C/LW Anton Lundell - IFK Helsinki, Liiga (2020 Draft)

[TheWhiskeyThief]

Liiga is definitely worse than when Barkov and Granlund played. It's not explained by single players flopping like Kakko, Puljujärvi and to an extent, Kotkaniemi, as there are clear success stories of Laine and Heiskanen (Aho) at the same time.

The main problem I see is that the Finnish league is filled with second rate players, including tons of Junior players partly because of the forced promotions of Jukurit, Sport and KooKoo, although KooKoo has finally done something out of the 3 2010-promotion teams.
Lowering the amount of teams would make sense for the product, but these promotion teams would essentially go belly up if they would be relegated from Liiga, and that means that we won't see that happening for a while.

I guess I picked the wrong week to travel, because Lundell is the only junior player I’ve seen this week(and probably will with Jr A playoffs starting.) The interesting thing is that there isn’t a correlation between city size/budget and on ice performance.

 

[BB88]

Liiga is definitely worse than when Barkov and Granlund played. It's not explained by single players flopping like Kakko, Puljujärvi and to an extent, Kotkaniemi, as there are clear success stories of Laine and Heiskanen (Aho) at the same time.

The main problem I see is that the Finnish league is filled with second rate players, including tons of Junior players partly because of the forced promotions of Jukurit, Sport and KooKoo, although KooKoo has finally done something out of the 3 2010-promotion teams.
Lowering the amount of teams would make sense for the product, but these promotion teams would essentially go belly up if they would be relegated from Liiga, and that means that we won't see that happening for a while.

Kakko is 18y this season.

He hasn’t flopped.
Just keep Lundell off the NHL next season, Aho route.

 

[Star Ocean]

Kakko is 18y this season.

He hasn’t flopped.
Just keep Lundell off the NHL next season, Aho route.

he has flopped in terms of overhyped expectations. After WHC everyone deemed him NHL ready.

 

[Henkka]

If they pass on Rossi for Lundell, I’m driving out to that decrepit building on the edge of town and burning it down.

Then the next Nemecek comes and will hit the blood out from Rossi's head. How would you feel then?

Accident's happen more probably for small players.

 

[TheWhiskeyThief]

Then the next Nemecek comes and will hit the blood out from Rossi's head. How would you feel then?

Accident's happen more probably for small players.

Rossi actually keeps his head on a swivel, has the edgework to turn away from the hit and make the play.

Also, Rossi could truck Otto because he has 15kg on a player 2 years older.

 

[FinPanda]

he has flopped in terms of overhyped expectations. After WHC everyone deemed him NHL ready.

Not everyone. Most of the people did though. Some believed he will struggle.

 

[BB88]

he has flopped in terms of overhyped expectations. After WHC everyone deemed him NHL ready.

Sure, but I also put a lot of fault on Rautalas training.
These kids aren’t really at the best skating condition when the season starts, as was the problem with Kakko this year.

Laine& Rantanen both went through the same, Laine just had his shot buy him extra time

 

[TheWhiskeyThief]

Saw him again tonight, plays a nice responsible game, just nothing that wows you skill wise and the historical stats back that up. Just a guy that(that always played up more due to size than skill) you can plug into the bottom 6 next year and he’ll stay there until he goes UFA. Even on his breakaway he was meat & potatoes. Solid floor, zero ceiling.

Nothing wrong with that, but that’s a bottom third of the 1st rd kind of player. If HIFK goes out early, he’d have to go 2ppg in JrA playoffs to even think about changing the assessment.

Added: best comp is Dmitri Jaskin without the O.

 

[Jannik Hansen]

Saw him again tonight, plays a nice responsible game, just nothing that wows you skill wise and the historical stats back that up. Just a guy that(that always played up more due to size than skill) you can plug into the bottom 6 next year and he’ll stay there until he goes UFA. Even on his breakaway he was meat & potatoes. Solid floor, zero ceiling.

Nothing wrong with that, but that’s a bottom third of the 1st rd kind of player. If HIFK goes out early, he’d have to go 2ppg in JrA playoffs to even think about changing the assessment.

Added: best comp is Dmitri Jaskin without the O.

His vision seems pretty good for someone his age. I don’t think he’s a slam dunk to be a top six guy but I do think you’re underrating him.

 

[FinPanda]

Saw him again tonight, plays a nice responsible game, just nothing that wows you skill wise and the historical stats back that up. Just a guy that(that always played up more due to size than skill) you can plug into the bottom 6 next year and he’ll stay there until he goes UFA. Even on his breakaway he was meat & potatoes. Solid floor, zero ceiling.

Nothing wrong with that, but that’s a bottom third of the 1st rd kind of player. If HIFK goes out early, he’d have to go 2ppg in JrA playoffs to even think about changing the assessment.

Added: best comp is Dmitri Jaskin without the O.

How do you even know he played up because of his size? He played up because of his hockey sense and his defensive game. Not because of his size. I think you are seriously underrating him based on two games. Not a lock to be a top-6 player, but I think he'll end up as 2nd line center.

 

[Kaako Kappo]

NHL is filled with great top 6 fowards who do not "Wow" anyone. Stupid argument.

 

[wings5]

If he isn't rushed and development goes well, I can see his offensive ceiling being higher than most are predicting. NHL after at least 2 years in Finland/AHL is ideal for Lundell.

 

[TheWhiskeyThief]

NHL is filled with great top 6 fowards who do not "Wow" anyone. Stupid argument.

How many top 10 picks fill that bill?

 

[BB88]

How many top 10 picks fill that bill?

How many top10 picks per year end up as superstars?

 

[Michoulicious]

I think it would be a mistake to be fooled by his stats and draft him in the top 10. His skating is horrendous... And I'm not a fan if his puck handling/vision. He still is a center with size that is producing Liiga, so he'll end up being drafted pretty high.

However, Draisaitl skating was not pretty and he ended up a decent player...

 

[Kase]

I think it would be a mistake to be fooled by his stats and draft him in the top 10. His skating is horrendous... And I'm not a fan if his puck handling/vision. He still is a center with size that is producing Liiga, so he'll end up being drafted pretty high.

However, Draisaitl skating was not pretty and he ended up a decent player...

Calling his skating horrendous might be little exaggerated, but sure it needs some work.

It has been the same way with some other Finnish top prospects like Barkov, Rantanen and Laine, who also had some issues with their skating, but with time all of them have been able to develop their skating considerably, so the same could be expected from Lundell.

 

[Zub]

Calling his skating horrendous might be little exaggerated, but sure it needs some work.

It has been the same way with some other Finnish top prospects like Barkov, Rantanen and Laine, who also had some issues with their skating, but with time all of them have been able to develop their skating considerably, so the same could be expected from Lundell.

Still, the development in terms of skating is too far behind from everyone it feels like in Finland. Anyone who doesn't see that is just biased.

 

[Daximus]

Calling his skating horrendous might be little exaggerated, but sure it needs some work.

It has been the same way with some other Finnish top prospects like Barkov, Rantanen and Laine, who also had some issues with their skating, but with time all of them have been able to develop their skating considerably, so the same could be expected from Lundell.

Laine is still not really fully there yet. I don't mind Lundell's top speed. But his lateral movement, acceleration and edges need a lot of work. He can improve but I'm not sure he gets to the level needed of a typical top 6 C. Can he still be a center in a teams top 6? For sure but on a contender, I'm not convinced he has legit top 6 C potential.

 

[Pavel Buchnevich]

I’m a fan of this kid and think he’s a top 10 prospect in this draft, but as a Rangers fan, it’s impossible for me to not start comparing him to Lias Andersson. Hopefully he’s better and we probably will not draft in the range to pick him, but there are similarities. It doesn’t mean he won’t be a better player, but it’s hard to not anchor yourself to making that comparison.

 

[tapi]

I think Kakko exposed the poor level of the Finnish League in full. I should know, even I bought it, but it turned the professional Finnish league isn't that much better than the Canadian junior leagues. All things considered, I don't see this kid getting picked in the top 5 in his current form.

 

[FinlandPanther]

I think Kakko exposed the poor level of the Finnish League in full. I should know, even I bought it, but it turned the professional Finnish league isn't that much better than the Canadian junior leagues. All things considered, I don't see this kid getting picked in the top 5 in his current form.

Literally the dumbest thing I’ve heard on this board. Congrats that’s a feat.

 

[Goldenhands]

I think Kakko exposed the poor level of the Finnish League in full. I should know, even I bought it, but it turned the professional Finnish league isn't that much better than the Canadian junior leagues. All things considered, I don't see this kid getting picked in the top 5 in his current form.

Kappo and Hughes are on their D+1, playing in the best league of the world, what did you expect? lol

Even Svechnikov had only 37 pts in his D+1... Come on... That was quite a dumb comment TBH...

 

[Zub]

I think Kakko exposed the poor level of the Finnish League in full. I should know, even I bought it, but it turned the professional Finnish league isn't that much better than the Canadian junior leagues. All things considered, I don't see this kid getting picked in the top 5 in his current form.

Wow, congrats, you just earned the best post of the year so far!

 

[MarVell]

How many top 10 picks fill that bill?

Couturier for one.

 

[Techcoockie]

Do people see some similitude with Kotkaniemi ?