Prospect Info: Santeri Airola (7th round, #210 overall, 2019)

[Lust for Life]

Santeri Airola at eliteprospects.com

(#211 overall, I don't know how to edit titles)

Click to read more...

 

[Shrimper]

I'm going to misspell his surname as Ariola at some point.

 

[Sidney the Kidney]

What a boob of a pick.

 

[Tacitus Kilgore]

They name this guy after that sublime song?

 

[Tacitus Kilgore]

I'm going to misspell his surname as Ariola at some point.

Thats everyday life for that lad

 

[Peat]

Scores a crapload of points for his division, funny name, I'm in.

 

[dogthateats]

 

[Peat]

It's just not a Pens draft until you spend a late rounder on an mobile puck moving Finnish dman.

 

[Jaded-Fan]

What a reach!!!!

JK.

 

[Randy Butternubs]

What a waste of a pick.

 

[Honour Over Glory]

What a boob of a pick.

Don't be such a tit. He's got the breast shot at a career as he has nothing to lose being picked this late.

 

[Jacob]

Don't be such a tit. He's got the breast shot at a career as he has nothing to lose being picked this late.

He’s going to help us create some wonderful mammaries.

 

[Peat]

I don't know in what context Airola was involved with Finland U20, they used 26 dmen over the year, and I don't know how many others were draft eligible, but 7 games as an 18 year old for a country filled to the brim with quality blueliners is solid (and in line with Thomson/Heinola), and his 4 points was more than all other dmen except 4, and the best ppg out of anyone playing more than 5 games. I'd love to know the details, maybe they were against the San Marino U20s, but that's kinda encouraging.

 

[SouthGeorge]

He doesn't fit the identity of this team.. He's not french Canadian.

 

[Beauner]

I dont practice santeri, I ain't got no airola

 

[Jacob]

Will he be in Mestis or SM-Liiga next season?

 

[Peat]

Will he be in Mestis or SM-Liiga next season?

Mestis.

 

[jmelm]

Steal of the draft. I was expecting him to go in the top 20.

 

[Honour Over Glory]

He’s going to help us create some wonderful mammaries.

Damn it.

You win.

 

[JTG]

I like taking overagers with late round picks. Gets them into the system faster where we have more control over their development.

 

[lastcupever75]

Another reach

Could have got him in the 10th round

 

[Burn]

I see multiple cups in his future.

Hopefully C or D's.

 

[mirasane]

Airola is great last round pick. He has been touted as the best defender prospect of SaiPa in 2000's or maybe ever. SaiPa has produced some NHL players over the years (Jussi Markkanen, Petri Skriko, Antti Aalto, Vesa Viitakoski, Petteri Nokelainen) but has yet to have a defender to enter NHL from SaiPa (well Urho Vaakanainen of Boston Bruins played in SaiPa before his NHL career but he never played in SaiPa youth teams).

Last season he played 7 games in Finland's U20 team and had the second best PPG of all defenders. The only one with better stats was Henri Jokiharju who already plays in NHL. Stats can be seen here: Finland U20 (all) at eliteprospects.com

Airola has world class shot which he showed in the few minutes of playing time he got in SaiPa's FEL-team. In his best game against JYP he shot a wicked wrister from the blueline. There was no mask but the shot was Patrik Laine caliber fast and the goalie simply didn't or couldn't react in time. The shot hit crossbar and Airola's first FEL goal didn't become reality.

He is definitely an interesting prospect. Bit of a late bloomer but seems to be making huge steps. Next season he will play in Ketterä, the reigning Mestis-champions where he is projected to get a significant role in power play. SaiPa would have wanted him for their FEL team but for some reason Airola decided to go to a lower level team - maybe because he is likely to get bigger role than in SaiPa where he would have been a rotation player only.

 

[MetalheadPenguinsFan]

Don't be such a tit. He's got the breast shot at a career as he has nothing to lose being picked this late.

Except if he....fell flat right out the gate. Due to just plain sucking??

I can see why some folks aren’t very perky about this pick.

 

[mirasane]

Airola was just selected to Finland's WJC-camp. The invited defenders and their draft picks are following

Airola Santeri
Heinola Ville (#20)
Honka Anttoni (#83)
Kokkonen Mikko (#84)
Nousiainen Kim (#119)
Seppälä Peetro (undrafted)
Thomson Lassi (#19)
Utunen Toni (#130 in 2018)

Being in that group is already a merit as Finland has now quite many defensive prospects.
Last year only 3 Finnish defenders were drafted, this summer the number was 9.

Some of the ones not invited to this WJC camp were Antti Tuomisto (35th pick), Miska Kukkonen (125th pick 2018), Santeri Hatakka (184th pick) and Kalle Koponen (204th pick).