Prospect Info: Aleksi Heponiemi (2017, #40 overall), Kärpät (Liiga)

[Jakeybonz]

Playoff team with average goaltending and deeper than it has ever been. Team
Has never been In position. Like this where they can let their best prospects develope. Ever. This is basic

youre right. that was pretty basic.

 

[Mildan]

People need to stop writing him off. At least allow him to fail first. Looking at his numbers he has impressive totals where ever he has played.

 

[vendetta]

People need to stop writing him off. At least allow him to fail first. Looking at his numbers he has impressive totals where ever he has played.

I don’t see a single person writing him off

 

[Mildan]

I was referring to @pantherbot on previous page who already was interested in trading him away without allowing him to show his potential play out first here.

 

[pantherbot]

I was referring to @pantherbot on previous page who already was interested in trading him away without allowing him to show his potential play out first here.

Doesn't mean I'm writing him off at all. I'm just saying that I would be open to trading him for some current help if we need to.

Hepo is a great prospect with some serious skill, but his size is a risk. So you have to take that into account when you value him. No prospect outside of maybe a 1st overall it's a sure thing, and even then you will get the odd miss (as ekblad detractors will a attest).

Our team needs help today. It would be irresponsible for our management to not consider trading hepo or any of our prospects, I'm just more willing to trade hepo than our other top guys.

Until prospects pan out, they are just assets with risk adjusted value. And I view his size as a big risk. So yeah he has the potential for top 6 in the NHL, but he also has more risk. If someone is really high on hepo more than his current risk adjusted value, we should trade him.

 

[Tequila Sunrise]

I would argue that with our current roster before today at 15 players plus the 4 or 5 non roster players like Hepo that are realistically ready to come up to the NHL full time and about $20 million in cap space, that he would be more valuable to us now more than ever before. He's inexpensive and gives us a better chance to go after Panarin and Bob, rather than a "help now" player with a more than likely higher cap hit.

At the very least, our top 6(Huby, Barkov, Dady, Trocheck, Hoff, Vatrano) is already formidable. Plus Panarin, Borgstrom, Tippett, Hepo, and potentially resigning Malgin, Sheahan, Brouwer, Lammikko, Hawry, Haapala, etc... we have a very formidable forward group.

I doubt we could get a return for Hepo that would warrant top 6 or even top 9 minutes without also throwing in draft picks.

Having Hepo crack the opening night roster would help us now more than trading him away imo.

 

[Dread Clawz]

I would argue that with our current roster before today at 15 players plus the 4 or 5 non roster players like Hepo that are realistically ready to come up to the NHL full time and about $20 million in cap space, that he would be more valuable to us now more than ever before. He's inexpensive and gives us a better chance to go after Panarin and Bob, rather than a "help now" player with a more than likely higher cap hit.

At the very least, our top 6(Huby, Barkov, Dady, Trocheck, Hoff, Vatrano) is already formidable. Plus Panarin, Borgstrom, Tippett, Hepo, and potentially resigning Malgin, Sheahan, Brouwer, Lammikko, Hawry, Haapala, etc... we have a very formidable forward group.

I doubt we could get a return for Hepo that would warrant top 6 or even top 9 minutes without also throwing in draft picks.

Having Hepo crack the opening night roster would help us now more than trading him away imo.

He's not nhl ready, he'd get broken in half in his first game.

 

[Jakeybonz]

I would argue that with our current roster before today at 15 players plus the 4 or 5 non roster players like Hepo that are realistically ready to come up to the NHL full time and about $20 million in cap space, that he would be more valuable to us now more than ever before. He's inexpensive and gives us a better chance to go after Panarin and Bob, rather than a "help now" player with a more than likely higher cap hit.

At the very least, our top 6(Huby, Barkov, Dady, Trocheck, Hoff, Vatrano) is already formidable. Plus Panarin, Borgstrom, Tippett, Hepo, and potentially resigning Malgin, Sheahan, Brouwer, Lammikko, Hawry, Haapala, etc... we have a very formidable forward group.

I doubt we could get a return for Hepo that would warrant top 6 or even top 9 minutes without also throwing in draft picks.

Having Hepo crack the opening night roster would help us now more than trading him away imo.

hepos not making the opening roster. ahl with out a shred of doubt.

 

[IceManCat]

Why are we trading him away?

 

[MintyFresh88]

He’s going to get a long look in training camp, that’s for sure. Hard to say whether he cracks the roster or not. I’m leaning towards no since it’ll likely be a bottom 6 spot and he isn’t really suited for that. Tippett, on the other hand, I think will make it.

 

[RogerRoger]

He’s going to get a long look in training camp, that’s for sure. Hard to say whether he cracks the roster or not. I’m leaning towards no since it’ll likely be a bottom 6 spot and he isn’t really suited for that. Tippett, on the other hand, I think will make it.

Our 3rd line center is Borgstrom, so our 3rd line won't be grinding and out-muscling guys anytime soon. Hepo would fit on that line.

 

[Tequila Sunrise]

Only took Debrincat 2 seasons to get NHL ready and put up 50+ points in his first season under Coach Q and he was even smaller. Hepo was about 145 ibs when we drafted him, he was 155 ibs last year in Liiga. He was listed at 155 for the WJC. He will be atleast 165/170 by opening night. Definitely not out of the question for him to be on the opening night roster, but I will agree that AHL seems likely.

 

[MintyFresh88]

Our 3rd line center is Borgstrom, so our 3rd line won't be grinding and out-muscling guys anytime soon. Hepo would fit on that line.

Are we certain as of now that Borgstrom will be the 3rd line C, though? I hope he has a good summer off the ice and it would be an ideal sport for him, but with Q on board, I could see them shifting that spot to a more veteran guy (like a Kruger). Lammikko has a good shot at 4C.

I could see Borg starting on the wing or perhaps in Springfield, IMO.

 

[TheImpatientPanther]

Only took Debrincat 2 seasons to get NHL ready and put up 50+ points in his first season under Coach Q and he was even smaller. Hepo was about 145 ibs when we drafted him, he was 155 ibs last year in Liiga. He was listed at 155 for the WJC. He will be atleast 165/170 by opening night. Definitely not out of the question for him to be on the opening night roster, but I will agree that AHL seems likely.

Good post.
Welcome to the boards by the way.

If you feel comfortable sharing, this is a great thread to introduce yourself

Introduce yourself Panthers board

 

[MintyFresh88]

Only took Debrincat 2 seasons to get NHL ready and put up 50+ points in his first season under Coach Q and he was even smaller. Hepo was about 145 ibs when we drafted him, he was 155 ibs last year in Liiga. He was listed at 155 for the WJC. He will be atleast 165/170 by opening night. Definitely not out of the question for him to be on the opening night roster, but I will agree that AHL seems likely.

I would absolutely love for guys on ELCs to be ready and able to play in the NHL, it’ll help with our cap big time and give us more flexibility for trades and at the deadline. I have high hopes that at least 2/3 of Borg, Tippett and Hepo will start the season and have an impact.

 

[BeezKnees]

Another difference between Hepo and Debrincat’s development is growing up in Europe vs NA. I think it’ll be ideal for him to start in the AHL if anything just to adjust to the smaller ice and maybe call him up later on or next year.

Proving he’s ready in training camp is another story, but to make the 3rd line he’d have to beat out Tippett and Vatrano, which idk if that’s likely at this point. Rather have him play big minutes in the AHL than on the 4th line

 

[MintyFresh88]

Another difference between Hepo and Debrincat’s development is growing up in Europe vs NA. I think it’ll be ideal for him to start in the AHL if anything just to adjust to the smaller ice and maybe call him up later on or next year.

Proving he’s ready in training camp is another story, but to make the 3rd line he’d have to beat out Tippett and Vatrano, which idk if that’s likely at this point. Rather have him play big minutes in the AHL than on the 4th line

He also played 2 full seasons on smaller ice in the WHL as well as two WJC...so I don’t think it should take him too long to adjust.

 

[FrolikFan67]

If hepo were to make our top-9 we would be a really small team. I already wish we had a 3rd line center that has more size and a little grit, having Barkov, huberdeau, panarin (hypothetical), dadonov, hepo, borg, I could see them really struggling during playoff hockey. And it’s not like Tippett is that physical either.

Assuming Tippett makes it, we’ll have room for one more top-9 forward and then the rest would be 4th liners and depth players

 

[RogerRoger]

If hepo were to make our top-9 we would be a really small team. I already wish we had a 3rd line center that has more size and a little grit, having Barkov, huberdeau, panarin (hypothetical), dadonov, hepo, borg, I could see them really struggling during playoff hockey.

Let's make the playoffs first before worrying about struggling in them?

 

[FrolikFan67]

Let's make the playoffs first before worrying about struggling in them?

Obviously. Just saying I’d rather have an infusion of a different element with our current makeup

 

[RogerRoger]

Obviously. Just saying I’d rather have an infusion of a different element with our current makeup

None of these guys are gonna grow or change their playing style. So you'd need to trade them to make some space for gritty grinders.

 

[FrolikFan67]

None of these guys are gonna grow or change their playing style. So you'd need to trade them to make some space for gritty grinders.

If we bring in panarin and bob I doubt dads is staying past this next season, he’d be a possible replacement candidate of sorts.

If he carries enough value league wide, I wouldn’t be adverse to trading him for a defenseman, depending on the return of course.

I could see Noel potentially cracking the roster

 

[Jakeybonz]

Only took Debrincat 2 seasons to get NHL ready and put up 50+ points in his first season under Coach Q and he was even smaller. Hepo was about 145 ibs when we drafted him, he was 155 ibs last year in Liiga. He was listed at 155 for the WJC. He will be atleast 165/170 by opening night. Definitely not out of the question for him to be on the opening night roster, but I will agree that AHL seems likely.

he definitely wont be 165 by opening night. and he wont make the opening roster and if he does, it means weve gotten no forward help in FA to push him down the depth chart which is sadly what i expect. still even with the nothing we end up signing, hes too small to make it. its ahl for sure.

 

[IceManCat]

Kyle Connor is a better comparable than Debrincat

 

[sinDer]

1 assist in 8 games.

I've read somewhere that he has only 1 shot on goal.

Is anybody has seen him play?

I don't get how so many people around here were so high on him.

At 147 pounds, there's no way he can be effective in the NHL...and not even in the AHL it seems.