Lauri Korpikoski

[Riggins]

Anyone have any info on this guy? What type of game he plays, etc.?


Lauri Korpikoski LW 6-1 182 L 7/28/86 TPS Turku


He is currently 10th on Red Line Report's prospect list.

http://www.usatoday.com/sports/hockey/columnist/woodlief/2004-05-21-woodlief_x.htm

Some stuff they say about him:

(in the Rising category): "Lauri Korpikoski — What can we say? Every year some unforeseen prospect jumps up out of the woodwork, grabs you by the throat and refuses to let go. Korpikoski is far and away our favorite darkhorse this year."

"RLR has to make special mention once again of the best surprise this season — Finnish sensation Lauri Korpikoski. His emergence as a top prospect continued on the grand stage of the World Under-18 Championships in Minsk last month, and now the cat is really out of the bag. We put him in our first round after his sterling performance at the February Five Nations Tournament, but now we've rocketed him all the way up to No. 10 in our rankings after watching him outwork, outhustle and outshine most of the big-name forwards in Minsk last month.

While we are not aware of any NHL clubs who have him as high as we do, several clubs approached Red Line in Minsk to ask where we would be ranking him in May and were dismayed to hear our answer. Looks like a few NHL personnel people are hoping to steal him later on in the first round, say down around the 20-25 range. Sorry guys, but we don't think he'll last that long."

Click to read more...

 

[Bure9*]

Looks like a few NHL personnel people are hoping to steal him later on in the first round, say down around the 20-25 range. Sorry guys, but we don't think he'll last that long."

That's a bold statement. Anybody seen him play?

 

[DJ Spinoza]

Here's something from an earlier RLR that made me first like Korpikoski. He is now who I am hoping and praying for at 31.

RLR had never seen or heard of the Flying Finn until the Five Nations, but he made a believer of us in less than two periods. He's got plenty of flash, dash, and dangle to his game, but mixes in plenty of grit and jam as well. In the first game of the tournament he combined with linemate Lauri Tukonen to physically dominate and pulverize the Czechs down low along the walls as they won every battle and snared every loose puck on their way to piling up four goals in a 5-4 victory that was essentially a two-man effort with the rest of the club just along for the ride.

 

[Prucha73]

his stats seem rather low, is he really better than NOKELAINEN?

 

[pittengineer]

his stats seem rather low, is he really better than NOKELAINEN?

I think so. He is also who I am hopeing for at #31, along with wheeler.

 

[Alex Kovalev]

his stats seem rather low, is he really better than NOKELAINEN?

depends on what your looking for. If you want a solid two-way guy Nokelainen's you man. If your looking for a more flashier offensive guy, then go with Korpikoski.

 

[Prucha73]

depends on what your looking for. If you want a solid two-way guy Nokelainen's you man. If your looking for a more flashier offensive guy, then go with Korpikoski.

but why does Korpikoski put up worse numbers than Nokelainen if he is flashier offensively?

 

[ChemiseBleuHonnete]

but why does Korpikoski put up worse numbers than Nokelainen if he is flashier offensively?

new to hockey?

 

[Prucha73]

new to hockey?

Korpikoski was playing in a Finnish junior league and only put up 20 points in 36 games, that seems too low of a production to get such hype, is there some reason for his low production?

 

[ChemiseBleuHonnete]

Korpikoski was playing in a Finnish junior league and only put up 20 points in 36 games, that seems too low of a production to get such hype, is there some reason for his low production?

I don't know... I don't even care actually. I was just replying to your message. Having the nicest set of offensive skills doesn't mean you'll put the most points in one junior season.

 

[Prucha73]

I don't know... I don't even care actually. I was just replying to your message. Having the nicest set of offensive skills doesn't mean you'll put the most points in one junior season.

yes but scoring 0.56 PPG is a bit too low for junior league for a prospect that is being hyped as a 1st rounder.

 

[Pekka Lampinen]

Korpikoski would have to become an offensive forward in the NHL to live up to RLR's hype and the odds are against him. I'd recommend early second round. Nokelainen is a better pick, he's pretty much NHL-bound and an outstanding two-way specialist.

 

[StanleyCH25]

I think part of the reason he got hyped was due to the 11 pts he had in the WJC. The entire line of Nokelainen, Korpikoski and Tukonen performed very well together and it made some scouts realize the potential that Korpikoski had. The main difference between Nokelainen and Korpikoski is that Nokelainen focuses on defense before offense while Korpikoski does the opposite. And the difference between Korpikoski and Tukonen is that Tukonen makes his linemates look better while Korpikoski needs a good linemate to maximize his potential.

At least that's how I view it based on reading about these prospects so take it as you want considering I haven't seen them play.

 

[GKJ]

THN has him at 22, Norkelainen is at 25.

 

[Dr.Sens(e)]

Korpikoski would have to become an offensive forward in the NHL to live up to RLR's hype and the odds are against him. I'd recommend early second round. Nokelainen is a better pick, he's pretty much NHL-bound and an outstanding two-way specialist.

Did you ever get a chance to see or hear more about his play in the Finnish junior league? I too was a little curious about his low output in his junior league - especially considering he put up such big numbers at the 5 Nations and U18's. Any more detail on his game and potential would also be appreciated. Thanks in advance.

 

[Pekka Lampinen]

Did you ever get a chance to see or hear more about his play in the Finnish junior league? I too was a little curious about his low output in his junior league - especially considering he put up such big numbers at the 5 Nations and U18's. Any more detail on his game and potential would also be appreciated. Thanks in advance.

Once (yippee), he was no attraction until the Five Nations and I missed the playoffs. I struggled to create his profile for the HF Draft Center.

I don't know anyone who follows TPS juniors on a regular basis, so you can only guess about his situation on the team. Last fall he was hardly a core player on the national team and surely wasn't just handed a notable role in TPS. Obviously he progressed enormously over the course of the season. I don't think he ever played first line, but I'm not sure what combinations were created out of their three best forwards Jussi Makkonen, Arttu Virtanen and Janne Jokila.

It must be remembered that he was a rookie in the league, those who have scored over point per game as U18 have played the previous season in junior A as well. The scouts were oblivious of his talent for a reason; Korpikoski is not just a last minute discovery but a last minute bloomer too.