Draft R4 #106: Rangers select LW Kalle Väisänen

[LOFIN]

Sorry for the pun - how big of a role he's expected to play for TPS?

Edit: To clarify a bit - TPS was good in 20-21 season so I'm defaulting to expect them being good again in 21-22 and in this context where does Vaisanen fit?

He's probably not on the opening day roster, but I expect him getting a look at some point.

He will probably start in the u20 Sarja, but with Pajuniemi (NYR), Pärssinen (NSH), Ishakov (Adler Mannheim) leaving, there will be spots to fight for.

I think the expectation is that Pärssinen should be on opening day roster, but things can change. Pärssinen is a center and Väisänen is a winger though so...

 

[RangersFan1994]

a future Viktor Stalberg in my opinion



good hit on the forcheck at the 1:24 mark

 

[CasusBelli]

a future Viktor Stalberg in my opinion



good hit on the forcheck at the 1:24 mark

Would take that in a heartbeat.

 

[RangersFan1994]

Would take that in a heartbeat.

i get that vibe from him, saw him a few times in video clips like that. i hope he makes the pro team this year in europe. hope he has a Fast/Stalberg type of career in Europe.

 

[RangersFan1994]

Would take that in a heartbeat.

also noticed that Väisänen does take faceoffs

 

[Harbour Dog]

1st period

1st shift, Def zone draw:
Hustled on backcheck, beat defender to puck on forecheck, sped around boards and fired the puck back behind net. Went 2-1 on board battles, not losing one cleanly.
Very good skating, very good engagement.

2nd shift, Off zone draw:
Miscommunication in ozone, eventually lead to turnover. Hustled back and was the outlet for his defensemen, but failed to clear the zone. Somehow, he was covering three different guys at different points when they had the puck. Team allowed a couple long distance shots.

3rd shift, Off zone draw:
Short, uneventful shift. Came out of nowhere offscreen, from his own blueline to break up a rush pass at centre ice.

Not on a PK unit. Team took two consecutive penalties here.

4th shift, Def zone draw:
First shift in about 8 minutes. Won a hand-eye puck battle at his own blueline to get the puck and send it to his defenseman for an easy clear. Charged the net for a rebound that never came in the ozone. He's a hustling puckhound, no doubt.

5th shift, on the fly, inside a minute:
Hit a guy hard on the backcheck, forcing a turnover. Got the puck coming through the centre and got separated from it. Hit a defender after he made his outlet pass, then surpringly beat the defenders to the puck on a dump in forecheck, but wasn't able to make a play with it in the moment he had possession, and they regained possession.

 

[Harbour Dog]

2nd period

6th shift, on the fly:
Came out of nowhere and broke up a d-to-d pass, split them while juggling the puck in his chest area, and got a chance alone in tight. Best chance of the game for anybody so far. Forced O-zone draw. Later in shift, was the outlet for a team breakout and showed some nice speed getting around the defender and chipping it in, then went for a change while his team had possession.

7th shift, on the fly:
Uneventful shift, good engagement. Was the support guy on the backcheck for a 1v1, correctly stopped at the net front, chipped a rebound into the corner, and got there to regain possession from the second attacking player.

8th shift, Off zone draw:
Only a one-shift gap between shifts this time. Attempted ozone entry, he never chipped it quite deep enough and it got cleared. Next attempt, a teammate put it on net and they got it frozen for an ozone draw.

Team going on PP. Not on a PP unit.

9th shift, on the fly, 1st after PP:
Uneventful, looked a little more comfortable when he chipped and chased this time, but isn't holding onto the puck for as long as he could be in some spots. He covers the most ice of any of his linemates, by quite a bit. Always the first guy backchecking.

10th shift, on the fly:
Went hard to the net on a short 3v2, tapping his stick aggressively. Teammate couldn't get the pass across, unfortunately. Ozone draw. Surprised another defender with his speed to create a turnover on the forecheck. Covered for the dman when he pinched in the offensive zone, and never got burned, but I'm not sure if he did an adequate job with his positioning as the play transitioned a bit.

Team going to PK. They let up a goal against. TPS down 1-0.

11th shift, on the fly, inside two minutes:
Team defended well, Vaisanen being the lowest forward most of the time. He then got the chip outlet pass in stride, and instead of chipping it in, toe-dragged it through the centre of the ice and beat the defender wide on the left side. He couldn't get to the net, and when the defender tried to box him out on the boards, he turned toward the blueline and outmuscled him to circle into the centre of the ice and get a shot off. His teammates coralled the missed shot, got it to the blueline and eventually scored on a deflected shot. No point for Vaisanen, but he was fighting in the crease area when the puck went in. Play under review for being tipped with a high stick. No goal.

 

[Harbour Dog]

3rd period

Team going to PK. Killed it.

12th shift, on the fly, 4:30 into period:
Chip in attempt got blocked at blueline. Then came out of 2v2 puck battle with puck and entered zone, lost control of it and defender chipped it over glass for a penalty. Shift was less than 30 seconds.

Team on PP. Allowed a shorty. Turku down 2-0.

13th shift, on the fly:
Broke up a centreing pass that would have been a dangerous chance against, then went offside by a hair when his teammates changed gears at the blueline. Blueline faceoff. Team gained entry, and he received a pass at the left blueline. Toe-dragged the first defender, then went to his backhand to get around the second and backhanded a cross-crease pass. His teammate was covered well, but got a stick on it; either the goalie got a piece, or he never got enough of it to direct it at the at the net. Vaisanen regained the puck in the opposite corner, circled off the half-wall and took a shot. There was a nice rebound, but his teammate fell on the goalie and play was blown dead.

14th shift, Def zone draw:
Almost the entire shift was spent with the puck on the d-zone board down low. He was more in his correct winger spot, covering the left point this time. Worth noting that the majority of the time, in the d-zone he is covering the centre's responsibilities; I assume because he is the first guy on the backcheck practically every time.

15th shift, on the fly:
Uneventful. Team had possession in the ozone a couple times, but they couldn't coordinate an opportunity. Don't think Vaisanen touched the puck at any point. There was one point when he was behind both defenders, ready to chase down a clear, but his teammate stopped it. Offiside. Blueline faceoff, still on. Team gained entry and he got a short pass on the right half-wall, made a simple chip pass back to his defender that resulted in a shot attempt.

16th shift, on the fly:
Received a pass on the rush, at the offensive blueline, got to the top of the circles in the centre of the ice and released a hard wristshot before getting knocked down. Goalie easily gloved it and held on for the whistle. Exactly three minutes left. May not get another shift, given the score.

TPS pull the goalie with about 1:45 left. TPS goal with 54 seconds left. Down 2-1 now.

Game over.

 

[Mac n Gs]

3rd period

Team going to PK. Killed it.

12th shift, on the fly, 4:30 into period:
Chip in attempt got blocked at blueline. Then came out of 2v2 puck battle with puck and entered zone, lost control of it and defender chipped it over glass for a penalty. Shift was less than 30 seconds.

Team on PP. Allowed a shorty. Turku down 2-0.

13th shift, on the fly:
Broke up a centreing pass that would have been a dangerous chance against, then went offside by a hair when his teammates changed gears at the blueline. Blueline faceoff. Team gained entry, and he received a pass at the left blueline. Toe-dragged the first defender, then went to his backhand to get around the second and backhanded a cross-crease pass. His teammate was covered well, but got a stick on it; either the goalie got a piece, or he never got enough of it to direct it at the at the net. Vaisanen regained the puck in the opposite corner, circled off the half-wall and took a shot. There was a nice rebound, but his teammate fell on the goalie and play was blown dead.

14th shift, Def zone draw:
Almost the entire shift was spent with the puck on the d-zone board down low. He was more in his correct winger spot, covering the left point this time. Worth noting that the majority of the time, in the d-zone he is covering the centre's responsibilities; I assume because he is the first guy on the backcheck practically every time.

15th shift, on the fly:
Uneventful. Team had possession in the ozone a couple times, but they couldn't coordinate an opportunity. Don't think Vaisanen touched the puck at any point. There was one point when he was behind both defenders, ready to chase down a clear, but his teammate stopped it. Offiside. Blueline faceoff, still on. Team gained entry and he got a short pass on the right half-wall, made a simple chip pass back to his defender that resulted in a shot attempt.

16th shift, on the fly:
Received a pass on the rush, at the offensive blueline, got to the top of the circles in the centre of the ice and released a hard wristshot before getting knocked down. Goalie easily gloved it and held on for the whistle. Exactly three minutes left. May not get another shift, given the score.

TPS pull the goalie with about 1:45 left. TPS goal with 54 seconds left. Down 2-1 now.

Game over.

Thank you for the shift-by-shift updates! I saw you compliment his skating before. Would you say it’s close to AHL/NHL caliber, and who would you say he’s comparable to as a skater?

 

[Harbour Dog]

Thank you for the shift-by-shift updates! I saw you compliment his skating before. Would you say it’s close to AHL/NHL caliber, and who would you say he’s comparable to as a skater?

For the role that he would have to play in the NHL, I don't think his skating is there yet, but it doesn't look like it would be a weakness in the AHL right now.

I think it was a bit deceptive to watch, because he was anticipating plays so well that it caught me off guard a bunch, and made it seem like he was flying around. But defenders definitely were a little too casual multiple times, and he got up on them in a hurry and forced turnovers. He's a puckhound.

The only time when he looked "slow" was one play where he was trying to hold the offensive blueline on a breakout, and he got caught flat-footed. Still recovered and was back in the play before it got through the neutral zone though.

He was very decisive without the puck, but once it was on his stick, there were definitely some nerves. To be understood, playing against men for the first time. But as the game went on, he did start to try to make more plays. The second time he used his toe drag, to get around a defender that was coming out to cover him at the left point, the guy nearly fell down.

 

[LOFIN]

God I hope Pärssinen doesn't make it (yet) for the Predators, we really need him lol (at TPS)

 

[Harbour Dog]

Wasn't really paying much attention during the first period. TPS down 1-0 after 1 despite seeming to control a lot of the action.

2nd Period

1st shift, off zone draw:
Lost a loose puck battle on the faceoff, and opponent cleared puck. TPS never really got possession back. He had a quick touch where there were like three guys on him in the neutral zone and he got the puck safely to empty ice for a teammate.

2nd shift, off zone draw:
Was part of a losing effort from the wingers to win a loose puck on the faceoff. The puck went down to TPS' end, and Sparta ended up scoring through no more fault of Vaisanen. TPS down 2-0.

3rd shift, neu zone draw:
Quickly jumped on the faceoff, grabbed the loose puck, and got zone entry with possession, but a teammate went offside somehow. Was F1 in the def zone, covering the centre of the ice, then had perhaps a partial break, but his teammates lob pass went over the glass. Short shift.

TPS 4 minute penalty. Killed the first. Killed the second; 4:55 left.

4th shift, on the fly:
Uneventful. Teammates attempted to hit him in transition twice and failed, but TPS kept retaining the puck and eventually drew a PP.

TPS PP goal. Now down 2-1 with 3 minutes left in the 2nd.

TPS PK, 2:16 left. Killed.

End of period.

 

[Harbour Dog]

"Sparta Prague coming onto the ice in front of their fans, to the dulcet tone of Nickelback"

lmao

 

[Harbour Dog]

3rd Period

5th shift, off zone draw:
Came away cleanly with the puck on the faceoff. Needed to be double teamed on the boards, and despite being pinned caused enough trouble that a teammate eventually gained possession. He went to the net, though not quite hard enough, and he was about a foot from getting his stick on a centring pass. Then he got the puck at the top of the right circle, and took a slapper; never looked like a bomb, and the goalie swallowed it up. TPS draw a PP after the whistle.

TPS PP goal; 2-2.

6th shift, neu zone draw:
Chipped the puck and exited the def zone with speed, but was pinched off along the board, and couldn't keep the rush alive. Later, in the def zone there was a miscommunication between him and the defenseman, who tried to pass it between his legs up to the halfwall, but Vaisanen had drifted higher on the point. Sparta got the puck, took it down low and eventually scored, to no more fault of Vaisanen. TPS down 3-2.

7th shift, on the fly:
backchecked off the bench to force a turnover, but the D turned it over and they spent the rest of the shift defending. Vaisanen was covering the left point, perhaps a little too tightly as Sparta's best chance was a one-timer from the high slot.

8th shift, neu zone faceoff:
Was very active, but mostly a scrambly shift. Got bodied in a board battle. Later had a chance for a controlled entry, but the pass was bouncing and in his skates.

9th shift, on the fly:
Less gap between shifts this time. Lots of energy, and speed in pressuring the puck. Team had possession for a while in the off zone and he was around in the slot/crease area, but they couldn't get out of the cycle.

10th shift, on the fly:
Uneventful until TPS drew a penalty. He beat a defender to the puck to extend the delayed call, and settled it down in the d-zone for a defenseman to start the breakout. They gained entry, and set up 6v5. He deflected a point shot that went only slightly wide, then later was able to come in off the half-wall and tried to hit a pinching defender in the centre of the ice with a pass, which was intercepted. TPS PP with 1:42 left.

End of game

 

[Kupo]

@Harbour Dog you’re the shit. Thank you for taking the time to break down his shifts and play.

 

[LOFIN]

One assist today, for the GWG of the season opener in which TPS won 5-3 against Lukko in the rematch of last seasons finals.

 

[nyr2k2]

One assist today, for the GWG of the season opener in which TPS won 5-3 against Lukko in the rematch of last seasons finals.

It's great to just see him on the team and not in U20.

Really nice pass, too.

 

[cheech70]

He looks husky

 

[nyr2k2]

He looks husky

The Liiga site lists him at 6'4" and 181.

 

[cwede]

He looks husky

 

[SingnBluesOnBroadway]

View attachment 464204

There he looks blurry.

 

[Harbour Dog]

That was his M.O. in the two CHL games of his I watched. He's off camera, then all of a sudden comes flying across the screen and takes the puck with him lol.

 

[LOFIN]

Another GWG assist tonight. No idea if this is available outside of Finland, should be I guess?
Liiga: TPS tekee 1-2 maalin - Katso ilmaiseksi mtv-palvelussa

 

[Mac n Gs]

Another GWG assist tonight. No idea if this is available outside of Finland, should be I guess?
Liiga: TPS tekee 1-2 maalin - Katso ilmaiseksi mtv-palvelussa

There’s a clip of it here

 

[egelband]

Did I see a player named “Suomi” in that clip. If so, is that a common name?