Photo: Carl Sandin / BILDBYRÅN / kod CS / CS0473
Konsta Helenius
2024 NHL Entry Draft (Round 1, #14, Buffalo)
Position: C/W, Shoots: R
H/W: 5’11”, 189lbs
Date of Birth: 2006-05-11
Stats to Date: 27GP, 6-11-17, 16 PIM with Rochester (AHL)
Konsta Helenius has always had a big name as a smart, skilled, up-and-coming prospect in Finland, but it was his play at the international level that really hammered home his potential for NHL scouts. Helenius came into the limelight a couple of years ago in 2022-2023 with his play at the U17s and U18s for Finland, where he showcased his cerebral playmaking abilities and strong defensive acumen. At the U17s, Helenius was an assist machine, tallying a total of 9 assists and 11 points in a mere 7 games. Playing as an underage that same year at the U18s, Helenius was a force in the faceoff circle, showing he could be counted on as a responsible player at key moments. Now playing in the AHL with the Rochester Americans after two seasons with Jukurit in the Finnish Liiga, Helenius is making strong steps toward his potential.
Helenius’ game is built on a myriad of skills: he’s quick to make plays, he’s always in the right position, and his passing is on a whole other level, heads above his peers. But all of these skills are built on one foundation: Helenius’ smarts. It’s his smarts that allow him to see and make plays before they happen; they also enable him to know where to be across all zones of the ice, ready to make that next pass or break up an opposing play. And it’s his smarts that allow him to be a cerebral playmaker, finding open teammates at the tap of a stick on the ice. Helenius’ smarts serve as the driving force behind his game and are the reason he will be able to be counted on in the offensive and defensive zones as a future NHLer. The question remains, however, whether his other skills are as high-end as his smarts. Is his shot particularly dynamic? Is his skating good enough to be a shutdown number one or number two centre? The scouting world lacks a consensus. It’s up to Helenius to show that his toolkit is there, or can get there.
Helenius has already shown that he can read and make plays on North American ice. Helenius had an excellent career playing as an underage with Jukurit in the Finnish Liiga, and his transition to Rochester has been almost seamless. But Helenius still has room to grow. Helenius still has room to improve on his skating, particularly his edgework. This will come with time, but having Helenius improve on his edgework will allow him to make easier pivots to fuel his superb playmaking abilities. Helenius also has room to improve his physicality. He doesn’t need to be a player who hits everything that moves, but he can learn to better use his body to edge and box other players out, particularly pro players who are bigger and stronger than he is. Helenius has the tools to be a future middle-six player in the NHL, perhaps even a top-of-the-line forward, but improving his physicality will allow him to mold into a centre that can defend against the NHL’s best players. Can he be the next Phillip Danault or Mikael Backlund? Is his offensive ceiling high enough to be the next Elias Lindholm? Time will tell.
Characteristics
Skating
Helenius isn’t a bad skater by any means, but I wouldn’t call him a great skater, either. Helenius has good straight-line speed, which will allow him to join the rush and make plays at the NHL level, but it’s not game-breaking speed. With smaller players under the stereotypical 6’0” threshold, NHL teams would hope that someone with smaller size like Helenius would be a little quicker, but Helenius appears to be near average in terms of NHL speed. Other aspects of his game make up for his average speed and smaller frame, but if Helenius could improve his speed he could really separate himself as a playmaker.
In terms of other areas of improvement, there’s room for Helenius to improve his skating by working on his edgework. At times Helenius’ pivots and turns can look quite choppy, which delays his reaction time to oncoming and opposing plays. Helenius is only 18 and is still adjusting to the North American game, but with the smaller ice sheet players really need to be able to utilize their turns and pivots to maximize other aspects of their game.
Ultimately, Helenius’ current skating won’t prevent him from becoming an important, impactful player in the NHL. But in saying that, there still is room for improvement. If Helenius could improve his speed and edgework in only a slight way, there’s a great possibility that any such improvement could allow other areas of Helenius’ game to flourish.
Here’s a clip of Helenius’ straight-line speed. His skating allows him to keep up with the 2-on-1 rush, where he ultimately finishes on a pass from Riley Fiddler-Schultz and scores against the Utica Comets. Helenius has NHL-calibre straight-line speed.
In this clip, Helenius is able to use his speed to beat an opposing defender, leading to a breakaway. Helenius uses his quick release to score against the Utica Comets.
I like this clip from the U18s because it shows Helenius’ ability to put some power behind his stride when required. He engages with a Slovakian defender, breaks away, and staves off another defender before releasing a shot on net.
Here’s a perfect clip showing the combination of Helenius’ straight-line speed with his skill. He uses his speed to deke past a defender, leading to a scoring chance.
GRADE: 50
Shot
Helenius’ shot is highly divisive among many scouts. Some scouts would argue that it is above NHL average. And they’re probably not wrong - Helenius can fire shots from anywhere with a very quick release, startling any goalie. Other scouts, however, would argue that those quick shots don’t always have much power behind them. It ultimately depends on what you value in a shooter - does a quick release matter more than having a powerful shot? I would argue you need both to truly be above NHL average. For these reasons, I’d be comfortable giving Helenius a grade slightly above NHL average. But more consistency is needed there.
In terms of areas of improvement, shot selection is really hindering Helenius’ potential as a shooter. It’s very important for a forward to be willing to shoot from almost anywhere - usually, the more shots you take, the better the chances are that one of them goes in. But shooting in abundance also has its negatives; it can destroy potential plays that can be made to teammates. You’ll see some of that in Helenius’ clips, where at times it feels like he’s forcing a shot on net that isn’t there. More seasoning in the AHL will help Helenius figure it out, and I’m extremely confident he will.
Here’s a clip of Helenius’ quick release in action. On a powerplay against the Cleveland Monsters, Helenius fires a quick shot on a knuckle puck past the Monsters’ goaltender.
I’m a little indifferent to this shot from Helenius. Instead of holding on to the puck for a little longer and trying to make a play, he shoots it on net. That can be the right play, especially with an opposing defender closing in on you, but Helenius doesn’t shoot for a controlled rebound. The rebound ends up exiting the zone with a Laval Rocket forward.
I don’t mind this shot from Helenius. He’s being defended against very well by a Syracuse Crunch forward, so he puts a quick shot on net that could be deflected or used as a rebound.
This is a clip of Helenius’ quick release with his pinpoint accuracy. He takes the puck in close, uses a quick deke and scores against the Utica Comets. A nice play from Helenius here.
Here’s a clip from Helenius at the U18s, where he tries to pick a corner against Slovakia on the power play. I don’t mind this shot at all. Good players try to make good plays!
I like this low shot because he’s shooting for a rebound. Smart play by Helenius here.
This is a combinatory clip of Helenius’ quick release with some real power behind his shot. I would like to see this more often, even if he needs to miss the net a couple of times before he figures out how to place it.
GRADE: 52.5
Skills
Put simply, Helenius is a superb passer who knows how to make plays. Oftentimes I’m in awe of how he can find teammates from almost anywhere on the ice. Helenius has shown his playmaking and passing abilities at all levels of hockey: junior, pro, and even on the international stage. Helenius was a playmaking machine against his peers at the U17s in 2022-2023. He was always a threat to generate a scoring chance, and he parlayed his great play into a very strong showing as an underager at the U18s that same year. But it was his second season in the Finnish Liiga with Jukurit, in addition to his second stint at the U18s in 2023-2024, where Helenius really showed his prowess as a playmaker. You don’t get 22 assists playing against men by accident, especially when a good chunk of them could deserve to be on a highlight reel, and you don’t get 7 assists in 5 games on the international stage by accident. I would like Helenius to be a bit more of an assertive playmaker in the pro game, but he can make plays.
As far as Helenius’ other skills go, I would say his stick skills are at or near NHL average. He can deke defenders and make nice moves, but I wouldn’t say that’s the biggest sticking point of his game. The flash in his game comes from his playmaking abilities, not his stick handling. But don’t get me wrong - he can still make great moves to beat goalies in tight. Helenius is also a very strong centre in the faceoff circle, especially for someone his age. He can be counted on to take big faceoffs in the offensive and defensive zones at any given time of the game. There’s a lot to like with this player, especially in the skill department.
Here’s a nice play of Helenius showing his skill in-tight against the Laval Rocket, which almost results in a goal. Nice play here from the Finnish forward.
I like Helenius’ willingness to try to go behind the legs on this play against Latvia at the U18s. He’s not afraid to try to make plays, which shows he has great confidence in himself as a playmaker on the international stage.
Here’s a nice play by Helenius in-tight to score a goal against the Utica Comets. Some basic dekes here, but they’re good enough to stun the goalie, which allows Helenius to fire a quick shot which results in a goal.
This is a clip of Helenius in alone on a breakaway in Finnish league play. Not the quickest set of hands, but he doesn’t give up on the play and scores on the rebound.
Here’s a nice feed from Helenius which helps create a goal against the Belleville Senators.
Similar move here from Helenius that he used against the Laval Rocket.
A clean faceoff win here from Helenius in the defensive zone.
Smart play by Helenius here to set up a goal after the initial play doesn’t go as planned.
Finally, here’s a shootout clip from Helenius. Very good move here.
GRADE: 57.5
Smarts
This is the bread and butter of Helenius’ game. He can create plays from anywhere on the ice, and he does this so easily because he knows the play is about to happen before it actually happens. Helenius’ smarts also apply to his work in the defensive zone. He just knows where to be, and he can mitigate opposing plays before they happen. Helenius has had some adjusting to do with the North American pro game, but his smarts will allow him to carve out a long NHL career. There’s really not much for me to say about Helenius’ smarts, which don’t already speak for themselves, and you’ll see it in action in the following clips. This is a very smart hockey player who can play at both ends of the ice, and his strong play allows him to make up for his teammates’ mistakes. He’s very impressive in this regard, and I have no doubt that he’ll be a very successful player at both ends of the ice in the NHL.
Here’s a clip of Helenius knowing how a play will turn out before it happens. Playing the right point, Helenius knows he has a forward crashing the net after the end of the faceoff. He puts it right near his teammates’ stick for a possible deflection. Very smart work here by Helenius.
Here’s a clip from Helenius on the powerplay against the Syracuse Crunch. He knows he has to shoot for a rebound, so he puts it low on net, creating a scoring opportunity. It’s the simple plays like these that show how smart Helenius is as a playmaker.
This is another clip about Helenius’ anticipation of the play. He flanks the Laval Rocket defender before reappearing ready for a pass in the slot.
I like this clip from Helenius because it shows his awareness in the defensive zone. He’s in a good position here to break up a play while playing in the Finnish Liiga.
This clip is great because it shows the trust the Rochester Americans’ coaching staff has in Helenius. He’s playing on the penalty kill as an 18-year-old. Good positioning here enables him to thwart a play from the Syracuse Crunch.
This might be one of my favourite clips from Helenius. He tracks back into his own zone, but he actually stops in front of the net, which allows him to prevent an opposing goal. Many forwards would keep skating, but not Helenius. A very good play by the Finnish forward.
GRADE: 60
Physicality/Compete
For someone a little under six foot, Helenius sure isn’t afraid to shy away from physical battles all over the ice. He has been more assertive physically on the international stage against his peers than at the pro level, which is to be expected, but I’m impressed with Helenius’ unafraid attitude to get in the rough areas. He’s a strong player, especially on his stick, which allows him to compete with players who are bigger and stronger than he is. This particularly helps him in the faceoff circle, where he actually does quite well relative to peers his own age. I don’t think he will ever turn into the ultra-competitive, ‘sellout’ to block everything type of player, but he holds his own as a player that’s willing to engage and compete physically. Nothing here will hold him back from being an important player, especially when the game gets tougher in the playoffs.
Here’s a good clip of Helenius tracking back to use his stick to block an opposing forward’s shot. A lot of players wouldn’t make as much of an effort to get back to defend. He cares about playing well and competing in his own zone.
This clip perfectly captures Helenius’ compete during a faceoff against the Syracuse Crunch. After winning the faceoff, Helenius dumps the Crunch centre.
I like this clip a lot as well. After winning the faceoff, Helenius goes straight to the hard areas to engage physically with the Belleville Senators’ players.
I used this clip earlier, but again it shows that Helenius is unwilling to give up on loose pucks. A great display of compete and physicality here from the Sabres prospect.
This clip shows Helenius being shadowed a bit by the opposing Toronto Marlies. This is the kind of contact Helenius faces in the AHL as a big-name prospect, but he doesn’t shy away.
GRADE: 55