C/LW Samu Salminen - University of Connecticut NCAA (2021, 68th, NJD)
- Thread starter ChicagoBullsFan
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He's playing in the u20 league right now with 7+13 and a +12 in 23 games, which is outstanding for a 16 year old. Also impressive stats playing for finland in the u17 tournament this year with 5+3 in 12 games. Could he end up being a top 10 draft?
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JabbaJabba
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Why? Hockeywriters had him at 16th https://thehockeywriters.com/2021-nhl-draft-rankings-bells-early-top-21/
It's quite early to rank these guys though.
Jarto
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- Feb 12, 2016
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That's Samu Tuomaala. But I think this other Samu will be a riser, those numbers alone are impressive. Now he only needs some success at the international tournaments, as it seems to be THE thing that turns heads. Only a handful of people really watch these kids play in finnish juniors, or even Liiga.
JabbaJabba
Registered User
This guy still has almost double the amount of points compared to what Tuomaala has in the same league in same amount of games played. Is the difference level of the players they are playing with that remarcable or what gives?
Salminen is also a center so that's part of the reason i'm a little bit more interested and hoping he might be legit.
Salminen is also a center so that's part of the reason i'm a little bit more interested and hoping he might be legit.
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Pavel Buchnevich
Drury and Laviolette Must Go
I wasn’t impressed with him at the WHC17. I can’t speak to his stats in his league play, but with all his international colleagues, he didn’t stand out as one of the better players.
Finnish junior legues production really dont tell mutch about NHL potential.
It is really really uneven league so stats are not to reliable.
Salminen played his first game since early December yesterday in B-juniors, scoring two goals. He played centre, as opposed to wing, where he's spent all his time in A-juniors.
ChicagoBullsFan
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ChicagoBullsFan
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Pavel Buchnevich
Drury and Laviolette Must Go
Hard to say, as he is a junior player for Jokerit, and Jokerit has Liiga teams only for junior leagues and their men’s team plays of course in the KHL. Maybe he even gets at some point to play for Jokerit in the KHL? Although I do pretty much doubt it, and I don’t really think that it would even be that good option for him, as he would most probably get anyway a quite small role for the Jokerit.
Many smaller Liiga teams can hire very promising junior players from the bigger teams that sometimes are reluctant to take the chance with them and give them ice time to help them develop. HPK, JYP and Ilves could be these type of teams. Also from the bigger teams Kärpät seems to sometimes be willing to give some chances for really promising youngster, so maybe even they could be interested, if he keeps developing really well.
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Pavel Buchnevich
Drury and Laviolette Must Go
Thanks for the reply. I asked because he’s at Jokerit, and I also saw it as unlikely that he’d get playing time in the KHL. Can he move in-season or will he have to wait until the end of the season to move to another team? Some draft eligible players will probably get playing time in Liiga this season, so if he doesn’t, he might be at a disadvantage with his draft stock.
I think Jokerit can probably rent him to a Liiga team. But if they have some plans for him in their KHL team already for this season, then they probably can’t rent him to a Liiga team. I remember vaguely something like this, although I’m not absolutely sure if it is like this. Maybe someone else here knows for sure how it really is after all?
Jokerit juniors and the KHL team Jokerit aren't really connected in any practical way. Playing for Jokerit juniors doesn't make it any more likely that they'd play for the KHL team. The Jokerit junior organization allows the KHL team Jokerit to use their name and logo, that's about it for the connection.
They have used some players that came straight from their juniors, so it’s not totally impossible. Just not very likely to happen.
Theres no way he is going to play in Jokerit or either Kärpät on that matter..
Maybe some other, lower profile liiga team culd get rights to play him either in middle six or even top six second line role. JYP has taken these youngsters to their roster due COVID situation, but remains to be seen who needs type of player he is obv.
Maybe some other, lower profile liiga team culd get rights to play him either in middle six or even top six second line role. JYP has taken these youngsters to their roster due COVID situation, but remains to be seen who needs type of player he is obv.
ChicagoBullsFan
Registered User
His skating isn't elite but he's a big guy who obviously has a great shot and pretty amazing goalscorers instincts. I haven't seen him play yet but, really the fact he's been a ppg or more in every league and tier he's played in finland show's a lot. I hope he gets even small a hunch in the Liiga this year.
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Wallet Inspector
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- Jan 19, 2013
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As a Sens fan, I'd love to draft a skilled goalscorer. Hopefully this guy keeps it up and maybe plays his way into the top 5/10.
His club team Jokerit plays in KHL and doesn't give their juniors icetime, no matter how good they are.
This isn’t really as black and white as you claim. Just as an example this guy here:
Juho Rautanen at eliteprospects.com
And btw, wasn’t even close to as talented as a junior player as Salminen is.
