D Ville Heinola - Manitoba Moose, AHL (2019, 20th, WPG)

[Mark Kandy]

Yeah hero we figured that out already.

I've replied to your reply on my message lol, sorry bud.

 

[FinPanda]

I love this.

 

[FinPanda]

He not only made the Jets but he is also getting some PP time.

 

[Michoulicious]

He not only made the Jets but he is also getting some PP time.

That 2nd PP is horribad.

Good for the kid, though!

 

[Whileee]

That 2nd PP is horribad.

Good for the kid, though!

Actually, Perreault, Roslovic and Pionk all had very good goals above replacement metrics on the PP last season, and Ehlers is no slouch.

 

[Marc the Habs Fan]

1 assist (a creative breakout pass) and 18:24 of ice time in his NHL debut.

This kid is going to be a stud. I doubt he plays beyond 9 games but who knows with that depleted Jets D.

 

[G0bias]

Not surprised the transition has been this smooth for Ville, he's incredibly smart. Rooting for him.

 

[Jetabre]

Could very easily be staying past his 9 games if he keeps up his play.

 

[Mysteric1000]

I've said it before and will say this again. I think if he keeps up playing like this, he doesnt have to look back anymore in this season, which means they wuld burn the first year of ELC.

Does it make good for his development, or bigger role in Lukko or 20+mins a night in AHL probably, I dunno. Atleast the tempo and competition is highest possible now, and he hasnt look any bad in his defensive game yet (Tho gotta remember, its only one game). Hes just so smart and patient. One of my favorite moments were the one when Buchnevich tried to separate himself from Heinola with quick turns and good puck covering with his body, but Heinola kept himself inside and just positioned his stick convinient way to steal the puck just like he has been there for ages.

I really wish the best of luck to this kid going forward, really a fan of his game.

 

[QnebO]

Lukko might not be able to stop him playing in NA, but they are 100% entitled to get money from their contract player being ripped to NHL. Which happens alot with these youngsters tho.

His debut was great. He didint just manage it, he contributed defensively and offensively. Hope he is so good that this just keeps up being like that.

 

[Artorius Horus T]

From A-Nuorten Sm-Liiga to NHL, pretty impressive.
Less than year ago, he was still a junior league player...

 

[Ippenator]

From A-Nuorten Sm-Liiga to NHL, pretty impressive.
Less than year ago, he was still a junior league player...

Super high hockey IQ player. Those can take really huge development steps in just a season, despite being still quite raw physically. A crazy good talent really. I’m getting more excited with him with every game I see him play. Probably should have been a top 5, or maybe even top 3 overall pick in his draft. I know it might sound like exaggerating to some here, but this is really how good he looks compared to the other players of his draft class, and to think that he is still most probably physically rawer than most of them. Makes me think that he has just crazy high potential with his future development.

 

[Conspiracy Theorist]

Super high hockey IQ player. Those can take really huge development steps in just a season, despite being still quite raw physically. A crazy good talent really. I’m getting more excited with him with every game I see him play. Probably should have been a top 5, or maybe even top 3 overall pick in his draft. I know it might sound like exaggerating to some here, but this is really how good he looks compared to the other players of his draft class, and to think that he is still most probably physically rawer than most of them. Makes me think that he has just crazy high potential with his future development.

Well, who is better than him besides Hughes and Kakko

 

[Ippenator]

Well, who is better than him besides Hughes and Kakko

This is how I feel exactly at the moment.

 

[FinPanda]

Defender version of (Finnish) Sebastian Aho?

 

[Ippenator]

Defender version of (Finnish) Sebastian Aho?

Exactly my thoughts on him. Somehow reminds me very much of Aho, despite them playing completely different positions on the ice.

 

[Zaddy]

The thing that's so strange about this whole thing is that it was no secret that he was a really good hockey player either, yet no scouting service had him higher than #16 and some outlets even had him in the 2nd round. McKenzie had him #23. Like, you have to wonder, what were these scouts watching? Were they even watching? It's so odd to me. It's not like he just came out of nowhere, he was consistently good last year, playing in a men's league, putting up points and looking poised.

 

[Conspiracy Theorist]

The thing that's so strange about this whole thing is that it was no secret that he was a really good hockey player either. It's not like he just came out of nowhere, yet no scouting service had him higher than #16 and some outlets even had him in the 2nd round. McKenzie had him #23. Like, you have to wonder, what were these scouts watching? Were they even watching? It's so odd to me. It's not like he just came out of nowhere, he was consistently good last year, playing in a men's league, putting up points and looking poised.

Remember speculating he could be worth it if you have the 5th pick. I guess there's always risk with defensemen teams aren't willing to take. But him being available after 10 didn't make sense to me.

 

[NotProkofievian]

The thing that's so strange about this whole thing is that it was no secret that he was a really good hockey player either, yet no scouting service had him higher than #16 and some outlets even had him in the 2nd round. McKenzie had him #23. Like, you have to wonder, what were these scouts watching? Were they even watching? It's so odd to me. It's not like he just came out of nowhere, he was consistently good last year, playing in a men's league, putting up points and looking poised.

Europe is still underscouted, I think. Nils Lundkvist was unmentioned by pretty much everyone in North America while he was playing 18 minutes per night in the SHL as a 17 year old. Then he has a great 5 nations tournament, and boom, he starts showing up in top 100s. It was a joke.

Rauma's a bit out of the way, Ville had a pretty bad U18s (not that that means anything), and his WJC was cut short. He fell way too far.

 

[Daximus]

The thing that's so strange about this whole thing is that it was no secret that he was a really good hockey player either, yet no scouting service had him higher than #16 and some outlets even had him in the 2nd round. McKenzie had him #23. Like, you have to wonder, what were these scouts watching? Were they even watching? It's so odd to me. It's not like he just came out of nowhere, he was consistently good last year, playing in a men's league, putting up points and looking poised.

Smaller reliable defenceman tend to not get high rankings at the draft. Teams want the crazy good skaters out of the small guys. And the big 6'2 and bigger guys with two way games tend to get ranked higher. Heinola isnt an amazing skater speed wise but he is an efficient skater. Jets seem to be good at identifying these types of defencemen.

 

[ijuka]

The thing that's so strange about this whole thing is that it was no secret that he was a really good hockey player either, yet no scouting service had him higher than #16 and some outlets even had him in the 2nd round. McKenzie had him #23. Like, you have to wonder, what were these scouts watching? Were they even watching? It's so odd to me. It's not like he just came out of nowhere, he was consistently good last year, playing in a men's league, putting up points and looking poised.

Yep. He also had a strong upwards trajectory, constantly playing better and better over the course of the year, and producing at a pretty ridiculous rate towards the end of the season.

In February I said that Heinola will be better than Bowen Byram and TBH there's not any logical reason to have Heinola behind Byram. But hey, homer and all(Even though I only praise a select few Finns).

Smaller reliable defenceman tend to not get high rankings at the draft. Teams want the crazy good skaters out of the small guys. And the big 6'2 and bigger guys with two way games tend to get ranked higher. Heinola isnt an amazing skater speed wise but he is an efficient skater. Jets seem to be good at identifying these types of defencemen.

Yeah, if we're predicting draft, but I think it's more important to think about how good the players will be. "I think Bowen Byram will get drafted before Ville Heinola" is very different from "I think Bowen Byram will be better than Ville Heinola".

 

[Daximus]

In February I said that Heinola will be better than Bowen Byram and TBH there's not any logical reason to have Heinola behind Byram. But hey, homer and all(Even though I only praise a select few Finns).Yeah, if we're predicting draft, but I think it's more important to think about how good the players will be. "I think Bowen Byram will get drafted before Ville Heinola" is very different from "I think Bowen Byram will be better than Ville Heinola".

I think it's important to note the stark differences in development path there to though. Byram is behind Heinola in terms of development but it's projecting where they both end up that is the tricky part. Most European prospects are going to be ahead of their Canadian counterparts by design on draft day, it's just the reality of a development path that ends in playing in a mens league. It's the steps they take after that draft that define what kind of player they can become. I had Byram significantly ahead of Heinola on draft day but that gap has definitely closed but I don't for a second think that just because Heinola might make the Jets full time at 18 that Byram isn't capable of surpassing him in a few years. It's going to be interesting to follow their development over the next few years though. Would be a nice bonus for the Jets to hit well on Heinola after losing so many dmen this summer.

 

[ijuka]

I think it's important to note the stark differences in development path there to though. Byram is behind Heinola in terms of development but it's projecting where they both end up that is the tricky part. Most European prospects are going to be ahead of their Canadian counterparts by design on draft day, it's just the reality of a development path that ends in playing in a mens league. It's the steps they take after that draft that define what kind of player they can become. I had Byram significantly ahead of Heinola on draft day but that gap has definitely closed but I don't for a second think that just because Heinola might make the Jets full time at 18 that Byram isn't capable of surpassing him in a few years.

Heinola didn't magically become tenfold better over the summer. You had Byram significantly ahead of Heinola because you didn't have a good understanding of Heinola.

This development path-excuse you adore using for CHL prospects is very tired. I'd like to remind you that Heinola was in great doubt of even making the Liiga roster a year ago. Then he kept progressing and progressing. Towards the end of the season, he scored at a higher rate than Kotkaniemi, as a D. I don't know what to you signifies room for progression but to me, swift and accelerated development is just that. Is it a surprise that he's managed to keep doing this with Jets? To this extent, yes, but the signs were there. And yet they were ignored by almost everyone. Remember Heinola wasn't even on the map just last summer. Finnprospects had Heinola #10 for Finns, which is undrafted territory.

What is especially bizarre, then, is the "body of work"-argument. Did Heinola's body of work have him making the Jets? Absolutely not. "Body of work" has zero value, in fact it can be considered a negative due to slower development shown. It's tough to take people seriously if they refer to it. This part of the post isn't to you, by the way.

 

[DudeWhereIsMakar]

First player of the 2019 NHL Draft to put up an NHL point.

 

[Elitersson]

The thing that's so strange about this whole thing is that it was no secret that he was a really good hockey player either, yet no scouting service had him higher than #16 and some outlets even had him in the 2nd round. McKenzie had him #23. Like, you have to wonder, what were these scouts watching? Were they even watching? It's so odd to me. It's not like he just came out of nowhere, he was consistently good last year, playing in a men's league, putting up points and looking poised.

I was confused by his low ranking too, especially when you consider he outproduced what Heiskanen did in the same league. I had him at 11th and the 2nd best dman in the draft.