AnThGrt said:
Care to explain your reason? Last I saw Tukonen was doing great and was 2nd in WJC scoring
To add to what Le Golie posted, Nokelainen has outscored Tukonen or been level with Tukonen at every level. In the top Finnish league in 03-04 Nokelainen was 4-4-8 (40gms), Tukonen was 3-3-6 (35gms), which is very close, but in the following year, Nokelainen went 15-6-21 (52gms), compared to Tukonen's 5-5-10 (43gms). Granted, they were in very different situations, Nokelainen played for a bad team and was given much better minutes than Tukonen who played for a very good team. But 15goals in the FNL as a 19year old is very impressive, regardless of the situation. At the U18s, they both tied for lead scorers in the tournament (along with Korpi and Voloshenko) with 11pts. In the U20s the following year, Nokelainen had 5pts to Tukonen's 2pts. They're of similar size (Nokelainen gives up 1in and 10lbs), but Nokelainen plays more physical and with more of a mean streak. Nokelainen just oozes intangibles.
They both have similar upsides at this point as stud second liners. I'd say Nokelainen has a higher potential as an all around player, though Tukonen likely has a better upside as a scorer (though not by loads and is less likely to reach it, IMO). Nokelainen has shown the better progression of the two. He reminds me of a center version of Raffi Torres, but with a better defensive game. He does not have quite the scoring acumen as Tukonen, but he has good hands around the net and will likely put up similar points by crashing the net hard.
Basically, similar potential, but right now Nokelainen has made more progress on achieving his potential. Which of course, isn't to say that Tukonen won't reach it, but Nokelainen is just safer right now. Nokelainen is already pretty much an excellent third liner.
Here's what the THN had to say about Nokelainen before the draft:
THN said:
Here's a guy who has more or less the same skills as the top-rated Finn in the draft, No. 4 Lauri Tukonen, but doesn't use them as well. Petteri Nokelainen plays the defensive side of the game better than the Finns ranked ahead of him, but scouts want more production. The 11 points he had at the world under-18s were not a fluke, but he had great linemates. "He is a good penalty killer and a great team player," said a European scout. The feeling is Nokelainen is a second-line player who will surprise you some nights by showing you the skill and finesse of a first-liner." He competes, has great hands and is dependable and reliable," said an NHL executive. Nokelainen spent the season in Finland's top league and while he did not have great numbers, he established himself as a solid two-way citizen. What's unique is Nokelainen missed some league games because of school. It's usually the opposite case for most players. "He takes his studies seriously," said a scout.