LW Yu Sato - Torpedo Nizhny Novgorod, KHL (2020 undrafted)

[Number 57]

Lots of talk on Aito Iguchi but as the next couple of drafts happen we actually might see some other Japanese players drafted like Yusaku Ando who will play with Youngstown Phantoms of USHL this coming season and also Yu Sato who was drafted in the CHL import draft and just landed in Québec today and will attend training camp 2 weeks from now.

Unlike Iguchi, Sato has NHL size at 5'11 and recorded a point per game in Russia U16 league two years ago and also had 62 pts in 24 games this past season in Finland. He is a fast goal-scoring winger so it should be interesting to follow him this season as he is draft eligible. How will he adjust in the Q?

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[MichaelFarrell]

I hope he has a good year. I think you should always root for guys from nontraditional hockey markets.

 

[lawrence]

not sure, haha but It be nice to see him do well.

 

[Newfoundland]

How does finland jr B compare to midget aaa in quebec?

 

[JJTT]

How does finland jr B compare to midget aaa in quebec?

He didn't even play in the top JR B league, it was 2nd tier. 95% of the kids who play there won't even make it to the top U20 league in Finland.

 

[ijuka]

Lots of talk on Aito Iguchi but as the next couple of drafts happen we actually might see some other Japanese players drafted like Yusaku Ando who will play with Youngstown Phantoms of USHL this coming season and also Yu Sato who was drafted in the CHL import draft and just landed in Québec today and will attend training camp 2 weeks from now.

Unlike Iguchi, Sato has NHL size at 5'11 and recorded a point per game in Russia U16 league two years ago and also had 62 pts in 24 games this past season in Finland. He is a fast goal-scoring winger so it should be interesting to follow him this season as he is draft eligible. How will he adjust in the Q?

Pretty misleading, because that's just Mestis. And while he scored 17 points in 12 games in B-SM, that was just the lower league, which is significantly weaker than the higher B-SM. That sort of production is at a not-a-draft-prospect level. Think something like Jami Krannila, though I'd say even Jami Krannila had a better career to this point.

 

[tony d]

Be nice to see a player from Japan succeed. All the best to him.

 

[HockeyDBspecialist]

A lot of Finns since to hate him

 

[JJTT]

A lot of Finns since to hate him

Hate? Just saying he played in a terrible league, that's all.

 

[S E P H]

Hate? Just saying he played in a terrible league, that's all.

Ehhhh...

And while he scored 17 points in 12 games in B-SM

He was over PPG in B-SM, which you lot said was the best league in Finland, no?

 

[JJTT]

Ehhhh...

He was over PPG in B-SM, which you lot said was the best league in Finland, no?

Again, he didn't play in BSM. 17 games he played, was in a lower league with worst teams from BSM and top teams from B Mestis(B-nuorten SM-alempi jatkosarja) Eliteprospects just acts they are the same league.

His game log and stats below

Leijonat - Pelaajakortti

 

[ijuka]

He was over PPG in B-SM, which you lot said was the best league in Finland, no?

You went through the trouble of finding a part of my post but didn't actually bother reading it? He didn't play a single game in B-nuorten SM-sarja which has the 10 best teams from BSM qualifiers. He played in B-nuorten SM alempi jatkosarja, which has the 6 worst teams from B-SM qualifiers, and 4 Mestis teams.

You can't even get to B-SM via Mestis qualifiers.

Let's put it this way:
Yu Sato was the least productive player on his line on the K-Vantaa team in alempi jatkosarja, with the 2 Finnish linemates being younger than him, and neither of them being a draft prospect.

 

[Killerjas]

Poor man's Taro Tsujimoto

 

[Number 57]

If what the Fins are saying is true there is no way Sato could play in the QMJHL

We will have a clearer view of this situation in the next weeks

 

[S E P H]

Again, he didn't play in BSM. 17 games he played, was in a lower league with worst teams from BSM and top teams from B Mestis(B-nuorten SM-alempi jatkosarja) Eliteprospects just acts they are the same league.

His game log and stats below

Leijonat - Pelaajakortti

Ah okay, thanks for clearing it up! Do you think it was because he wasn't given a chance since he's an import from Japan?

 

[JJTT]

Ah okay, thanks for clearing it up! Do you think it was because he wasn't given a chance since he's an import from Japan?

Kiekko Vantaa doesn't have a team in the top U20 or U18 leagues. He would've needed to move to another city if he wanted to play in a higher level(Jokerit, HIFK or Blues)

 

[jvr32]

 

[Artorius Horus T]

Anyone would guess what kind of role he be getting in the Q?.
- 90 points in total of 37 games last season for Kiekko-Vantaa.

 

[SoundAndFury]

I think the hope when drafting an import is that he takes a key role with little exception. If they didn't think he's ready to contribute they wouldn't have taken him.

 

[wein]

Be nice to see a player from Japan succeed. All the best to him.

Seems like there are a few Japanese players coming up. Was Jordan Spence the first Japanese citizen to be drafted into the NHL?

 

[Passchendaele]

Roy is about six foot even.

No way in hell this kid's 5'11".

 

[SergeConstantin74]

Roy is about six foot even.

No way in hell this kid's 5'11".

His new teammate in that pic Aleksei Sergeev is 5’10’’.

 

[Legend123]

I really hope he makes it into the top2 rounds. Would feel so surreal for a Japanese player to reach that status of top end prospect. Always rooting for those players that come from the non-hockey markets that are way out there.

 

[lawrence]

Roy is about six foot even.

No way in hell this kid's 5'11".

Patrick Roy is 6'2

 

[Newfoundland]

Does he have a small frame or is Roy a big guy?