[Sandman]

Draft Thoughts (Islander Edition):

There was a time a few years back when LHC Joona Saarelainen was considered to be one of the top 2 or 3 Finnish players in the U-16 age group, but it seems he's not even in the top-3 rounds of most lists these days. Saarelainen wears an "A" for KalPa's U20 team, where he has registered 13 goals, and 36 points in 41 games, with a cup o' coffee on their Liiga team, picking up 1 assist in 8 games. Finland's international U-18 teams have been missing some of their stars this season, so players like Saarelainen have had to step up, but the results for him have been mixed- he captained the Hlinka team, and only finished with 2 points in 5 games, but he really turned heads at the U-18 Five Nations, where he was tied for the tournament lead, with 6 goals in 4 games, which accounted for half of Team Finland's goals-for at the event. The big knock against Saarelainen is his size- he's only 5'9",176lbs, but if you're going to pick up a small player, this is the kind of profile you want that player to have.

Saarelainen is a playmaker, who makes teammates around him better, and best of all- he drives play. His hockey sense is top-notch, and he has a well-developed passing game, where he can pass through traffic to high-danger consistently, off of either side of his blade, even through feet, over sticks, and through triangles. His deception game facilitates everything he does, and he has an acute knowledge of how to find, create, and open space- he's proficient at drawing defenders towards him, then passing against the grain to the open area. He's a quick skater, perhaps not a blazer, but he can beat most kids his age in puck-races with his high motor, and by keeping his legs pumping hard. His low center of gravity gives him uncommon balance, making him solid on his skates, and hard to knock off the puck. He's very strong on his edges, and very agile, which helps him in small areas, and gives him lateral quickness to elude danger. To augment these abilities, he has fast hands and is a stickhandling wizard with high-end moves to burn opponents, such as fakes, dekes, and toe-drags- he moves through checks with the puck seemingly on a string. 5 Nations aside, he's usually not a huge threat to score, but has certainly shown the ability to finish- although he was used primarily as a winger in that tournament, which might give him better looks. He owns a good shot with a quality release, but needs to add more power to it- he gets a lot of his goals by changing the angle of his blade to make his shots hard to read for goalies, and by using opponents as screens. He finishes in-tight by beating goalies 1-on-1, and going to the net to cash in on rebounds.

One of Saarelainen's main strengths is his ability to drive the play in transition, often going coast-to-coast for both exits and entries with control, several times a game. He can stickhandle with a couple of defenders draped over him, when he's not going through, or around them. Despite his size, he plays a fairly robust physical game, complete with hits to dislodge pucks, and the ability to win battles in all of the greasy areas- he's not afraid to go to war along the wall, in the corners, or in front of the net. His low center of gravity helps him to stay on his feet after delivering a hit, or receiving one. Saarelainen plays with high-end motor, never letting up, and never giving up on plays, keeping his feet pumping and staying active. He's got impeccable character, works hard, and respects the game, setting an example for teammates- he's put the Finns on his back a few times. His defensive game is another big plus- he's highly aware, never outworked, and engages with his body. Opponents get frustrated with his relentless puck-pursuit, and the excellent use of his stick to break up plays, and turn the puck around into swift exits. His off-puck game is exemplary in all 3 zones- he makes himself always playable, and is constantly in the right place with solid positioning.

Only Saarelainen's offensive game is in question, as his numbers in the J20 from this year and last are not that impressive. He already plays a mature, well-developed game when it comes to defense and transition, and the underlying numbers confirm that he's a stalwart in these areas. It has been said that he's a natural center, but I wonder how he would do on the wing in league play for an extended period of time- I can't see him playing center at the next level at his size anyway. I think he'll be picked in the 4th, or 5th round. "Saarelainen" means "Islander" in Finnish, btw...