[Sandman]

RHD Kalle Ervasti,6'0"181lbs (Lukko U20,FIN): 35gp/3g/15a/18pts, which was 17th overall for D-men in the U20, and 3rd for players under 18. His 0.51 p/gp was close to that of Aleksi Heimosalmi (0.60). Ervasti was a key player in Lukko's championship run with 7pts in 8 games, third on the team, after finishing 7th on the team in the regular season. Ervasti can play in any situation, and plays a steady 3-zone game.

Ervasti is confident with the puck, and takes charge in the offensive zone-either by finding his teammates, or doing it by himself. He creates opportunities, and always has his head up, scanning for space and time. He possesses great playmaking skills, with crisp, accurate passing, and great puck reception. His shot is good, in that it's accurate, but he needs to work on it's velocity. He uses it to create rebounds, and general chaos around the net. He has vision and IQ in all zones-it is said that one of his specialties is rush defense. In his own zone, he has a quick stick and reads the play well-he's much more proactive than reactive. He's aware of his surroundings, puts unrelenting pressure on opposing forwards, and protects the slot.

Some reviews I read were that he was a sub-par skater in his U-16 days, 3+ years ago, but he's now a very good skater with explosive acceleration. He needs to get stronger, and work on his shot. This one seems to be a bit off the board, as nobody has him in their mocks. I would guess he's a later-round pick, in the 6th/7th round.