LW Kristian Vesalainen (2017, 24th, WPG)

[tellermine]

I am telling you, KHL is not a good league for NHL prospects. The level of play is high, but the style is so different, it is a different type of game.

True.

 

[BL92]

Wonder what his next season's going to be like.

 

[greasysnapper]

I am telling you, KHL is not a good league for NHL prospects. The level of play is high, but the style is so different, it is a different type of game.

I'd argue the level of play has severely dropped off in the last few years. But I still expect Vesalainen to make the jump to the NHL this year.

 

[Michoulicious]

How does he look in the AHL this year? His stats are underwhelming. Scoreless in all but one game.

 

[204hockey]

How does he look in the AHL this year? His stats are underwhelming. Scoreless in all but one game.

looks like his stats suggest. not really playing to his potential but still shows glimpes while playing a solid 2 way game. should make a good 3rd line shutdown player with upside for jets. most of his points will come off the power play but it will have to be 2nd unit when he is in the nhl

 

[Outofbodyinhungary]

Why was this guy playing in the SHL back in his draft year when he played so terribly in the Superelit?

 

[thrillhous]

Why was this guy playing in the SHL back in his draft year when he played so terribly in the Superelit?

In his U17 season he put up one of the better seasons of all time by a U17 player in SuperElit. 20th highest point total of all time in fact. Better than Pastrnak and Fiala, for example. So I have no idea what you’re talking about.

 

[Outofbodyinhungary]

In his U17 season he put up one of the better seasons of all time by a U17 player in SuperElit. 20th highest point total of all time in fact. Better than Pastrnak and Fiala, for example. So I have no idea what you’re talking about.

I don’t give a rats ass about his u17 season. He had 4 goals, 0 assists in 10 games and was somehow called up to the SHL.

 

[thrillhous]

I don’t give a rats ass about his u17 season. He had 4 goals, 0 assists in 10 games and was somehow called up to the SHL.

So you know for a fact that the way it went is that he was called up to the SHL after those games in SuperElit? Because I think it’s just as probable that those SuperElit games were at the end of the season or interspersed throughout the season rather than at the start.

 

[VictorLustig]

I don’t give a rats ass about his u17 season. He had 4 goals, 0 assists in 10 games and was somehow called up to the SHL.

Called up? He was sent down for some extra icetime. I also don't remember him being particularly terrible in J20. Are you basing that on stats only?

 

[thrillhous]

Based on this thread alone it is clear that he started his draft eligible season in the SHL (and did well initially) but then got cold. So his junior games were later in the season. Your assumption appears to have been wrong.

Edit: thanks VictorLustig

 

[Pavel Buchnevich]

30 points in 60 AHL games. Does he figure to play with the Jets next season, another season in the AHL or will he go back to Europe?

 

[Whileee]

30 points in 60 AHL games. Does he figure to play with the Jets next season, another season in the AHL or will he go back to Europe?

My guess is that he starts the season in the AHL and if he starts well he gets to the NHL. His second half in the AHL last season was very encouraging, but the Jets have a lot of forward depth and have been going slow with the development of prospects.

 

[S E P H]

My guess is that he starts the season in the AHL and if he starts well he gets to the NHL. His second half in the AHL last season was very encouraging, but the Jets have a lot of forward depth and have been going slow with the development of prospects.

Not sure if he's ever going to be an NHLer, the lad just seems like he wants to do every fast and never wants to put in the time to accomplish it. He's already shown that he doesn't have a lot of deep connections with the Winnipeg organisation considering he used an out-clause to return to Europe to finish a season. More importantly, I coincidentally watched a quite a bit of his AHL games and he has the physical traits. However, how he uses those traits is very hot and cold. He reminds me a bit of Wolski where the talent is there and the physical natural athletic ability is also, but the mental handicaps and how he implies his natural gifts is not.

 

[Whileee]

Not sure if he's ever going to be an NHLer, the lad just seems like he wants to do every fast and never wants to put in the time to accomplish it. He's already shown that he doesn't have a lot of deep connections with the Winnipeg organisation considering he used an out-clause to return to Europe to finish a season. More importantly, I coincidentally watched a quite a bit of his AHL games and he has the physical traits. However, how he uses those traits is very hot and cold. He reminds me a bit of Wolski where the talent is there and the physical natural athletic ability is also, but the mental handicaps and hoe he implies his natural gifts is not.

His development has been a bit uneven, but the Jets have done a very good job of developing young forwards, and by all accounts he started to zone in on what he needed to develop to make it to the NHL as the AHL season unfolded. I think he was in a bit of a hurry to get to the NHL level and lacked some maturity, but showed good signs as the AHL season progressed. He's still just 20.

 

[wings5]

Bit surprised Vesalainen hasn't been loaned out yet tbh.

 

[wings5]

Just a quiet 4 g and 7 pts in 5 gp for Vesalainen in Liiga thus far this season.

 

[wings5]

Not done anything at the NHL level, he's a guy that I think would benefit from a change of scenary

 

[Dr Quincy]

The games I've seen this year I thought he's looked really good. But playing 7 minutes a night on the 4th line for a couple games, then being scratched for a couple is just a really stupid way to try and develop a player.

 

[gojetsgo]

when he was playing up the lineup he was playing real well, then helle got sick and we needed to call up berdin and he was sent to the moose because he was the only waiver exempt player we could send down. I wished we had a more balanced approach to our lines instead of just throwing him down on the 4th for a few mins a night

 

[EnglishJet]

Our need to play two scoring lines, a shutdown line and a 7 minute a night energy line is gonna kill his development (not to mention our contending window.) So frustrating.