[Sandman]

LW Kalle Vaisanen,6'4"181lbs (TPS U20, FIN): 27gp/9g/21a/30pts,34PIM. Kalle's p/gp puts him in the same stratosphere as other draft standouts like Oliver Kapanen (1.11), Niko Huuhtanen (0.92),Samu Tuomaala (1.03), Sami Paivarinta (0.92), and second-year eligible Oliver Suni (1.08). Put up only 1pt in the U-18s. Vaisanen shoots right, but plays the left side to make his shot more dangerous.

Vaisanen drives play, and creates scoring opportunities-he's more of a playmaker than shooter, but he owns a good, quick shot that he should use more. He sees the ice well, and can unleash a variety of good passes, often without looking, and makes quick decisions. He can find the most difficult seams, and completes the vast majority of his pass attempts-80% at one point. He's also known to be a guy who plays a heavy game with jam-he uses his size to his advantage, to win battles or create turnovers. Throws big hits. He's relentless on the forecheck, at one point winning 90% of his offensive zone challenges. His puckhandling is good, and he has a wide array of slick moves to get around defenders, and can stickhandle through traffic. On the PP, he sets up on the half-wall, and directs the offense. He has a long reach and good positioning on the backcheck.

His skating has some mixed reviews, but most say that he's at least average-to above average. There are a few, like myself, that see him as having pretty exceptional mobility for a guy his size, with a solid top speed. He was talked about having average footspeed in 2020, but he's improved since. He could still stand to add strength to his legs to get better acceleration, but it's good. He also needs to fill out his frame, as he's still raw, but there's plenty of potential. He also needs to bring more defensively. I'm thinking 4th/5th round.