Le Rosbeef
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Confirmed with Link: Sharks sign Antti Suomela to 1 year ELC
- Thread starter Lebanezer
- Start date
I think it's just that guy's opinion, he's a prospect writer who covers the Liiga. Just watch highlights like this instead.
hohosaregood
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They've been drafting out of Northern Europe recently if you account for Cukste(Riga), Blichfeld(Malmo), and Balcers(Stavanger). Prior to 2013, the european scouts were just Larsson and Masopust so I'd think they were mainly scouting Central Europe and Sweden before then. Now it's Larsson and Sundstrom who are both Swedish.
Also, the Sharks website added a Nikolai Ladygin to the European scouts and I'm not sure if that's the Ladygin that scouts for Toronto or a different Ladygin that was playing in Poland. Anyways, maybe we'll get some more guys out of Russia too.
Le Rosbeef
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I do - I read his stuff on Dobber and his recent quote said he was heavily sought after. It's quite the tread back. I don't see why he would sign a 1 year contract and not come over when others would (supposedly) play him!
Shark Finn
∀dministrator
I edited my post after you quoted it, I counted all the draft picks from various countries since Doug took over as GM. They clearly haven’t done a lot of scouting in Europe until recently, so I hope it changes as well.
Since Doug started as GM here are the Sharks draft picks by country of origin
USA: 44
Canada: 39
Germany: 8 (Hospelt, Ehelechner, Greiss, Pielmeier, Bielke, Abeltshauser, O'Regan and Wiederer)
Russia: 4 (Sobchenko, Galimov, Goldobin, Chekhovich)
Sweden: 4 (Hult, Zackrisson, Bergvik, Bergman)
Czech Republic: 3 (All 1st round picks, Hertl, Kaspar, Michalek)
Switzerland: 3 (Mueller, Rod, Meier)
Latvia: 2 (Cukste, Balcers)
Denmark: 1 (Blichfeld)
Finland: 1 (Sateri)
Slovakia: 1 (Viedensky)
hohosaregood
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Not sure if O'Regan, Abeltshauser, Wiederer, Goldobin, Chekhovich, Mueller, and Meier count since all these guys were playing in NA at the time they were drafted. O'Regan's actually an American but born in Germany. For the most part, they probably have a little bit of their European play on their scouting profiles but they must be mainly NA scouted. I do think there's gonna be a bigger focus on European scouting going forward just dunno how much of a focus though. We just need more scouts in general really. Based on this chart from last year, we have a fairly small team.
TomasHertlsRooster
Don’t say eye test when you mean points
Our scouts suck because they’re obsessed with American players and even when they pick non-Americans, they pick Europeans who play an American style of game like Hertl, Mueller, and Meier.
It makes a lot more sense when you consider that Tim Burke is a good ol Massachusetts boy.
It makes a lot more sense when you consider that Tim Burke is a good ol Massachusetts boy.
I only put the country of origins because it shows how, even if you include the countries, limited the scouting staff's viewership is. They basically only scout the US and Canada.
Mueller plays his own game. There's no name for it yet because no one knows exactly how to describe it.
209
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Satastic
Nazi punks **** off
hohosaregood
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I'll probably look at the numbers for other teams at some point because I don't necessarily thinking an NA based scouting strategy is that bad of an idea but we don't seem to have the scouts to maximize on that. It's pretty frustrating to look back on the scouting roster and see that there's been very little change to the scouts until fairly recently and even then, half of the scouts we have have been with the team since at least the 05-06 season.
I don't think mostly scouting NA is a bad idea either, and I'm sure it's very common with most teams. It just seems silly not to scout countries with such a large hockey community more seriously.
hohosaregood
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Props to whoever the guy in the FO pushing for the scouting revamp =though. Now they've got guys under the age of 40 scouting, got some more european scouts, and got Nabby (assumably) scouting goalies too.
Now, let's see if it pays off. My money is on probably not.
OrrNumber4
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What I know of Suomela;
2015-2016 team Espoo Blues went to bankrupt in the middle of the season. Team couldn't pay their stars players their salaries so they sold everyone in firesale. So rest of the season team went with their young players and juniors. Huge opportunity to everyone to show they can play in big boys league and the biggest impact was made by Antti Suomela. 13+13=26 was the best point total of the team, which also tells something about Blues team performance also. But that was his break through to mens hockey. Same time Donskoi was breaked to NHL which was huge suprise for me.
The guy who had marked Suomela was JYP player-coordinator Holtari (also been scout for CBJ and Boston [could be still as headscout of europe for them]). He though at the time Suomela could be one of the best in Liiga, but NHL could be out of reach given to his potential. So he signed Suomela right a way to JYP and team fans were at the time already clear they have gotten the steal of summer.
Next season Suomela started in JYP and was centerman of offensive line. JYP had bringed back Hytönen, who is allknown for excellent defencefirst centerman and short handed specialist. Also been captain for years before stunt in Switzerland, so Suomela got little bit easier minutes and no-one waited for him to take lead of the team. Still 22+23=45 was excellent point total for the guy who played first "full" season in Liiga. Again he had team best point total.
Next season JYP bringed to the team even bigger teamlegend than Hytönen: Jarkko Immonen. Even though time has passed of Immonen, he was still big name for the league. Even though Suomela had played great season he now dropped down as a 'third-line centerman'. Immonen was the firstline because he is in Liiga measure excellent powerplay powerhouse with his excellent passing game and also a short-handed, he has always been good in his own zone. So JYP had two top5 centerman in the league to play short-handed and defence starts. Plus both are good in faceoffs. That is why Suomela didn't get like zero playtime in short-handed or final minutes of the game when leading or own zone faceoffs. It's not his fault, there just was two adept guys to play those situations.
And for the powerplay that was Immonen who get the minutes and best wingers. He is in Liiga rate excellent passer and playmaker. And for Suomela he did play in second unit, but powerplay dosen't work so great in his style of play. In powerplay you have to be calm with the puck and found the plays and places were to pass. That dosen't fit for Suomela who is in best when game goes fast and you have to make play as a reaction.
Suomela even though played for those reason a lot less minutes than Immonen and Hytönen he still managed to do 21+39=60. Best point total entire league. First JYP player to do that. Later season was cold moment when Suomela game had issues, but it was that time when his new deal for HIFK was annouced. It maybe got into him. And when he was interwieved about the contact he said so stupidly "I dont think I'll play for HIFK next season". The contract was like a insurace he would still get paid like a superstar in Liiga eventhough he would like got hurt at the end of season. But when the contract was annouced Suomela had a lot of interest in NHL and his mind was all the way focused to america. Pretty huge mess which was kind a Suomela own fault with idiotic interwiev, but I can see that effected his playoff performance as well. And the national. Plus in playoffs Immonen was bigger disappointment and in nationals Finland coach Marjamäki fell down again. I mean that team needed centermans and fast skaters but he still dropped out Suomela for heavyleg winger who was just played under Marjamäki some years ago. Guys who were familiar to Marjamäki had shorter road to the team, sad but true.
Lets sum up, he is fast skater, has good hockey iq and pretty good everything except; battles near the board. So good in fast counter attacks but not so-good holding his men in defence. Or is, but when he has to battle for position then there might be a problem. Power and balance.
Im not sure were Suomela is training for summer, might be the trainees in Helsinki who has a record making NHL players. Power and balance are the biggest weakpoints imo for him to be NHL player. Or only those are his weakpoints, in other game situations he his ready to go imo.
That said Suomela cannot be replacement for Tierney. #50 is way more better in defence than Suomela. But as a fourth-line centerman, I could see that. With Sörensen I could see Suomela getting to play his game. Sörensen is like better version of Jerry Turkulainen who was great linemate for Suomela because the speed.
We'll see.
Suomela name can cut in half btw, 'suo' means swamp and 'mela' dick. So Swampdick.
2015-2016 team Espoo Blues went to bankrupt in the middle of the season. Team couldn't pay their stars players their salaries so they sold everyone in firesale. So rest of the season team went with their young players and juniors. Huge opportunity to everyone to show they can play in big boys league and the biggest impact was made by Antti Suomela. 13+13=26 was the best point total of the team, which also tells something about Blues team performance also. But that was his break through to mens hockey. Same time Donskoi was breaked to NHL which was huge suprise for me.
The guy who had marked Suomela was JYP player-coordinator Holtari (also been scout for CBJ and Boston [could be still as headscout of europe for them]). He though at the time Suomela could be one of the best in Liiga, but NHL could be out of reach given to his potential. So he signed Suomela right a way to JYP and team fans were at the time already clear they have gotten the steal of summer.
Next season Suomela started in JYP and was centerman of offensive line. JYP had bringed back Hytönen, who is allknown for excellent defencefirst centerman and short handed specialist. Also been captain for years before stunt in Switzerland, so Suomela got little bit easier minutes and no-one waited for him to take lead of the team. Still 22+23=45 was excellent point total for the guy who played first "full" season in Liiga. Again he had team best point total.
Next season JYP bringed to the team even bigger teamlegend than Hytönen: Jarkko Immonen. Even though time has passed of Immonen, he was still big name for the league. Even though Suomela had played great season he now dropped down as a 'third-line centerman'. Immonen was the firstline because he is in Liiga measure excellent powerplay powerhouse with his excellent passing game and also a short-handed, he has always been good in his own zone. So JYP had two top5 centerman in the league to play short-handed and defence starts. Plus both are good in faceoffs. That is why Suomela didn't get like zero playtime in short-handed or final minutes of the game when leading or own zone faceoffs. It's not his fault, there just was two adept guys to play those situations.
And for the powerplay that was Immonen who get the minutes and best wingers. He is in Liiga rate excellent passer and playmaker. And for Suomela he did play in second unit, but powerplay dosen't work so great in his style of play. In powerplay you have to be calm with the puck and found the plays and places were to pass. That dosen't fit for Suomela who is in best when game goes fast and you have to make play as a reaction.
Suomela even though played for those reason a lot less minutes than Immonen and Hytönen he still managed to do 21+39=60. Best point total entire league. First JYP player to do that. Later season was cold moment when Suomela game had issues, but it was that time when his new deal for HIFK was annouced. It maybe got into him. And when he was interwieved about the contact he said so stupidly "I dont think I'll play for HIFK next season". The contract was like a insurace he would still get paid like a superstar in Liiga eventhough he would like got hurt at the end of season. But when the contract was annouced Suomela had a lot of interest in NHL and his mind was all the way focused to america. Pretty huge mess which was kind a Suomela own fault with idiotic interwiev, but I can see that effected his playoff performance as well. And the national. Plus in playoffs Immonen was bigger disappointment and in nationals Finland coach Marjamäki fell down again. I mean that team needed centermans and fast skaters but he still dropped out Suomela for heavyleg winger who was just played under Marjamäki some years ago. Guys who were familiar to Marjamäki had shorter road to the team, sad but true.
Lets sum up, he is fast skater, has good hockey iq and pretty good everything except; battles near the board. So good in fast counter attacks but not so-good holding his men in defence. Or is, but when he has to battle for position then there might be a problem. Power and balance.
Im not sure were Suomela is training for summer, might be the trainees in Helsinki who has a record making NHL players. Power and balance are the biggest weakpoints imo for him to be NHL player. Or only those are his weakpoints, in other game situations he his ready to go imo.
That said Suomela cannot be replacement for Tierney. #50 is way more better in defence than Suomela. But as a fourth-line centerman, I could see that. With Sörensen I could see Suomela getting to play his game. Sörensen is like better version of Jerry Turkulainen who was great linemate for Suomela because the speed.
We'll see.
Suomela name can cut in half btw, 'suo' means swamp and 'mela' dick. So Swampdick.
Maladroit
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Antti Swampdick. I knew I liked this guy.
PacificOceanPotion
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boylerroom
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Shark Finn
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vilpertti
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Also Suomela really derives from Suomi (Finland) and means something along the lines of "place of Finland".
poppap527
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Further, Antti is the finnish version of Andrew, which is derived from the greek word Andros, which means Manly(Strong and courageous).
In it's full form, it's broken down to Manly Swampdick. I think the team found a winner here.
