The end of the regular season is beginning at all levels of Finnish hockey.
Tampere-based Ilves and Tappala are at the top of the table in La Liga, with Jukrit in third place, ahead of many of the more expensive teams such as HIFK and Kerpet. Somewhat surprisingly, KooKoo are currently the top-ranked team at U20 level, followed by Kärpät and his Tappara, who are used to success at this level.
Let’s take a closer look at some of the leads that changed in some way over the past month.
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Niko Huutanen, RW, Jukrit (Tampa Bay Lightning)
Niko Huutanen’s progress in recent years has been steady and he is now at the point where he is arguably one of the most dangerous forwards in La Liga. He played in 11 games and scored 13 points in January, which was the fourth highest of all skaters in La Liga. Although he only scored four times, his 55 shots on goal were also the third-most among all forwards.
In addition to the player himself, Jukrit and his head coach Olli Jokinen deserve a lot of credit for Huutanen’s success. He’s been used smartly and is put in a position to succeed offensively while expanding his skill set in subtle ways. Huutanen is still primarily a shooter-first, but his playmaking has taken a definite step under Jokinen’s tutelage.
Huutanen’s departure next season remains unclear. It’s possible the Lightning could sign him in the summer and bring him to the AHL, but there are also rumors of him moving to the SHL. Regardless of the decision, it seems more likely than ever that Huutanen will eventually play a game in the NHL.
Heikki Ruohonen, C, Kikko Espoo U20 (2024 NHL Draft)
There is currently no hotter player on the Finnish U20 circuit than Heikki Ruohonen. The 6-foot-1 pivot has been relied on as a defensive presence for the U18 national team this season, but it is on offense that he has exploded in recent months. In January, he was the most productive player in the U20 league, adding 13 points in the last five games.
What makes Luhonen’s performance even more impressive is that he’s not playing on a particularly good offensive team. Ruohonen himself is driving the bus. As of this writing, he has scored over 20 points more than his third most productive member on the team.
Luohonen’s emergence as one of the top producers at U20 level should force the national team’s coaching staff to take a more critical look at his role. He is expected to be one of the most interesting mid-round prospects from Finland in this year’s draft.
For more on Ruohonen’s game, check out my recent Scout’s Notebook article.
Jere Lasila, C, JYP (2024 NHL Draft, re-entry)
The World Juniors proved to be a turning point in Jere Lasila’s season. He’s been on a roll lately, adding eight points in his last five games and scoring a respectable 20 points in 37 games with JYP. This is the fourth highest score among all U20 skaters in La Liga.
While JYP has been in turmoil in recent months, Lasila has been a mainstay on the top line and was recently named one of the alternate captains, an extremely unusual feat for a player of his age. Of course, there is no doubting Lasila’s leadership qualities, having long captained the 2004-born Finnish national team, including the recent World Juniors.
Lasila has already gone undrafted twice and is unlikely to change that next summer, but his play in recent league games and his heroics in the all-important international games have led to some NHL Lasila could be a final round target for the team.
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Veeti Vaisanen, D, Kukoo (2024 NHL Draft)
Veeti Vaisanen ended up being the last man left in the Finnish defense, unable to showcase his game in front of hundreds of scouts at the World Juniors. Instead, he returned to La Liga and eventually increased his playing time, logging over 11 minutes in every game with Cucu since January 13th.
Skating remains Vizenen’s best asset, at least performing slightly above average as predicted by our metrics. At U20 level, he is a dominant defensive presence, thanks to the gap control and physicality instilled in his game from his experience in La Liga. He doesn’t have the same advantage against men yet, but he is on track to be a strong defensive presence there as well.
The main question for Vaisenen is how much offensive power he will bring at the next level. So far, he remains unwanted in this area, having underperformed at U20 level. Still, I still rate him as the second-best Finnish blueliner prospect in this year’s class.
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Alexi Heimosalmi, D, Essat (Carolina Hurricanes)
Alexi Heimosalmi would have ended up in the AHL again this season if the Hurricanes didn’t have an affiliate team, forcing many of the organization’s top prospects to return to Europe. Instead, Heimosalmi had to return to Essat for a third season, with less-than-flattering results.
Heimo Salmi’s role within the team has fluctuated greatly, largely due to Essat’s injury on the blue line, and he only recently started playing consistently big minutes. His performance has stagnated, with only five of his past 20 games having him on the scoresheet.
Much has been made about Heimosarmi’s strengths not fitting with Essat’s structure and preferred style of play. There is a possibility that you can recover in a different environment. However, as it stands, the Finnish prospect who was the first pick in the 2021 draft has been passed by many of his peers in the same class.
Emile Jarventy, LW, Couvey (Pittsburgh Penguins)
It’s been a tough season for Emil Jarventi. His performance at Mestis improved from last season, but only slightly. Given the league’s quality trends over the past few years, drafted U19 forwards (known primarily for their offensive skills) tend to score at least 17 points in 35 games, even if they’re playing on a weaker team. should have been left behind.
In addition to aggregate statistics, Jarventi’s underlying metrics were also weaker than expected, even when adjusted for teammates. At U20 level, he only scored one point in five games, and whenever there was a chance to catch him there, he didn’t look very exciting. He still has time to bounce back, but based on his current trajectory, he will have to fight hard to earn a spot on next year’s WJC roster.