LW Patrik Laine - Tappara, Liiga (2016 Draft) VII

[JA]

Patrik Laine:
Birthdate: April 19, 1998.

2015-16 Liiga Rookie of the Year.
2015-16 Liiga Rookie Goals Leader.
2015-16 Liiga Rookie Points Leader.
2015-16 Liiga Playoff MVP and Champion.
2015-16 Liiga Playoff Goals Leader.
2015-16 Liiga Record Setter for Most Playoff Goals By a Rookie.
2016 World Junior All Star Team.
2016 World Junior Gold Medal.
2016 World Junior Goals Leader.
2015 U-18 All Star Team.
2015 U-18 Silver Medal.
2015 U-18 Goals Leader.
2016 World Championship MVP.
2016 World Championship Silver Medal.
2016 World Championship All-Star Team.
2016 World Championship, IIHF Directorate Award for Best Forward.
2016 World Championship, Award for Top 3 Player on Team.
2016 World Championship Goals Leader.
2016 World Championship Record Setter for Most Goals by a Player in First Year of NHL Draft Eligibility.
2016 World Championship Record Setter for Most Points by a Player in First Year of NHL Draft Eligibility.
Second-Highest Point Total by a U-19 Player at a World Championship Tournament (behind only Sidney Crosby, 2006).

http://www.eliteprospects.com/player.php?player=221667

Table of contents:
1. Highlights.
2. Scouts' comments.
3. Additional commentary.
4. Concerning his skating, and Hannu Rautala.
5. Select interview clips.

1. Highlights: footage from Patrik Laine's 2015-16 season.

Between Liiga, the World Juniors, Champions Hockey League, U20 Four Nations, the World Championship, and several exhibition games, Patrik Laine played 104 games in total during the 2015-16 hockey season (breakdown: http://hfboards.mandatory.com/showpost.php?p=118558927&postcount=976).

On the left, all of Patrik's goals from the 2015-16 Liiga (Finnish Elite League) regular season and other highlights in chronological order.

On the right, Patrik's 2016 Liiga playoff goals, and playoff shift highlights as well, in chronological order.



http://thehockeywriters.com/patrik-laine-named-finnish-playoff-mvp/

Patrik Laine Named Finnish Playoff MVP
April 26th, 2016
BY Dustin L. Nelson

The Finnish season concluded Tuesday with Tappara Tampere taking the championship in a 2-1 Game 6 win over HIFK. It’s Tappara’s first championship since 2003. Their young star Patrik Laine was named the winner of the 2016 Jari Kurri Trophy for playoff MVP.

Laine is a 2016-draft eligible forward who has been tearing up the Finnish league at a very young age.

Through 18 playoff games, Laine posted 10 goals and 15 points. He was tied for third overall in points and led Tappara. His 10 goals led all players in the postseason.

Laine, a Tampere native, turned 18 just last week and though he ranks behind Auston Matthews in most 2016 draft rankings, placing him at the second overall prospect in this summer’s draft, he has almost a full year less pro experience than Matthews.

During the regular season Laine scored 17 goals and 33 points through 46 games, but was notably improving as the season moved forward. He also had two goals and four points through eight Champions Hockey League games for Tappara.

The 6-foot-4 forward was a key piece of Finland’s gold medal win at the 2016 World Junior Championship when he and fellow 2016 draft eligible forward Jesse Puljujarvi set records with an impressive offensive performance that ended in Puljujarvi becoming the youngest player to win MVP of the World Junior Championship.

In seven games there, Laine scored seven goals and 13 points.

Laine is expected to join the Finnish National Team for the upcoming World Championship being held in Moscow and St. Petersburg, Russia.

Liiga Championship post-game celebration: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HPra8YF0bcE

Laine's 2015 IIHF U-18 tournament highlights (August 2015):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=445JOZMdxSY

Laine's 2016 IIHF U-20 World Junior Championship highlights (December-January 2016):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iwf64yOB1wo

Televised World Junior Gold Medal Celebration in Finland [YLE TV; Patrik Laine interview at 48:49 of video] (Finnish language): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t2JsZLpjYVo

2016 World Championship highlights (May 2016):

OT shift in exhibition vs USA: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ws--uda8eGU
Goals #1 and #2 vs Belarus (0:24 and 1:06 of video): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eYXRD7D33ZE
TSN's Finland-Belarus post-game feature: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vIyk1JgyW4E
Goal #3 vs Germany: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xpJ-kuXHUIE
Goal #4 vs Germany: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b_a2Vk9cQ2M
Crossbar vs USA: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XAcNREnabHE
Playmaking shift vs USA: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zo-z15QccV0
Goal #5 vs France: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VMc9GaQL4nE
Goal #6 vs Slovakia: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5c2JIw8lmEk
Record-setting assist vs Hungary (1:43 of video): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=13J2qm7mifU
Goal #7 vs Denmark (Quarterfinals): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Ca3s-rZxU0
Game-winning assist vs Russia (Semifinals): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3m1QxSlkqWY

http://www.tsn.ca/laine-sets-record-as-finland-beats-hungry-1.487989

Laine sets record as Finland beats Hungary
May 11
TSN.ca Staff

Patrik Laine needed just four games at the World Hockey Championship to become the highest-scoring 18-year-old in tournament history.

Shift highlights from Laine's big performance vs Canada (considered to be his best game of the tournament):



http://www.thehockeynews.com/blog/super-teen-laine-hobbled-in-world-championship-by-garbage-play/

Super teen Patrik Laine hobbled in World Championship by ‘garbage play’
By: Ken Campbell on May 17, 2016

To these eyes, it was difficult to determine exactly what Corey Perry’s level of intent was when he clipped Patrik Laine of Finland with his left leg when he was coming off for a line change in today’s World Championship game.

So I will defer to the observations of two former NHL players who have more than 2,000 games between them. And the fact that both Ray Ferraro and Bob Errey are analysts for the Canada-centric TSN broadcasts and lambasted Perry for his skullduggery provide further perspective on the situation.

“(Perry) sticks his left leg out,” Ferraro observed on the TSN telecast. “It’s a garbage play. You just can’t do that. Corey Perry would lose his mind if Patrik Laine did that to him. That’s just a dirty play. I don’t like it.”

Then when asked during the second intermission what he thought of the play, Errey said, “I didn’t like it, either. It was unnecessary, no question.”

So if we accept Ferraro’s and Errey’s assessments of the situation, that’s despicable. The Canadian squad focused much of its physical play on Laine for much of the game, which is understandable since he might be the best player in the tournament, and that’s just fine. A player who is that dynamic and offensively dangerous should expect to not be given a free pass. But to resort to that kind of play to neutralize a teenager and future NHL star is exactly what Ferraro called it – a garbage play.

...

Laine has been a beast in this tournament, leading the World Championship. Despite being held off the scoresheet in the Finns 4-0 win over Canada, he was a force almost every time he was on the ice. With six goals and 10 points, he leads his team in both categories and sits third in tournament scoring. He is proving to be every bit as good against men in this tournament as he was against teenagers in the World Junior Championship. The Winnipeg Jets, to whom Laine will almost certainly fall at second overall in the draft, have got to be seriously licking their chops at the moment.

http://www.thescore.com/nhl/news/1028688

Laine takes Perry's leg-trip as a compliment to his talent
by Craig Hagerman May 17, 9:02 PM

Finland forward Patrik Laine has no hard feelings towards Canada's Corey Perry.

The 18-year-old - who is projected to be selected in the top-2 at this year's NHL Entry Draft - was the victim of a leg-trip from the Anaheim Ducks forward in Tuesday's contest, but feels he brought the incident on himself with his skill.

"Maybe they tried to piss me off because I’m young and in my opinion a pretty good player," Laine said, according to Michael Traikos of the National Post.



Laine had the last laugh as Finland danced to a 4-0 win over Canada and finished atop the Group B standings heading into the quarterfinals.

http://www.tsn.ca/hockey-canada/video/ferraro-on-laine-i-think-that-was-his-best-game-of-the-tournament~872126

Ferraro on Laine: ''I think that was his best game of the tournament''

Despite being held pointless against Team Canada, Ray Ferraro says that he thinks it was Patrik Laine best game of the World Hockey Championship.

Against Canada in their round robin match, he looked a little bit more like the Patrik Laine we saw in the Liiga playoffs. He drew all of the attention from Team Canada.

Laine was third in 2016 World Championship tournament scoring at the end of the round robin phase with 6 goals, 4 assists, 10 points in 7 games.

Laine finished the tournament with 7 goals, 5 assists, 12 points in 10 games. He was named the tournament MVP, a member of the tournament All-Star team, was awarded the IIHF Directorate Award for Best Forward of the Tournament, and won the silver medal with Team Finland. He finished the tournament tied for the goal-scoring lead as well as fourth in tournament point scoring. He also achieved the second-highest point total by a U-19 player at a World Championship tournament, behind only Sidney Crosby's 2006 tournament total of 16 points.





http://thehockeywriters.com/patrik-laine-named-mvp-world-championship/

Patrik Laine Named MVP of World Championship
May 22nd, 2016
BY Dustin L. Nelson

Though he didn’t get the result he was hoping for in the gold medal match Sunday, 18-year-old Finnish forward Patrik Laine won MVP of the 2016 IIHF World Championship.

Laine put up the second most points by a U19 player in history with 12 points in 10 games, just short of Sidney Crosby’s 16 points. His seven goals were the most by any player in the tournament, and his 12 points ranked fourth.

Laine was also named the tournament’s top forward by the IIHF directorate.

He adds this tournament to an incredible World Junior Tournament and a playoff MVP honor in the Finnish playoffs.

Additionally, Canada’s Mike Matheson was named the top defenseman in the tournament and Finnish goaltender Mikko Kosikinen was named goaltender of the tournament.

Laine played a total of 104 games during the 2015-16 hockey season.

2. Laine trending upward: scouts' comments

Laine and Matthews are at the point where the scale may very well tip in favor of whichever one performs better at the Worlds. We have had an entire year's worth of hockey to assess these two players.

We haven't been assessing these two players based only on the Worlds, though.

We have had an entire year's worth of hockey to judge these two players.

With each passing game, Laine continues to impress with his consistency on the score sheet. This extends all the way back to the Liiga playoffs, where I had already made my decision that he was the best player in this draft class and others were on the fence.

Nothing about Laine's recent performances has changed my mind, whereas many people who once favored Matthews are thinking twice about where they stand with regards to these two players.

I'm not basing my judgment on this tournament alone; I'm basing it on his entire year with a keen eye on when his play will tail off -- it hasn't. It isn't a hot streak, but rather a continuation of his top-notch production over the past few months. Matthews has to prove to me why he is better than Laine because I had made my decision back when both were still playing in their respective leagues. Laine still leads the tournament in scoring.

I saw him drive that second line with Järvinen and Peltola back in Liiga. I saw him make that powerplay with Kuusela and Lajunen deadly. At his best, Laine is making everything happen on the ice, ragging the puck around and creating unthinkable chances by himself.

In that case i think Matthews had the better regular season and Laine had the better playoffs, however it is unfair to Matthews just as its unfair to Puljujarvi that they didnt get to showcase their talents as much as Laine where he was the only one garnering interest while the other players were sidelined awaiting another opportunity to play. Matthews had a very good playoffs, but Crawford got out coached plain and simple. It's one of the reasons why he's still not a head coach in the NHL. Puljujarvi despite having a better PPG than Laine in the first 2 rounds did not go to the finals and instead played in another tournament yet again this year. Laine ceased the moment and won MVP and good for him he deserved it. But if you look at Dubas' analytics video, he stresses the need to look at what players have done usually over a years time. Matthews has been dazzling scouts for the longest time, and while i can see Laine's surge to challenge for #1 seems to be turning heads, I don't think the Leafs really think twice here about who they are going to take.

I certainly think that Matthews had a better regular season, but he was already far more polished when he arrived in NLA. Remember, he was deemed NHL-ready in September and missed the 2015 NHL Draft cutoff date by two days. He also hasn't made huge strides from start to finish.

Laine only found his game after the World Juniors. He played much of the first half of the season in the bottom six with players like Stephen Dixon, and it was agreed that he was held back all year by his linemates and, in the first half of the season, by his lack of ice time. Tappara is a team that severely lacks depth. He played part of the second half on the second line with centerman Arttu Ilomäki, who by the postseason had become a fourth-line forward. Jan-Mikael Järvinen, another mediocre player, became his centerman in February. He remained on the second line throughout the playoffs until Coach Tapola finally put him on the first line in Game 4 of the Finals against HIFK, although he had already been the primary target for the opposition to shut down throughout the entire postseason and late in the regular season.

I would describe his improvements as extremely rapid -- exponential is a good word for it. McKeen's termed it "rocket-like development," while one HF poster in April described him as experiencing months' worth of improvement on a game-to-game basis. I agree with that assessment.

Matthews had the better regular season, but Laine's surge in development has elevated him to that same level and perhaps even higher at this point. The Patrik Laine who began the season is not the one who ended it, and certainly not the one who was named MVP of the playoffs. He single-handedly took down second-ranked Kärpät, who in each of the past two Finals crushed Tappara's hopes. Then he was a major force in the Finals against top-ranked HIFK, who were a far superior team with greater talent.

http://www.mckeenshockey.com/prospects-blog/mckeens-2016-top-30-nhl-draft-rankings-jan-2016/

McKeen’s 2016 Top 30 NHL Draft Rankings (Jan-2016)
By McKeen's Hockey On January 16, 2016

McKeen’s top ranked prospect isn’t the “consensus” number one for the 2016 NHL draft, a distinction that has been bestowed upon Auston Matthews for the past year or more, yet Finland’s Patrik Laine has served notice to the scouting world that the decision on who goes first overall will not be an easy one, and that he is in the discussion.

“He’s the first prospect that reminds me of Mario (Lemieux) since Mario,” noted one senior NHL scout who was blown away by Laine’s performance at the WJC over the holidays, where the 6-4 left winger compiled seven goals and six assists in seven games while leading Finland to a Gold Medal victory at home.

“It’s ballsy to have him rated number one, but can’t say I disagree… he could be a home run.”

Laine is six months younger, three inches taller, and has outscored Matthews 29 goals to 19 in international play over the past three years. Up until now, Matthews had been considered the better prospect, but that wasn’t the case at the WJC, where Laine quite simply was the dominant offensive force from tournament start to finish along with linemate and fellow draft prospect Jesse Puljujarvi (ranked third overall).

His size, strength, puck skills, shot and smarts were evident in every game, and as the world juniors went on Laine became more willing to throw his body around as well.

“He competed hard in the big games,” noted one scout. “His point totals slowed down, but his willingness to compete defensively grew as they got closer to winning.”

http://www.mckeenshockey.com/prospects-blog/mckeens-2016-top-30-nhl-draft-rankings-mar-2016/

McKeen’s 2016 Top 30 NHL Draft Rankings (Mar-2016)
By McKeen's Hockey On March 3, 2016

History is about to repeat itself at this summer’s NHL Draft.

Every six years, as it goes, there has been a heated neck-and-neck race between the top two prospects to grab the coveted first-overall spot.

...

Matthews is a ‘clear-cut’ No. 1 pick is many circles, however the staff here at McKeen’s feel that the rocket-like development of Patrik Laine this season has muddied the waters.

Laine made a number of new NHL believers playing recently in his international debut with the senior Finnish national team. “He was exceptional with the national team last week. Plays very well with good players,” said one top NHL scout.

Upon watching Laine’s masterful showing at the U20 World Juniors, another head scout suggested that Laine “reminded him of a young Mario.”

Those fortunate enough to have experienced the NHL career of Magnificant Mario Lemieux will no doubt see certain similarities in the style of Laine. His ability to dangle the puck anywhere within his body range, front, back, and side – combined with an innate sense for where the puck can be protected – is a bit eerily reminiscent of Lemieux.

http://www.mckeenshockey.com/prospects-blog/mckeens-2016-top-30-nhl-draft-rankings-apr-2016/

McKeen’s 2016 Top 30 NHL Draft Rankings (Apr-2016)
By McKeen's Hockey On April 10, 2016

It’s been said many times that Auston Matthews is the “consensus first pick” since last summer, but therein lies the rub.

Scouts, pundits and fans anointed him as the top guy last summer – and in many cases seemingly decided that he would be the top guy in the rankings no matter what.

Well there is a “matter what”…a Finnish fellow named Patrik Laine that has more than a couple of scouts reminiscing about a fellow named Mario Lemieux. It was apparent at the U-20…was noticeable down the stretch in the SM-liiga regular season, and even more apparent during the playoffs – this kid is scary good, and the closest thing comparable to Mario since…..Mario.

“He looks like Mario when he’s carrying the puck,” noted one top scout during the U-20, and he wasn’t alone in that assertion. When asked for a comparison, Teemu Selanne brought up Lemieux as well, and McKeen’s chief amateur scout Grant McCagg was making the correlation between the two even before there were others echoing it…he first made the suggestion early on in the World juniors, and he hasn’t changed his mind. If anything it has only been reconfirmed.

“I can’t honestly recall scouting a forward over 6-4 with a skill set as similar to Mario’s as Laine’s,” says McCagg. “The way he creates space when he has the puck, his hands, his release, his shot, his vision…maybe he’s not quite at Mario’s level…but he’s not that far off. He’s a tier above Rick Nash at the same age…and as we know both Nash and Mario were first overall picks. I have a hard time thinking anyone should be drafted ahead of him even if I really like Matthews a lot…I see a future 50-goal NHL scorer, maybe a 60-goal guy. I don’t see that same upside with Matthews.”

Laine has been sensational for Tappara during the playoffs, almost singlehandedly leading his team to two recent wins with back-to-back two-goal efforts versus Karpat and his chief Finnish competition in the draft in Jesse Puljujarvi. He has scored seven goals in nine playoffs games, two more than anyone else, yet he is still only 17 years old. By comparison, the last Finnish prospect to go top five in the draft, Aleksander Barkov, was held without a goal in the playoffs during his draft year. Just like he did in the U-20 and unlike Matthews, Laine is coming up big when it counts the most.

He has repeated this shooting ability all season long….one of the best releases and shots in recent memory..and that translates well to any league, especially if they shrink the size of goalie equipment. Add in his puckhandling abilities, , vision and soft hands…he projects to be a big-time producer at the NHL level for many years.

...

Rank|Player
1|Patrik Laine
2|Auston Matthews

http://abcnews.go.com/Sports/top-100-prospects-2016-nhl-draft/story?id=39091742

Top 100 prospects for the 2016 NHL draft
By COREY PRONMAN via ESPN
May 13, 2016, 9:26 AM ET

1. Patrik Laine, LW, Tampere (Liiga)
DOB: 4/19/98 | Ht: 6-4 | Wt: 206
GP: 46 | G: 17 | A: 16

Laine is everything you want in a high-skill power forward. First, he's built like a truck at 6-foot-4, 206 pounds, with broad shoulders and great core strength. It's a joy to watch film of Laine shrugging off checks left and right, and easily winning loose puck battles. He's equally adept at being a playmaker as he is being a goal scorer. Laine's offensive IQ is high-end, bordering on elite. He's a very creative puck handler who anticipates pressure well, and knows how to create space for himself. He moves the puck quickly with few errors.

Off the puck, he finds the open seams well, and can launch a scoring chance from almost anywhere on the ice, having probably the best shot in this class. Laine's skating is his one notable flaw, although he's gotten a little quicker from last season. He's average in that area, and I don't think he's going to jet past NHL defensemen. Overall, he's a special forward, someone who could be an elite scoring power winger in the NHL for the next decade.

http://insider.espn.go.com/nhl/insider/story/_/id/15511937/why-patrik-laine-top-prospect-2016-nhl-draft

Why Patrik Laine, not Auston Matthews, is the top NHL draft prospect
May 12, 2016
Corey Pronman
Special to ESPN.com

There is a great debate between favoring Auston Matthews and favoring Patrik Laine as the top overall prospect in the 2016 draft class, and in crafting my top 100 rankings for the class, I landed on Laine.

https://ca.sports.yahoo.com/blogs/jrhockey-buzzing-the-net/nhl-scout--%E2%80%9C-patrik--laine-has-the-biggest-upside-in-the-draft%E2%80%9D-015210279.html

NHL scout: “(Patrik) Laine has the biggest upside in the draft”
By Kelly Friesen
29 April, 2016 9:18 AM
Buzzing The Net

...

“I was pretty sure about (Matthews) him going first overall for nearly all the season, but now I'm not so sure and think the World Championship in Russia will finally decide this race,” says Thomas Roost, a Switzerland-based scout for NHL Central Scouting Service. “This has nothing to do with Matthews' performances, as he performed very well all season long including the playoffs, but Laine did just explode during the WJC U20 in Finland and now in the Finnish playoffs where he grabbed the MVP award and scored a lot of goals in clutch situations.”

It appears the 6-foot-2, 194-pound Matthews is the more polished prospect of the two. Down the road, however, Laine seems to have the advantage in long-term upside if he can enhance his skating ability.

“Personally, I think Laine has the biggest upside in the draft because he is already so effective, although he still has some rough edges in his play and I think he still can improve his skating a bit more than Matthews,” says Roost. “If all this happens, I guess Laine has the slightly higher ceiling.”

On top of a higher long-term ceiling, the 6-foot-4, 209-pound Laine has the edge in clutch play. In addition to coming up big for Finland at the 2016 world junior championship, he was named the Finnish League playoff MVP this week following scoring 10 goals and 15 points in 18 games.

“Laine is a high-end shooter and has a huge wingspan going with a soft pair of hands plus Laine showed already that he can be at his best in clutch situations,” says Roost. “Matthews also played pretty well in important games and situations, but he didn't level up his plays in these situations as Laine did more than once.”

Nevertheless, since No. 1 centres tend to be harder to find than high-end wingers, Matthews’ position gives him an edge on Laine. It could ultimately push the lottery winner to take the former ZSC Lion, especially if the club lacks size down the middle.

“I still think that this is a real factor because the level of difference is so small when all is said and done, so going for a centermen might still be the difference,” says the scout. “Having a high-end centre is a bit more important than to have a high-end winger in the eyes of most hockey experts”

...

Roost scouted Matthews all season long in Switzerland. This was also said before the Worlds, where Laine is tied for the tournament lead in scoring right now, ahead of all Team Canada players.

More on Roost's observations of Matthews here: http://hfboards.mandatory.com/showpost.php?p=118332583&postcount=450

Dennis Schellenberg, a Swiss scout for Future Considerations and defender of Matthews' early postseason exit, tweeted this a few weeks ago:

Dennis Schellenberg
@ScoutingFactory

Swiss Scout at @FChockey, EU prospect analyst @HProspectus, Prospect contributor @TheHockeyWriter, owner http:// scouting- factory . blogspot . com

In February, on Bob McKenzie's midterm survey, there was a 50-50 split between scouts who felt it was easy to consider Matthews the #1 choice, and those who felt it was a very tough call.

February: 10/10 Matthews at #1; 50% easy decision, 50% tough call (aka 5 scouts who could have gone with Laine in February).

http://www.tsn.ca/tsn-mid-season-draft-ranking-topped-by-big-three-1.435206

TSN Mid-Season Draft Ranking topped by Big Three
Feb 8
By Bob McKenzie

...

Matthews, obviously, is the heavy favorite to be taken first overall at the draft in Buffalo on June 24, but it’s not an absolute slam dunk, despite going for 10 for 10 with our panel of scouts.

We asked those 10 scouts if Matthews at No. 1 was an “easy call” or “had to think long and hard about it.”

They were pretty much evenly split.

In April, two of the previous "tough call" scouts who once had Matthews at #1 decided to rank Laine #1 in April. The three remaining "tough call" scouts sat on their "tough call" stance, and we don't know if any others went from "easy call for Matthews" to "tough call."

April: 8/10 Matthews at #1; 2/10 Laine at #1; others saying "tough call" to rank Matthews at #1 (presumably, the same 3 scouts who said "tough call" in February or more).

http://www.tsn.ca/laine-closes-gap-on-matthews-atop-tsn-draft-rankings-1.478128

Laine closes gap on Matthews atop TSN draft rankings
Apr 27
By Bob McKenzie

...

This time, in a survey of the same 10 scouts – conducted in the run-up to Saturday's NHL draft lottery – two of the 10 said Laine is now No. 1 on their team's lists. Others suggested they had to think long and hard about their decision to keep Matthews at No. 1.

Laine is trending upward, and this tournament might make a few more of the "tough call" scouts who have Matthews at #1 reconsider which player to rank first overall. If all five of those "tough call" scouts in February decide to rank Laine first overall in the final survey, the result will be 50-50. There might even be more switching over.

There is a decent chance that all five scouts who said "tough call" in February rank Laine at #1 in June on McKenzie's final survey.

There is also the possibility that at least one of the remaining five scouts has a change of opinion, which would tip the scale in favor of Laine.

At least 3 of the 8 scouts who ranked Matthews at #1 were "on the fence" as of February. The other two who were on the fence in February jumped to the other side in April.

It's not out of the question that those other three, if not more, might jump to the other side as well by June. The Swiss scouts for the Central Scouting and Future Considerations have said that Laine has closed the gap, and their job has obviously been to assess Matthews all year.

Of course, that doesn't even account for the many European scouts who have Laine ahead of Matthews.

Auston Matthews may very well not be the consensus choice for first overall in June. TSN certainly would no longer use the word "consensus" if Bob McKenzie's June survey has those three "on the fence" scouts jumping to the other side.

Meanwhile, McKenzie has reported that a lot of NHL teams' European scouts have had Laine ranked ahead of Matthews all season long.

9:20 of this TSN 1040 podcast excerpt from May 5, 2016, Bob McKenzie talks about the European scouts and Laine:

https://soundcloud.com/tsn-radio-vancouver/mckenzie-equal-upside-between-dubios-and-tkachuk

10:40:

Bob McKenzie:

"I've talked to a number of teams that have told me that their European scouts all season long, not just after this playoffs that Laine has had, have had Laine ahead of Matthews. . . . I do know that a lot of NHL teams have noted to me that their European scouts all season long have had Laine ahead of Matthews, so it's not a ludicrous notion that some people think that Laine could be better than Matthews, but we'll see where it goes, and as I said, I still think the Leafs are more leaning towards the big center as opposed to the big winger, but they've got another, almost a couple of months before they make a decision, and they've got three weeks of great hockey to put into the hopper."

http://news.nationalpost.com/sports/nhl/he-takes-over-games-patrik-laine-not-auston-matthews-might-be-nhl-drafts-true-no-1

‘He takes over games’: Patrik Laine, not Auston Matthews, might be NHL draft’s true No. 1
Michael Traikos | April 27, 2016 | Last Updated: Apr 28 8:23 AM ET

TORONTO — Nick Plastino was technically having lunch when his phone rang. Based on how late he was up the previous night, it was more like a belated breakfast.

Many, many hours earlier, the Canadian-born defenceman had won the Finnish league championship with Tappara Tampere . . .

The party was possible only because of Patrik Laine.

The teenaged forward, who only turned 18 last week, scored the game’s first goal in the 2-1 win against HIFK in Game 6 on Tuesday night and finished the playoffs with 10 goals and 15 points in 18 games.

“He was an absolute monster,” Plastino said of Laine, who won the Jari Kurri Trophy as playoff MVP. “He was definitely the best player on the ice. He’s just unbelievable. Any team would love to have him.”

One scout for a non-playoff team said he would pick Laine ahead of Matthews. Another scout said the gap between the top three players is so slim that it might be easier to pick second because you don’t “have to make a choice that you’ll regret.”

At the start of the season, few had heard of Laine or Puljujarvi — fewer could pronounce or spell their names — partly because both were playing in Finland. But the other reason is that, especially in the case of Laine, his game has evolved significantly in the last four or five months.

“At first, to be honest, he didn’t stand out to me,” Plastino said of Laine, who finished the regular season with 17 goals and 33 points in 46 games.

“I didn’t know anything about him and he just looked like a young kid. But during the season he definitely showed signs of being a special player.”

...

“He definitely turned a corner with that junior tournament,” Plastino said of Laine. “You could just see it with his play. He was braver with the puck. He wanted to make plays rather than just dump it in. He trusted his abilities more.”

Unlike Matthews — who went without a point in the final two games and failed to advance the U.S. past Russia in the world junior semifinals, and whose club team was upset in the first round of the Swiss playoffs — Laine and Puljujarvi have beefed up their resumés as big-game players.

“I go back to Game 5 of the second round against Karpat,” said Plastino. “They scored with three minutes left in the game and we got a power play and, with a minute left, (Laine) got the puck on the half wall and he found the corner. It was just amazing. He’s the kind of guy that can change the game with his shot. On the power play, we were pretty much told to give him the puck and let him do the rest. . . . He can hit hard, can shoot hard, can really do it all. He takes over games.”

3. Additional comments.

Laine's place in the Tappara lineup throughout the 2015-16 season:

http://hfboards.mandatory.com/showpost.php?p=117300575&postcount=230

Well, Laine actually played a significant part of the season, post-World Junior Championship, with Arttu Ilomäki and Jukka Peltola on the second line.

Ilomäki is not a good player. Tappara seriously lacks depth.


In late February, the team swapped out Ilomäki for Jan-Mikael Järvinen, and then for the entirety of the playoffs it's been Laine, Järvinen, and Peltola on a line together.



Laine was finally placed on the top line today. Ilomäki is now a fourth line winger! Järvinen has been just as useless.

Tappara has been posting game-day lineups from its official Twitter since January 7, 2016.

http://hfboards.mandatory.com/showpost.php?p=117301445&postcount=234

On the 1st half if I remember right I watched his game averages and he averaged 3rd line minutes and after WJC his icetime started to go up and his average for whole season was 2nd line minutes(17.16).

If he was playing 18+ mins throughout the season with the best linemates and 1st pp time I bet the numbers would look a bit different.

There's no question that the World Junior Championship would have propped him up to the second line; as this is his rookie season with Tappara, he probably started the season in a rather minor role. He did not have a very noteworthy season with LeKi last year.

According to Jatkoaika, he logged a lot of time with Veli-Matti Savinainen and Jere Karjalainen earlier this season. He also logged some ice time with Stephen Dixon. Those are Tappara's bottom-six players. By the publication date, though -- January 11, 2016 -- Laine had played more time with Ilomäki, Järvinen, and Peltola.

http://www.jatkoaika.com/Artikkeli/statistical-analysis-from-the-finnish-league-jesse-puljuj%C3%A4rvi-and-patrik-laine/174753

Regarding the 2014 Ivan Hlinka tournament and Laine's subsequent path towards maturity:

http://hfboards.mandatory.com/showpost.php?p=115536097&postcount=536

4. Concerning Laine's skating.

Laine has good top speed; what holds him back right now are his agility and acceleration. He has to swing out wider when he turns, and he doesn't quite have the best first two steps to explode up the ice or jump into lanes in the defensive end. When he starts plays from below center and gets to top speed in a straight line, he can already fly.



If he can improve his skating, which is his top priority this summer, he will be scary on the ice. Once he has the acceleration, he can power through the opposition and do so much more. At the moment, you can see what he wants to do, but he doesn't quite get there. His defensive stickwork is good too, but he's a half-step behind so he can't use his stick as effectively during matches. A lot of what he wants to do hinges on his acceleration and agility, which will come. There is a lot to look forward to this summer.

If he has a good summer, he could already be a totally different player in September.

Laine works with Hannu Rautala, based in Turku, who our Finnish posters have assured is Finland's best conditioning coach and who is responsible for making major improvements to the skating of Alexander Barkov, Lauri Korpikoski, Mikko Rantanen, and Rasmus Ristolainen among others.

Laine worked with Rautala last year with great results.

Here's a Finnish article about Rautala and Laine from February.

http://www.iltalehti.fi/smliiga/2016021721134797_sm.shtml

Google Translate's rough translation (A Finnish poster can offer a manual translation, which I will gladly post here in place of the current translation):

Patrik Laine kommentoi NHL-tarkkailijoiden hilpeää munausta: "Yllättävä tilanne"
Wednesday 02/17/2016 at 21:30
Patrik Laine level leap starting built in the summer of 2015 in Turku, Finland .

The legendary fitness coach Hannu Rautala saw to it that the young promise of super athleticism took over five weeks tehoperiodin a quantum leap towards the NHL level.

The results were encouraging; therefore, the Laine respect to the following leap forward taken in Turku, Finland.

- So we will continue next summer. since the beginning of the period, the ice must have felt all the time better and better. So why with Rautala not be continued once the results generated, Laine revealed Iltalehti.

Turku training group Laine spurs together Korpi Lauri Koski, with Rasmus Risto kind and Mikko Rantanen.

Too much does not float within reach, as the force values ​​and the percentage of fat rehearse wire wire are usually the top of the NHL tests.

When the same readiness to play ice hockey are transferred in the coming summers Tampere superprospektiin, only the sky is the limit.

- NHL drafti may be a little break next summer's training, but otherwise are intended to be entertained along the banks of the River Aura longer stay. Tree has been so good.

TPS Tappara match Laine followed by a numerous number of NHL scoutteja.

This time, they also saw the target as opposed to playing last week in Tampere, which wander a big bunch of coffee and a donut specialists. They waited teen stars ollutta national team seconded to no avail. Also Blues-Tappara match was spot talent seekers, who were just behind Laine - equivalent to no avail.

How is it, Pat, did you hear for yourself on this convivial incident?

- Something would come up to my ears. I guess it's one way of can sometimes happen. A surprising situation, the teen star chuckled.
JARI Nikkol, TURKU

He is slated to spend the summer working with Rautala and the expectation is that he'll improve greatly just as he did last summer.

5. Select interview clips

Pro 2 Liiga regular season feature and interview (Finnish language): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kvk-nCIYm7E
Pro 2 Liiga pre-playoff feature and interview (Finnish language): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6-wsefK-xIU
Interview during Liiga playoff practice (Finnish language): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oo89-93SMMo
MTV Finland interview during Liiga Finals (Finnish language): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z19bD3IP0ww
Pro 2 feature during Liiga Finals (Finnish language): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QWwCT95Gs-Q

English language:

World Junior pre-game interview vs Sweden (expressen): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z4W6Y0Yn2bo
NHL draft lottery interview (Sportsnet): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9o5BUvvAspw

World Championship interviews:

After defeating Belarus (TSN): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vIyk1JgyW4E
After defeating Canada (TSN): http://www.tsn.ca/hockey-canada/video/laine-says-he-s-fine-after-trip-by-perry~872122
After defeating Denmark (TSN): http://www.tsn.ca/hockey-canada/video/laine-getting-more-confident-game-by-game~873512
After defeating Denmark (expressen): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cFLmH-4wElI

http://news.nationalpost.com/sports/patrik-laine-auston-matthews-power-u-s-and-finland-into-world-championship-semis

Patrik Laine, Auston Matthews power U.S. and Finland into world championship semis
Michael Traikos | May 19, 2016 | Last Updated: May 20 11:27 AM ET

...

Said Laine of possibly playing against his idol, Alex Ovechkin, in the semi-final: “It would be cool. I’ve never seen him play other than watching him on TV or on the Internet.”

...

After defeating Russia and playing against his favorite player, Alex Ovechkin (TSN): http://www.tsn.ca/hockey-canada/video/laine-won-t-wash-jersey-after-ovechkin-hit~875369

http://www.thescore.com/news/1030763

Laine won't wash jersey after being walloped by Ovechkin
by Justin Cuthbert May 21, 4:23 PM

Patrik Laine will forever cherish the moment he was pasted by Alex Ovechkin.

The top-ranked European-born draft-eligible prospect was on the receiving end of a heavy collision with the superstar he's drawn comparisons to in Finland's 3-1 semifinal win over Russia at the World Championships Saturday.

And he doesn't plan on tainting the moment.

"I think I won't ever wash this jersey," Laine said, remaining ever quotable, according to TSN's Ryan Rishaug.



Long after shaking off the contact, Laine set up Finland's go-ahead marker with a cross-crease pass to Jussi Jokinen from halfway below the goal line.

Win or lose, Laine will earn his second international medal of the season in Sunday's gold medal final.

After gold medal loss to Canada: http://www.tsn.ca/hockey-canada/video/laine-they-defended-better-than-the-last-game~875731

Miscellaneous photo gallery: http://hfboards.mandatory.com/showthread.php?t=2067169

Footnote: My personal record of analysis regarding Laine, dating back to February.

http://hfboards.mandatory.com/showpost.php?p=118369381&postcount=491

Click to read more...

 

[kunekune]

Great OP!

40 goals is within the reach in rookie season if Laine is drafted by Jets and gets to play the whole season in Laine-Scheifele-Wheeler/Ehlers line.

 

[Mahonkinen]

Seems like someone has a prospect crush. Good job!

 

[The Ooh Wow]

Huge amount of info, great work! Just one minor tweak: Hannu Rautala is a strenght trainer, not skating. So it's running, weights, decathlon-style exercise off ice. I believe Laine has a another skating coach in Tampere.

 

[Lempo]

No I think the Google Translation is fine. Tree has been so good.

 

[Bruce Granville]

I guess if Laine's picked 1st, he will shorten the OP to a "yeah, some Finnish dude, but he's no Teemu Selanne, right?"

 

[JA]

I guess if Laine's picked 1st, he will shorten the OP to a "yeah, some Finnish dude, but he's no Teemu Selanne, right?"

I have had Laine ranked ahead of Matthews since the end of February and have simply continued to elaborate on this. With each passing game, Laine continues to add evidence as to why he should be ranked ahead of Matthews. If he is selected first overall, then he will have been taken in the appropriate draft position.

02-29-2016, 01:07 PM

http://hfboards.mandatory.com/showpost.php?p=114704571&postcount=383

Patrik Laine is my first choice from the players available in this year's draft. Until now, only individual goals of his were on YouTube.

I've decided to compile all of Laine's goals (and some other plays) from his 2015-16 Liiga campaign into a concise package. Instead of digging for individual goals, we now have all of his goals in this audiovisual presentation. All of the goals are shown chronologically.

Enjoy.

03-05-2016, 04:46 PM

http://hfboards.mandatory.com/showpost.php?p=115009425&postcount=447

The Leafs can draft Matthews.


I would be happy with Vancouver picking either #2 or #3 in the draft.

I offered a scouting report on Laine and Puljujarvi in mid-March:

03-25-2016, 03:00 AM

http://hfboards.mandatory.com/showpost.php?p=115883885&postcount=259

Laine and Puljujärvi are both excellent players. Jesse has a more endearing personality, which might come into play in terms of leadership. Laine is also mature, but he also comes across as a little colder. Both offer different skill sets; Jesse is a more explosive, dynamic skater and seems to shoot more than deke, while Patrik has a better shot and appears to be craftier with the puck. In that regard, Laine seems to be a more slippery player with good speed and strength, while Puljujärvi is more about full throttle, aggressive play in spite of his lankier frame. Laine is stronger than Puljujärvi and has a more imposing presence, although Jesse's skating allows him to be more of an aggressive forechecker (and backchecker). They create their opportunities in different ways, although Laine is equipped with better tools in the goal scoring department.

I'll just be happy if Vancouver picks either of them. From a goal scoring perspective, Laine is the player to go with. I can see Puljujärvi blazing around the ice more and being a greater puck hound. Laine has good speed to rush the puck too, but he will need to use a little bit more strength and savvy stick handling. That said, when the puck is on his stick, I can see it being a challenge to get it off of him. He also has a better cannon than Jesse.

These are my impressions based on what I've seen so far.

During the World Junior Championship, I saw Puljujärvi carry the puck out a lot, which drew the opposing defensemen. He would then pass the puck to Laine, who would barrel through the neutral zone with less coverage on him. Both are good passers.

04-10-2016, 01:56 AM

http://hfboards.mandatory.com/showpost.php?p=116663127&postcount=6

Patrik Laine is my preferred choice.

I said in February that I believed that Patrik Laine should be the Canucks' choice.

I now very strongly believe that he is the best player of this draft class. He is an outstanding talent, and I hope that the Canucks have the privilege of selecting him. Nothing about his play since I began watching him has changed my mind. He is an elite goal scorer who can dominate games with the puck. His size, shooting ability, and hands will make him a great threat for opposing teams. While several players in this draft possess good size, nobody in the draft shoots like Laine. He has the ability to score from anywhere, and he has the hands to finesse his way past defenders and still release a sizzling shot. He can bulldoze players too with his 6'4'', possibly 6'5'' frame.

He has elevated his game even further in the Liiga postseason, scoring 8 goals in the last 7 playoff games and dominating with his presence on the ice. As a 17-year-old, he is single-handedly defeating Jesse Puljujärvi's team in the second round of the Liiga (Finnish Elite League) playoffs.

I must also emphasize that I am not currently a Winnipeg Jets supporter. As my previous posts suggest, my support is with the Vancouver Canucks.

 

[Bruce Granville]

It was just a joke.
Fantastic OP

 

[Henkka]

Great OP!

40 goals is within the reach in rookie season if Laine is drafted by Jets and gets to play the whole season in Laine-Scheifele-Wheeler/Ehlers line.

Don't get too excited about him, you Winnipeg-guys are gonna draft Matthews.

Toronto isn't stupid anymore, they'll the BPA no matter what the positions is.

 

[FinPanda]

Great OP!

 

[The Winter Soldier]

This is a through OP!

I want to reserve judgment until all the WHC games are in.

But as of this moment I believe Patrik Laine is the best player available in this draft.

 

[ijuka]

Hmm so Laine was playing 13:scraps, 14:scraps in most past games and finished this one vs Canada with 18:08 of ice time, note that he missed 2 shifts due to Perry.

Yes, Finland had plenty of PP but it did have quite a bit of PP in those 13:xx and 14:xx games as well.

 

[MardyBum]

Damn, now that's an OP.

 

[agent082]

Any news how bad Laine's injury is?

 

[Cueb]

Any news how bad Laine's injury is?

He was in practice today and according to this he is healthy:

http://www.iltalehti.fi/mmjaakiekko-2016/2016051821585057_jj.shtml

 

[Esko6]

Everyone is talking about Laine's shot, but that is not his best skill. What really sets him apart is his hand-eye coordination. He is amazing at receiving passes and getting a shot off. Yesterday against Canada a puck was flying in the air Laine just picked it from the air with his stick. And of course there is this nice little highlight: https://gfycat.com/SmallBitesizedIcelandgull

 

[Plural]

Any news how bad Laine's injury is?

According to head coach Jalonen: "In perfect condition". So he'll play tomorrow unless Jalonen is hiding some injury. Which would make no sense since the Lions were practicing today and Laine was there on ice with them.

Barkov wasn't, he has a flu. Apparently will play tomorrow if the flu doesn't get worse.

And damn! You really went all out with the OP JetsA! Awesome.

 

[NarcoPolo]

Why can't we just have Matthews and Laine I've got a feeling the leafs may have a tougher decision than they initially thought

 

[Plural]

Everyone is talking about Laine's shot, but that is not his best skill. What really sets him apart is his hand-eye coordination. He is amazing at receiving passes and getting a shot off. Yesterday against Canada a puck was flying in the air and looking like it was going to fly over the boards and Laine just picked it from the air with his stick. And of course there is this nice little highlight: https://gfycat.com/SmallBitesizedIcelandgull

I saw that too. His hand-eye coordination is off the charts. I know all hockey players need that, but Laine seems to be so swift and accurate with his stick.

 

[ijuka]

Everyone is talking about Laine's shot, but that is not his best skill. What really sets him apart is his hand-eye coordination. He is amazing at receiving passes and getting a shot off. Yesterday against Canada a puck was flying in the air Laine just picked it from the air with his stick. And of course there is this nice little highlight: https://gfycat.com/SmallBitesizedIcelandgull

Yeah, it's kind of funny how it seems like many who don't think Laine is that great say that "Laine's shot is good, but...", when that actually came to him much later and he had numerous other aspects before it that made him a special talent. People commented that "If Laine was as good at shooting as Ovechkin people would have taken notice of his shot far earlier" but that's not the case because Laine's shot hasn't been what's central to him.

Yeah, yesterday he received the puck with his stick and gave a nice backhand drop pass that lead into a grade S scoring chance. His stick handling is also out of this world.


BTW in the OP, the records should be "for an u-18 player", not for an 18-year-old. Crosby has the record for that.

Why can't we just have Matthews and Laine I've got a feeling the leafs may have a tougher decision than they initially thought

Hope not, I'd like Laine more with Jets.

 

[Skinnyjimmy08]

Why can't we just have Matthews and Laine I've got a feeling the leafs may have a tougher decision than they initially thought

of course they do... Leafs management will be tossing and turning every night until they walk up to the podium.

 

[Ippenator]

Why can't we just have Matthews and Laine I've got a feeling the leafs may have a tougher decision than they initially thought

Maybe you can appeal to the other teams, if they would be so kind and let you have both? Oh, and with a very nice application, maybe Pulju could be added on the side...

 

[sooni]

I´m sure that Mathews is going to be first pick. There is only small problem. It seems like Laine is even best player of this freaking tournament or close of that with Barkov. I can´t wait until saturday and game against Ovie. That is gonna be awesome for Laine.

Btw. that new Gretzky guy Macjesus was outplayed by Laine. I hope he starts showing up something already before i start thinking that this Finnish prospect is better than he is.

 

[Plural]

People really need to pump the brakes with this tournament. It's one tournament against largely weak opponents. If Laine outplays McDavid it has absolutely no meaning in which one is the better player. Well, I guess it could have some tiny meaning. But not more than handful of NHL regular season games.

The thing is, McDavid was 3rd in PPG last season as a rookie. I know, it was only 45 games. But still, the sample size was big enough to tell us that he's going to be something special. You guys know how many guys have been top-3 in PPG during their first season in the NHL since the start of the 80's?

Two. Gretzky and McDavid.

Now, I'm not saying he's going to be as good as Gretzky. But McDavid has 45 NHL games under his belt as one of the best offensive players in the NHL. He is the safest bet to be the best player on the planet for the forseeable future. Will he be? Impossible to say. But the guy is showing Crosby-esque promise.

 

[ijuka]

People really need to pump the brakes with this tournament. It's one tournament against largely weak opponents. If Laine outplays McDavid it has absolutely no meaning in which one is the better player. Well, I guess it could have some tiny meaning. But not more than handful of NHL regular season games.

The thing is, McDavid was 3rd in PPG last season as a rookie. I know, it was only 45 games. But still, the sample size was big enough to tell us that he's going to be something special. You guys know how many guys have been top-3 in PPG during their first season in the NHL since the start of the 80's?

Two. Gretzky and McDavid.

Now, I'm not saying he's going to be as good as Gretzky. But McDavid has 45 NHL games under his belt as one of the best offensive players in the NHL. He is the safest bet to be the best player on the planet for the forseeable future. Will he be? Impossible to say. But the guy is showing Crosby-esque promise.

Being top 3 in PPG at 45 games played isn't as impressive as doing so at close to 82 games played. For incomplete seasons, PPG shouldn't be looked at so closely. It's impressive, yes, but maybe his upswings just happened to be during that 45 game sample size. Overall, that's still barely above half a season. On the other hand, he's playing in Oilers and that certainly swings it in his favor, but even so.

And Ovechkin and Crosby were pretty close enough to being top 3 in PPG although the scoring leader Joe Thornton had 125 points that season.