[Sandman]

Draft Thoughts (Finnish Edition, Vol. 1):

LD Lasse Boelius (6'0.5",181lbs)
Assat (U20): 28gp/ 4g/ 10a/ 14pts, -7, 10 PIM
Assat (Liiga): 7gp/ 0g/ 2a/ 2pts, +1, 2 PIM

Finland hockey has been struggling the last few years, and their top prospect for the 2025 Draft may not be chosen until the third round. That prospect is lefty-defenseman Lasse Boelius, who is tied for 30th-overall in scoring by D in the U20, but is actually tied for 1st among defensemen under-18. His performance in the Junior league has earned him 7 games in Finland's top-tier Liiga (2 points), where he doesn't look at all out of place against men, even though he doesn't get to play a ton of minutes. Central Scouting's 10th-ranked EU Skater is a mobile, well-rounded, two-way puck-mover who plays important minutes, and is a calming presence on both ends of the ice for his team. He plays in all situations, and contributes well to special teams. Craig Button has him at # 46, and McKenzie has him at # 65.

Scouts like to see an elite quality or two in a prospect to build around, and in Boelius' case, that quality is his passing efficiency and accuracy that drives his puck-movement game. According to tracking data, he completes 94% of the passes he attempts, and the eye test says that most of his feeds are crisp, accurate, and right on the tape. Boelius owns a high-level of vision and awareness- he anticipates the play well, and understands how to create space for himself and for his teammates. The main pillar of Boelius' game is his puck-movement through retrievals, to the breakout, to traversal through the neutral zone via the pass. He shakes off attackers with evasiveness and deception, and usually makes good decisions under pressure to execute a high-number of quick, accurate breakouts with calmness and poise. He can stretch the ice on occasion for odd-man rushes and breakaways, and holds high value in transition from defense to offense. Boelius is an excellent skater who covers a lot of ground quickly, with smooth edges for superb agility and escapability, and the ability to separate in open ice, or outmaneuver would-be checkers. He could use more explosiveness, but that might improve as he gets stronger. He transitions seamlessly to backwards skating, and is a reliable defensive player who doesn't make many mistakes, but his positioning needs a tweak, and his gap-control looks a bit loose at times- giving attackers too much room to move. Still, he manages to apply ample pressure to puck-carriers with a well-timed stick, and plus-level awareness.

Boelius supports the rush as a secondary attacker to quarterback the play, and he runs the offense efficiently from the line, especially on the PP. He distributes well and creates chances for teammates, and will pinch in to keep pucks alive- thereby extending offensive zone time, but will also activate all the way down to the net if he spots a clear opportunity for a chance to score. There is work to be done to improve the power in his shot, but he has to develop a much more deceptive release as a lot of his shots get blocked. Another pillar of his game might be his off-puck intelligence; he always knows where to be to support the play, and is a playable option for teammates at all times. Boelius isn't really a physical player, but he manages to win puck battles and will finish his checks when needed. There are instances where he gets too risky with his passes up-ice, so he must learn patience and better decision-making. When in defensive situations, he can be eager to leave the zone early with too much focus on offense, and he could be much more impactful along the wall and in front of his net if he were to develop a more physical dimension. Boelius has the kind of puck-movement game and transitional ability that scouts covet, but while he will put up points at the NHL level, he may never be a top-pairing offensive blueliner- but rather a second-pairing two-way contributor. Look for him in the 2nd, or 3rd-round.