[Sandman]

Draft Thoughts (Finland Edition):

LW/C Julius Miettinen was given a "C" rating earlier this season by Central Scouting, meaning they expected him at the time to be picked in the 4th/5th round of the Draft, but I would bet he's risen significantly since then. He was selected 30th overall in the 2023 CHL Import Draft by Everett of the WHL, but his adjustment to the North American ice this season was difficult at first. In his first 27 games, Miettinen had only 15 points- but he's been playing like a first-rounder since then, with 29 points in his last 21 games, for a total of 44 points in 48 games to date. Everett is currently 2nd overall in the 'Dub, and 6th in goals-scored. The 6'3",205lb Miettinen was selected to play for team Finland last summer at the Hlinka Gretzky Cup, but only managed 1 point in 5 games.
Miettinen is a dual threat offensively, but leans a bit towards shooter, and has a power-forward makeup, playing a hard and heavy game. He uses his size well, to bulldoze his way around, and wear down the opposition by finishing his checks. He moves very well for a big man, as he demonstrated at the CHL Top Prospects Game, with a smooth stride that could perhaps use a bit more explosiveness. He shows good positioning and a smart off-puck game in both ends of the ice, and knows where to be to get the job done. He's very strong on the puck, and on his skates, making it very hard to get a takeaway from him, or knock him off stride. Miettinen owns a high-level of vision and IQ- his head is always on a swivel, scanning for his next option, and makes good decisions with the puck- although he's not an elite playmaker. His shot is strong, with a fine release, but he gets a lot of his goals by playing hard in the slot, and by being a net-front menace- he's good in tight, and will stand in front of the goaltender to hack and whack, capitalize on rebounds, or score off of deflections. His hands are soft, and he can pick corners, or deke out goalies. You would think he was a Canadian, with his superior work-ethic and compete, and his high-motor. He plays with energy, and is purported to be an excellent teammate who wants to win. Miettinen can be a shutdown center, and there are precious few flaws in his defensive game, which will bode well for getting his foot in the door in the NHL. His awareness defensively is high-end, and he consistently shuts down lanes, kills plays, and drives attackers to the outside with his physicality, and an active, well-timed stick. He played D for the first 7 years of his hockey career, so he understands the defensive side of the game. His floor is most likely high because of this, but he has potential for much more.
Miettinen is a good candidate for middle-6 NHL duty in the future, but will at least be a quality defensive forward. He needs to keep growing his offense, his shot, and his skating, but he's looking like a solid 2nd-rounder, IMO.

6'3",194lb RW Kasper Pikkarainen is big, physical, and mean- much like his father, former NHLer Ilkka Pikkarainen. Kasper is very young, with an Aug 7th Birthday, and perhaps more raw than other prospects. He led Finland in scoring at the Five Nations Cup, with 4 points in 4 games, and he's spent the majority of his time with TPS' U20 Team, collecting 11 goals, and 27 points in 32 games to date, with a cup of coffee on the Liiga team.
Pikkarainen is fairly skilled, but lacks the high-end aptitude to be a top-line player in the NHL. He still manages to get his fair share of points, and shows flashes of offensive potential. He is a good skater, but not a burner, and he's agile and solid on his skates. Pikkarainen likes to dish out punishing open-ice hits with regularity to keep opponents off their game, and is quite nasty to play against. He finishes his checks, and is a load to handle along the boards, on the forecheck, and in front of the net. He doesn't create a whole lot, but he has a rather deep arsenal of shots to choose from, and has pretty good hands around the net. Pikkarainen is a quality defensive player, which may be his ticket to the NHL. He comes back hard on the backcheck,showing awareness and proactive positioning, along with the size, physicality, and high work-ethic to have a chance in the future of playing a bottom-6 role in the NHL- with the hope and potential for more. His offense is nothing to sneeze at, but he needs to build on those flashes of offensive skill, and keep working on his skating. I'm thinking rounds 3 or 4.

It feels like Veeti Vaisanen has already been around for years, with how much he's been talked about for this draft, and the amount of hockey he's played. The 6'0",163lb LHD played in last year's 5 Nations Cup (2 points in 4 games), U-18 Tournament (2 points in 5 games), and the Hlinka Gretzky Cup (no points in 5 games). This season, he's plying his trade mostly with KooKoo's top men's team in the Liiga, which is impressive for a kid who is 17 years old- most kids his age who are mature enough to play there only get small stints. By all accounts, he doesn't look out of place playing against men, albeit in only 10 minutes average ice-time per night, and he's third in scoring for U-18 players (8 points in 36 games), and tied with Konsta Helenius for the most games this season so far. For defensemen under-20, he is currently first in games and points. In 2022-23, after starting the season at 16 years old, Vaisanen was 2nd in D scoring for U-18 players that season in the U20 league, behind Dominik Badinka.
Vaisanen is a cerebral, two-way, all-situations defenseman, who is a very responsible, modern puck-mover, and a calming presence to his team. Though he isn't playing much this year due to his inexperience in a men's league, he's a capable minute-muncher. Mobility is a big part of his game, and he indeed gets around very quickly and smoothly, with top-notch agility, edges, and balance. He will be a big part of his team's transition, as he can carry or pass through the neutral zone with speed enough to push pace, and drive play. He has excellent stickhandling and puck-control, with an arsenal of 1-on-1 moves and deception he can use to open space, and elude checks. He will activate into the offense from the point, or join the rush to create offensive chances. He walks the line to open seams, and distributes well from the point position, but he can also choose to use his hard shot, that he can get on net through traffic. His passes are hard and crisp, but he mostly keeps it simple- he's a highly efficient puck-moving rearguard, making sharp breakouts after completing his retrievals smoothly. Vaisanen exhibits proactive positioning in all areas of the ice, due to his IQ and anticipation, and keeps a tight gap on attackers. His speed gives him the ability to hunt down puck-carriers and apply pressure with his smart, well-timed stick. He regularly intercepts passes, kills rushes, and causes turnovers. I don't imagine he's seeing any special teams time this year, but he has demonstrated a proficiency for both in the past.
I believe Vaisanen's offense is underrated to a degree, but it's pretty certain that he lacks game-breaking skills, and perhaps first-pairing capability. I think he might be able to ride shotgun on an NHL team's second-pairing someday, much like Kylington. Look for him to be chosen in the second round.