Prospect Info: Everything Finnish

[Killerjas]

Since we have a Swedish topic, how about starting a Finland version? A lot of our prospects are playing there.

My thoughts so far:
-Kotkansalo is underperforming and I don't see him becoming a potential NHLer
-Jared McIsaac injured AGAIN
-Viro doing fine
-Kivenmaki keeps on impressing, very interesting pick. Size is still a concern
-Brattstorm performing as is expected from him, but nothing special. I think his ceiling is being an AHL starter

Defenders:

• Kasper Kotkansalo - Assat - (18 Games, 1 Goal, 0 Assists, 1 Point)
• Jared McIsaac - HPK - (injured until atleast April, most likely won't play) - 1 Game , 0 Goals, 0Assists, 0 Points
• Eemil Viro - TPS - (13 Games, 0 Goals, 3 Assists, 3 Points)

Forwards:

• Otto Kivenmaki - Assat (17 Games, 5 Goals, 8 Assists, 13 Points)

Goalies:

• Victor Brattstorm - KooKoo (12 Games - 2.44 GAA - .888 save percentage)

Click to read more...

 

[Pavels Dog]

Thanks. I don't see much hope for our guys in finland right now. Kivenmaki is the most interesting but he remains a longshot.

McIsaac getting injured is such a bummer.

 

[TheMule93]

What is tuomisto up to right now? He went the college route right?

 

[Killerjas]

What is tuomisto up to right now? He went the college route right?

Yeah he is scheduled to play for Denver

 

[lhsgolf19]

What is tuomisto up to right now? He went the college route right?

He gets his season started next Wednesday (as of right now lol)

 

[FabricDetails]

"It could have been Lundell."

 

[Henkka]

Since we have a Swedish topic, how about starting a Finland version? A lot of our prospects are playing there.

Forwards

• Otto Kivenmaki - Assat (17 Games, 5 Goals, 8 Assists, 13 Points)

What is remarkable in Kivenmäki, he is team plusminus leader with +11 (+17 -6) and team is -14 in goal differential.

And has played last games without his "rasmussen-styled" center Tiivola who is injured.

This once to be called "power-play specialist" is thriwing at even strentgh.

 

[ricky0034]

for some reason i'm always surprised when I see that Kivenmaki is from the same draft as Veleno and Berggren

always feels like he's older

 

[Henkka]

Brattström has had some horrible games lately. Seem to be struggling. KooKoo has strong defence, but it ain't working for him. Hope he doesn't lose his starter position for Salminen soon.

Tilastot | #35 Salminen, Oskari | Liiga

This finnish kid is his backup, 6'5 huge Pekka Rinne sized undrafted guy. Maybe worth of signing, if Brattström busts.

 

[ChadS]

Not expecting Kotkansalo to amount to much but noticed that he's been getting pretty good ice time recently. Went from 18:22 average in October to 21:50 so far in November.

 

[OgeeOgelthorpe]

Not expecting Kotkansalo to amount to much but noticed that he's been getting pretty good ice time recently. Went from 18:22 average in October to 21:50 so far in November.

Points are only a small part of his game. He's like Lindstrom in that he's going to be a bottom pair, low impact, low offense defender in any league in the world. Whether he was in the QMJHL, KHL, Liiga or NHL. He's still got the potential to be a journeyman-type defenseman.

 

[The Zetterberg Era]

Not expecting Kotkansalo to amount to much but noticed that he's been getting pretty good ice time recently. Went from 18:22 average in October to 21:50 so far in November.

He is a guy I have always enjoyed watching play, a pure defensive D-man. But he is big guy, that plays physical and skates well. Not sure he amounts to much either, but he generally looks pretty decent when you tune in, just plays a quiet defensive game.

 

[Barry Amsterdam]

great to see otto come back after that scary injury last season

 

[Christien]

 

[Christien]

Little update on Tuomisto, he's listed on Denver's website as 6-5/205 lbs now. Excited to see how well he'll do this season.

 

[FabricDetails]

Little update on Tuomisto, he's listed on Denver's website as 6-5/205 lbs now. Excited to see how well he'll do this season.

Good looking out. He was what, 6'4-ish, 190-something last year?

Hopefully that's not a COVID weight gain, haha.

 

[FabricDetails]

Double post.

 

[Christien]

Good looking out. He was what, 6'4-ish, 190-something last year?

Hopefully that's not a COVID weight gain, haha.

Yeah think so. He's still listed on Eliteprospects as 6-4 194 lbs., but I think it's been like that for a while

 

[MBH]

I like that defensemen - Vili Saarijarvi
13 games - 5G 8A 13Pts

Every time I saw him wearing the winged wheel, he looked so damn good. I couldn't understand why he couldn't produce in GR.

 

[Henkka]

I like that defensemen - Vili Saarijarvi
13 games - 5G 8A 13Pts

Every time I saw him wearing the winged wheel, he looked so damn good. I couldn't understand why he couldn't produce in GR.

Saarijärvi -case will be weird.

He is better skill defenceman than Joe Hicketts and he had a quaranteed PP quarterback role? Saarijärvi was the 1st PP QB for Finland U20, when they won the WJC with Rantanen, Laine, Aho, Hintz, Kähkönen on the team. And he did look as good as any of those team best guys.

He is still small, though. He once said he'll take all the extra years to develop before NHL, because he knows, his physics will come lateblooming way.

Wonder if Holland will try to catch him at Oilers at some point. Yzerman prefers size (at defence) too much, and he was the guy who let him go.

 

[Henkka]

Remember Viro looked bad, or more of average, not impressive last season in the U20 data I saw.

Quite a step if he does better with/against men at Liiga.

Our European drafting is rocking again. Håkan, is that you? Or is there somebody else.

Seider, Raymond, Berggren, Lindström, Wallinder, Tuomisto, Kivenmäki, Niederbach, Johansson, Söderblom, Grewe...

All these guys going over their expectations and most exiting prospects are Håkan/European picks, also Hronek was European-scouted. And North-Amrican picks seem to stagnate on development or become hated, like Rasmussen or Cholowski.

Why is this happening? It's like instant replay from the 90's or from the Millenium-years, when they pulled the last winning core, Dats, Zeta, Kronner, Franzen, Flip, Hudler, Gus, Tatar. All Europeans.

 

[Martinez]

Remember Viro looked bad, or more of average, not impressive last season in the U20 data I saw.

Quite a step if he does better with/against men at Liiga.

Our European drafting is rocking again. Håkan, is that you? Or is there somebody else.

Seider, Raymond, Berggren, Lindström, Wallinder, Tuomisto, Kivenmäki, Niederbach, Johansson, Söderblom, Grewe...

All these guys going over their expectations and most exiting prospects are Håkan/European picks, also Hronek was European-scouted. And North-Amrican picks seem to stagnate on development or become hated, like Rasmussen or Cholowski.

Why is this happening? It's like instant replay from the 90's or from the Millenium-years, when they pulled the last winning core, Dats, Zeta, Kronner, Franzen, Flip, Hudler, Gus, Tatar. All Europeans.

I believe Draper said our scout Antonin Routa was the one that really loved Viro

 

[Henkka]

I believe Draper said our scout Antonin Routa was the one that really loved Viro

Hmm, there's two guys in scouting named Antonin Routa. Czech 27-year old son and Czech 52-year old father. Father scouts for Tampa Bay and son scouts for Red Wings.

I always thought the father is our scout, but it seems it's that kid. He is also former player for Lukko, so no wonder, Routa-scouted Saarijärvi is now there....

Antonin Routa at eliteprospects.com (father, scouting for Tampa)

Antonin Routa at eliteprospects.com (son, scouting for Detroit)

 

[Henkka]

Started scouting for Detroit at 2015. Speaks English, Czech, Finnish, Russian.

Leijonat - Pelaajatarkkailija Antonin Routa: ”Työnteollaan suomalaiset pelaajat erottuvat edukseen”

It's Routa the guy behind Kivenmäki...

NHL-seura yllätti: Varasi tuntemattoman suomalaisen "pikkupojan" - "Olin shokissa, kun näin hänen kokonsa"

Now Eemil Viro... he is the guy making also Finland work. And Håkan secures the selections.

Holland signed him to the Red Wings scouting staff, when his father was working for Tampa under Yzerman. Funny story.

 

[lomekian]

Just a bit of Finnish joy to point the root of certain you tube clips of a more recent age...and yes it is Finnish