C Antti Saarela - Lukko, FIN JRS (2019, 123rd, CHI)
- Thread starter MasterMatt25
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StiffSquid
Registered User
I think he just played his first Liiga game. Got some points too.
0g2a ,and both apples were primary assists. Great start
0g2a ,and both apples were primary assists. Great start
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Calad
Section 422
Still annoyed that the Rangers traded his brother (and 2 2nds!!) for Eric Staal then proceeded to bury him in the bottom 6. Thanks AV!
How does his game compare to his brother?
How does his game compare to his brother?
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StiffSquid
Registered User
I do like how Aleksi plays the game , I think he's going to make a very good second or third line player in the NHL in a few years.
That said I've never seen Antti play. I thought I heard somebody somewhere say a few years back that he is playing more of a skill game than his brother.
Was this call-up the result of injuries or could Saarela find a permanent home with the men's team? Lukko's u20 team has already been eliminated from the upper tier in the next stage of the Nuorten SM-Liiga and I don't see what good spending the rest of the year playing against incredibly weak competition will do him(though to be fair, it didn't do Kakko much in the way of harm). I'll admit I don't quite know what to make of Saarela. At the u17's last year, he looked like the best player on his team, by a long shot, even though he didn't score much. After watching it I honestly believed he was the best Finnish 2001 not named Kakko. Yes, I honestly believed he was better than Lundell(I hadn't seen any of Kokkonen at this point). In fact, Saarela's lack of progress since then has caused me to temper my expectations for Aatu Raty after watching him at the U17's this past month. It's eerie how much he reminds me of Saarela at the same age.
I fully expected him to go home and start tearing up the Nuorten SM-Liiga. Instead, he didn't play again until the new year, at which point Lukko found itself the worst team in the upper division, where he and his team-mates struggled to score. His scoring pace this year has been underwhelming to say the least. Based on the limited number of games played over the past year and a half, I assume he's had injury troubles, like his brother did during his junior days. Maybe a change of scenery is what he needs most.
I fully expected him to go home and start tearing up the Nuorten SM-Liiga. Instead, he didn't play again until the new year, at which point Lukko found itself the worst team in the upper division, where he and his team-mates struggled to score. His scoring pace this year has been underwhelming to say the least. Based on the limited number of games played over the past year and a half, I assume he's had injury troubles, like his brother did during his junior days. Maybe a change of scenery is what he needs most.
StiffSquid
Registered User
Steve Kournianos
@thedraftanalyst
Similar game to his brother - two-way/playmaking center, incredibly strong on his skates and quick first step. Loves to hit, excellent passer, a breakaway threat etc. Natural center, maybe a better prospect than Nikkanen but they’re wired differently.
Very high on this kid.
Very high on this kid.
Nice slapshot as well.
HPK-Lukko, 2018-12-18, Goal
Not sure about his upside still. Seems kinda similar to his brother, all the tools are there but something is missing to be an elite player at the next level.
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StiffSquid
Registered User
I think his brother's going to make a really good third liner eventually in the NHL. Maybe even a second liner in his prime. But we'll see , he's been doing pretty good in the AHL. Would be nice to see him get a call-up , just about everybody else from the Checkers have been called up already LOL.
it's kind of hard to tell which one of the brothers is better they're pretty similar in style.
What the actual f*** man. Head hunting at it’s best. That has to be atleast 10 games for real there’s no excuses here.
JungleBeat
Registered User
Can any of the Finnish users explain the relationship between player and sm- liiga and player and liiga? I see this player has only 15 pts in 21 games in u20 league, yet gets called to play in top men’s league. I’d figure you’d have to dominate to get a permanent call up like he has.
Antti is better than his brother draft season. Antti is skilled, good skater, have good shot, good two-way player, can play pcysical game and he is imo good playmaker. He played in U20 with Oliver Kinnunen & Jesse Ruotsi/Niklas Ylitalo mostly and Kinnunen & Ylitalo are playmakers like Saarela and Ruotsi is not the best goalscorer.
JoukoPouko
Registered User
Saarela is a good complementary player, not a big point-producer. It also helps that his father Pasi was a very famous Lukko player, so they probably want to showcase Antti partly because of that as well. Lukko also likes to use young players on their team which is why another 17-year-old Mikko Petman has also played a lot of games in the Liiga, and he's unlikely to even get drafted in the summer.
I'm not very high on Saarela. He's played center in junior but wing in pro. He doesn't seem to have the playmaking ability and creativity to be effective at center. I see him more as a finisher. He's a very good skater who competes hard. But I don't see him as someone who can drive the offense for his line. Most likely ends up being a solid complementary 3rd line winger at the NHL level. He's somewhere in the 4th round range for me.
MMC
Global Moderator
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