if it doesn't work, that would be an awful pick (and that's coming from a guy who had Walford on his list....but never that early)
 
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Kobe Armstrong

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Jul 26, 2011
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Wow couldn't have done it 2 weeks earlier so he could play in the WJC? Obviously I don't know the circumstances behind it but it is aggravating, especially for the player I'm sure
 

WeThreeKings

Habs cup - its in the BAG
Sep 19, 2006
91,118
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Sucks. One of the few players in the system with a lot of natural offensive talent, started to turn his game around last year near the end, now this year will be about getting back to that rather than progressing.
 

Habs100

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Nov 6, 2013
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If it really is 6 months, your
6 months sounds ACL.

If he just had surgery then he's not coming back until January. He'll miss WJC. And next year will be about coming back from a serious knee injury and not developing. Perfect.

This something he was playing on or did he injure himself training?
math is off. He'll be back mid December. That's cutting it real close though.
 

Habs100

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Nov 6, 2013
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Ikonen is several years away, if ever. We all gushed when Collberg fell in our lap. Was regarded in some circles as being as talented at Filip Forsberg as I recall.

I for one was never big on Collberg. In the highlights you could see he was a power play and shootout specialist.

Ikonen on the other hand was head and shoulders above his peers at last year's development camp. He's a raw talent that like you said will take a few years before we know how good he is. He needs to mature and develop.
 
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Habs100

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Nov 6, 2013
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missing nhl pre , world junior , acl knee injury , struggled hardcore last season . sounds like another failure/unlucky habs prospect

Galchenyuk tore his ACL and missed a lot of time before the NHL.

Ikonen is a raw talent. His development trajectory was always going to be different than a fundamentally sound player like Lehkonen. If he makes it, his trajectory should be more like Scherbak's, you know the guy many were calling Scherbust.
 

HabsWhiteKnightLOL

Registered User
Apr 29, 2017
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Somewhere on earth in a hospital
Galchenyuk tore his ACL and missed a lot of time before the NHL.

Ikonen is a raw talent. His development trajectory was always going to be different than a fundamentally sound player like Lehkonen. If he makes it, his trajectory should be more like Scherbak's, you know the guy many were calling Scherbust.
I mean right now Scherbak proved nothing and looks like another bottom6 player after this year..
 

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