Prospect Info: At 29th Overall the Blackhawks Select Henri Jokiharju (signed through 2020-21)

[jalperi]

Here is a goal. Somehow video loading time is long:

 

[CallMeShaft]

Here is a goal. Somehow video loading time is long:

Loaded just fine for me. Thanks for sharing this, I looked for it earlier, but couldn't find it.

 

[jalperi]

And now second NT goal against Sweden. From the 2vs. 1 attack.

 

[CallMeShaft]

Damn, Jokiharju putting in some work and showing that he should be playing in the worlds. Good job Henri!

Edit: His second goal

 

[Pez68]

Too bad he would never be up there to score that goal with Q coaching.

 

[CallMeShaft]

Just looking up his stats and realized something, this kid is still 18 until the middle of June. He's only about 3 months older than 2018 draft eligible prospect Brady Tkachuk and 4 months older than Quinn Hughes. There were certainly younger players that have been drafted (the cutoff is hitting 18 by mid September), but how he's performed and progressed, I just imagined he was at least 19 by now.

It'll be super impressive if he snatches a spot away from a more developed player in the worlds. And he's looking like he stands a decent chance at doing just that.

 

[TLEH]

He is everything this team needs and everything our coach hates.

Bowman and Q could not be more polar opposites and now that we are rebuilding a defense I think it’ll be more apparent and cause more issues.

 

[Blackhawks]

He is everything this team needs and everything our coach hates.

Bowman and Q could not be more polar opposites and now that we are rebuilding a defense I think it’ll be more apparent and cause more issues.

Looks promising but these young guys that will come and go for nothing as the team’s cap is gonna be taken up by some under performing useless players. Schmaltz in his last year next year, instead of the Hawks using him as a depth player to win cups and go deep, now he is a main player and the team will waste his 3 ELC for nothing, same thing will happen as prospects come in and out till the 4 pathetic contacts are gone. The way to win cups is have a performing core and young guys to be depth players until some take over the core position. Stan decided to stick with same core for more than ten years and failed which was a colossal mistake.

Stan the man got rid of the exciting Panarin for the supposed and I emphasize supposed “two way” juggernaut Saad which fits exactly the Q bill so your claims are not entirely true of Stan not being conforming to Qs ideologies.

 

[RememberTheRoar]

Looks promising but these young guys that will come and go for nothing as the team’s cap is gonna be taken up by some under performing useless players. Schmaltz in his last year next year, instead of the Hawks using him as a depth player to win cups and go deep, now he is a main player and the team will waste his 3 ELC for nothing, same thing will happen as prospects come in and out till the 4 pathetic contacts are gone. The way to win cups is have a performing core and young guys to be depth players until some take over the core position. Stan decided to stick with same core for more than ten years and failed which was a colossal mistake.

Stan the man got rid of the exciting Panarin for the supposed and I emphasize supposed “two way” juggernaut Saad which fits exactly the Q bill so your claims are not entirely true of Stan not being conforming to Qs ideologies.

I agree that Panarin should've been part of the next core, but I really don't understand what that has to do with Schmaltz.

Are you saying it's somehow Stan's fault that Schmaltz has performed well enough on his ELC to deserve a more significant contract?

 

[LordKOTL]

Timing is going to be everything for The Joker.

The positive side is that even if he hits this coming year and meets his expectations through his ELC, Saad and AA expire when his RFA comes due--so there'll be about 10M padding. Not saying he'll command that much but having 2 contracts expiring at that time certainly will help re-sign him assuming he comes in and is everything we hoped he'd be.

 

[Blue Liner]

Just looking up his stats and realized something, this kid is still 18 until the middle of June. He's only about 3 months older than 2018 draft eligible prospect Brady Tkachuk and 4 months older than Quinn Hughes. There were certainly younger players that have been drafted (the cutoff is hitting 18 by mid September), but how he's performed and progressed, I just imagined he was at least 19 by now.

It'll be super impressive if he snatches a spot away from a more developed player in the worlds. And he's looking like he stands a decent chance at doing just that.

Related to Tkachuk, it's something I've repeatedly tried to remind people about when it comes to him and his season, draft-status, etc. In actual birthdate he's the same age as the others but he's a "Hockey Year" older than most of the rest of the top 10-15 1st-Rounders.

 

[Jeffrey Lebowski]

I check this thread and Finland’s International Team thread daily to check on this kid. He seems like such a solid prospect, one that the Hawks sorely need. Any updates?

 

[Kaako Kappo]

He didn't get picked for the WHC team. A shame. He deserved it.

 

[CallMeShaft]

He didn't get picked for the WHC team. A shame. He deserved it.

When you say "he deserved it", do you mean that purely based off of his skill level or were you just impressed with him in camp? I'm curious about how he performed at camp.

 

[Kaako Kappo]

When you say "he deserved it", do you mean that purely based off of his skill level or were you just impressed with him in camp? I'm curious about how he performed at camp.

He scored two goals in the first EHT tourney and was solid in both ends of the ice. Coach Marjamaki wanted bigger Dmen, workhorse types, i think....because Honka and Heiskanen are already on the team.

 

[ColdSteel2]

Related to Tkachuk, it's something I've repeatedly tried to remind people about when it comes to him and his season, draft-status, etc. In actual birthdate he's the same age as the others but he's a "Hockey Year" older than most of the rest of the top 10-15 1st-Rounders.

Yeah, definitely a couple red flags being both much bigger and a year older than his competition while having a better head start than most prospects given his family connections.

 

[Blue Liner]

Yeah, definitely a couple red flags being both much bigger and a year older than his competition while having a better head start than most prospects given his family connections.

Well, I'm not sure I'd call them red flags, they're just things to be aware of. Technically speaking, his competition was all his age or older in the NCAA ranks (I know you meant his draftee competition). And the family connections don't mean much either, at least not to me. He played all the same levels anybody else has that's being drafted essentially and at the end of the day he's gotta be able to play, period. Which he can, and he will. Just worth remembering he's a "hockey year" older than the others so it sets him up to be NHL-ready quicker because he's had that extra year of development and experience.

 

[ColdSteel2]

Well, I'm not sure I'd call them red flags, they're just things to be aware of. Technically speaking, his competition was all his age or older in the NCAA ranks (I know you meant his draftee competition). And the family connections don't mean much either, at least not to me. He played all the same levels anybody else has that's being drafted essentially and at the end of the day he's gotta be able to play, period. Which he can, and he will. Just worth remembering he's a "hockey year" older than the others so it sets him up to be NHL-ready quicker because he's had that extra year of development and experience.

What would you say is his floor and ceiling?

 

[Blue Liner]

What would you say is his floor and ceiling?

If he gets paired with a skilled Center, the sky can be the limit. In a perfect scenario with everything going right he can be a 65-ish point Winger in the NHL, I think. He'll need that Center, though. He's not going to carry play on his own. He's a demon below the face-off dots and will probably score 80% of his goals there.

Floor, he's probably a 45-50 point winger. Think Byfuglien at F with CHI but a bit more productive.

 

[AmericanDream]

If he gets paired with a skilled Center, the sky can be the limit. In a perfect scenario with everything going right he can be a 65-ish point Winger in the NHL, I think. He'll need that Center, though. He's not going to carry play on his own. He's a demon below the face-off dots and will probably score 80% of his goals there.

Floor, he's probably a 45-50 point winger. Think Byfuglien at F with CHI but a bit more productive.

NHL Now talking about him as I type - Both EJ Hradek and Tyson Nash strongly believe he will be gone by the Coyotes pick at #5. Nash actually wants Brady Tkachuk more than anyone not named Dahlin for the draft for the Yotes. They both feel he is NHL ready and likely makes the jump next year- things some of us who have followed him have been saying as well. People are going to look very foolish on this kid when he is performing at a high level at the NHL. I expect nothing less than what his brother Matthew has done at the NHL level for Brady out the gate.

Now back to Jokiharju lol!

Sucks he didn't make the team, wish I could have gotten to see him in that atmosphere as I think it would help his transition to the Hawks next year immensely.

 

[ColdSteel2]

NHL Now talking about him as I type - Both EJ Hradek and Tyson Nash strongly believe he will be gone by the Coyotes pick at #5. Nash actually wants Brady Tkachuk more than anyone not named Dahlin for the draft for the Yotes. They both feel he is NHL ready and likely makes the jump next year- things some of us who have followed him have been saying as well. People are going to look very foolish on this kid when he is performing at a high level at the NHL. I expect nothing less than what his brother Matthew has done at the NHL level for Brady out the gate.

Now back to Jokiharju lol!

Sucks he didn't make the team, wish I could have gotten to see him in that atmosphere as I think it would help his transition to the Hawks next year immensely.

Well, if he is as good as his brother, he should be in the running for No. 2 overall. If that’s the case, good, someone good is going to fall to our spot.

But IDK, his brother is savage, can’t assume that part until we see it in the NHL. Wish Saad was more like that.

We have a lot of options, nobody knows what will be presented to Bowman but with 2 1sts and possibly Anisimov on the move, it’s going to be fun to watch.

 

[migi]

I think Zadina might drop a little bit because Habs pick at #3. They might consider for D. They need a complete rebuild.

 

[clydesdale line]

He didn't get picked for the WHC team. A shame. He deserved it.

Lets hope it lights a fire under him for next season. Similar to DeBrincat when he wasn't chosen for WJC.

 

[TLEH]

Kotkaniemi or whatever his name is, is flying up the boards after U18, he might go top 3

 

[migi]

Kotkaniemi or whatever his name is, is flying up the boards after U18, he might go top 3

I kind of think Zadina will fall spot or two. Kotkaniemi will defintely be top-10 because he is centerman.