Sebastian Soini – McKeen's Hockey

2024 NHL SCOUTING REPORT (VIDEO + GRADES): Sebastian Soini, D, Ilves U20 (U20 SM-sarja)

Steven Graves — Mon, 24 Jun 2024 19:28:11 +0000

Sebastian Soini

D - #6 Ilves U20 (U20 SM-sarja)

6’2, 187 lbs, Shoots: R

DOB: 10.06.2006 - Tampere, Finland

Although the Finnish-born Sebastian Soini was overlooked for the Finnish U18 roster in May, he is still a very interesting prospect for the upcoming NHL draft and a kid who could have a future in the NHL. Soini spent the majority of the season being loaned out to KooVee Tampere of the Mestis, Finland's second division men’s league where he went on to play 32 games and averaged just over 20 minutes of ice time over the course of the season. Soini also saw action in Finland's top men’s league, playing six games in the Liiga with Ilves at the start of the year, where he wound up playing just under 10 minutes in the games he played.

Soini’s game can be best described in one word: uneventful. And I mean that in the best way possible, he isn’t a flashy offensive defender who loves to get involved in the play, and he isn’t overly physical on the defensive end. Soini is more or less a defender who knows his assignment, in that he is there to stop the opposition from getting too many high-quality offensive chances - Soini goes out there and just does his job thanks to his skating and great awareness of his assignments in the defensive zone.

Although there wasn’t much offensive production this season for Soini - only posting nine total assists in the men's league games he played this year, it was still an impressive showing for the Finnish defender who showed he was capable of playing with and against older competition. He was able to keep up and defend against players that were over 10 years older than he is. His size and mobility are a big sticking point as to why he was able to make such a step at his age and there is hope that through further development he can find some offense he has struggled to find up to this point.

Skating

This is a major element of Soini’s game and a big reason why he is seen as a defender that is worth taking a look at in the first three rounds of the NHL draft. Soini is a fantastic skater, he sort of glides around the ice in a way that makes it look easy and something that you could do. It is particularly effective in the defensive end and defending in transition, as Soini is a great backward skater and is able to move quickly enough to maintain his gaps and frustrate the other team.

Soini possesses a skating ability that really catches your eye the first time you see him play. His agility and speed are most impressive, it allows him to make swift maneuvers with and without the puck. Sebastian's skating technique is smooth and effortless, enabling him to cover ground quickly and transition seamlessly between plays. His strong edges and balance contribute to his stability, making him elusive to opponents and effective in maintaining puck possession. Soini's acceleration and quick pivots enable him to react promptly to changes in play, giving him an edge in defensive positioning and the ability to join rushes with precision.

His agility allows him to pivot swiftly and cover opponents effectively, making it difficult for attackers to get past him. Soini’s strong edges and balance enable him to maintain a stable position while defending, crucial for maintaining control and preventing scoring chances. His speed allows him to quickly close gaps and challenge opposing players, disrupting their offensive plays and forcing turnovers. Additionally, his acceleration allows him to react promptly to changes in the game, whether it's intercepting passes, blocking shots, or supporting teammates under pressure.

https://www.mckeenshockey.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/Skate1-1.mp4

With this video, it shows just how shifty of a skater Soini can be. He doesn’t always use this element to his game to his advantage, but it is something he can pull off from time to time in order to kickstart the transition.

https://www.mckeenshockey.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/Skate2.mp4

Soini isn’t always a player to retrieve the puck like this and lead his team in transition, and in this clip, you can tell how timid he is in doing this but I really like this clip as it showcases his skating ability and some potential to do this more as he matures.

https://www.mckeenshockey.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/Skate3.mp4

Look at how fast Soini gains speed with his crossovers in retrieving the puck here. He stops prematurely and makes a bad outlet pass as a result, but I think if he can gain more confidence with his puck management and lead the charge in transition more, plays like this can be added to his arsenal more.

https://www.mckeenshockey.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/Skate4.mp4

Soini has a footrace with an opposing forward who was already gaining speed going forward and Soini had to change direction, he beats the forward to the puck and uses his body to keep him away from the puck.

https://www.mckeenshockey.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/Skate5.mp4

Love how Soini showcases his ability to quickly change direction and gain speed in this clip, beating a forechecker to the puck as a result. It’s plays like this that make Soini such a fascinating defensive defender in 2024.

Grade: 55

Shot

This is an element of Soini’s game that is almost non-existent. His shot isn’t dangerous at all from the point, and he doesn’t have the confidence to jump up into the play to become a scoring option. He at times is able to get the puck through to the net and create a rebound chance because of it, but that’s the extent of his shooting ability from the point. If he can become more confident with this element of his game moving forward - maybe we see a more dangerous offensive threat from the blueline down the road.

https://www.mckeenshockey.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/Shot1.mp4

This showcases how poor of a decision-maker he is at the point when taking a shot. Soini gets panicked by the oncoming pressure and instead of zipping a pass over to his D-partner, Soini just whips a shot at the net and misses the net badly. He needs to be better aware of exactly what's going on in the offensive zone, so this happens less frequently.

https://www.mckeenshockey.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/Shot2.mp4

A bad pinch by Soini who was trying to take advantage of the goalie being out of the net, and an even worse shot which leads to an easy block by the defence and an odd man rush the other way. Instead of being too focused on the shot, Soini could have rimmed the puck down to one of his teammates down low as the defence was clearly in a panic at this stage.

https://www.mckeenshockey.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/Shot3.mp4

I like this shot by Soini, sure there was no screen in front and the goalie saw the shot the whole way but he found open ice and tried to pick a corner with a quick snapshot.

https://www.mckeenshockey.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/Shot5.mp4

Soini takes way too long with the puck on his stick here, he gives an off-balance defender more than enough time to close the gap to Soini and get his stick in the shooting lane and Soini takes a terrible shot that is blocked as a result. Another shot that would benefit from quicker decision-making by Soini in the offensive end.

https://www.mckeenshockey.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/Shot4.mp4

The last one is Soini’s best. He uses the defender who is trying to take away Soini’s shooting lane as a screen, there is traffic in front of the net and Soini puts a shot through all of that to get it on the net where there was a juicy rebound that his teammate converted on.

Grade: 45

Skill

Soini has a highly effective first pass, a crucial skill that helps the team's transition play. He delivers precise and swift puck distribution - consistently finding his teammates with accuracy, facilitating smooth exits from the defensive zone and initiating offensive attacks. His ability to calmly and confidently move the puck under pressure is quite good also, as it helps his team maintain possession and avoid turnovers. Soini’s skill in executing the first pass is something that can help him become an effective NHLer one day.

Soini’s defensive ability with his stick is very good. His stickwork is a fundamental aspect of his defence, allowing him to disrupt plays effectively without always resorting to physicality. Soini utilizes his stick to maintain a strong defensive presence, adeptly angling it to block passing lanes and intercept pucks. His timing and precision in poke-checking enable him to strip opponents of the puck cleanly, thwarting scoring chances and regaining possession for his team. Sebastian Soini’s ability to extend his stick effectively adds to his reach, making him a threat in one-on-one situations by limiting the space the opposition has to maneuver. His stickhandling skills not only aid in defensive zone coverage but also contribute to his team's ability to transition smoothly to offense. Soini’s disciplined and strategic use of his stick showcases his defensive reliability, showcasing his capability to neutralize threats both in sustained zone pressure and against speed on the rush.

Soini does need to work on his puck management at the point, however. He at times gets caught under pressure and throws the puck away and panics. If he were able to clean up this element of his game, it would allow him to be a greater threat in the offensive zone and would help his team's more offensive chances as a result.

https://www.mckeenshockey.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/Skill1.mp4

It may not be the best showcase of his breakout ability, but it still shows a willingness to try more complex moves out of the defensive zone.

https://www.mckeenshockey.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/Skill2.mp4

Soini does an excellent job here off the rebound, he quickly gets to the puck, is calm, makes a move around a forechecker and starts his team up in transition in quick motion.

https://www.mckeenshockey.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/Skill3.mp4

Great outlet pass here by Soini who threads the needle through multiple defenders and picks up an assist as a result.

https://www.mckeenshockey.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/Skill4.mp4

Soini does a great job in this play being strong on the puck along the boards down low, winning the puck battle, exploding behind the net with the puck and making a real nice outlet pass to his teammate.

https://www.mckeenshockey.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/Skill5.mp4

Soini starts an odd-man rush in this clip by flipping the puck over and past the forecheckers where his teammate eventually scores as a result.

Grade: 50

Smarts

Soini demonstrates a solid hockey IQ that contributes effectively to his overall game. His understanding of the game's nuances allows him to anticipate plays and make intelligent decisions on the ice. He reads the game well, positioning himself effectively to support his teammates defensively. His awareness of positional play helps him maintain defensive structure and limit scoring chances against his team. Soini’s hockey IQ also manifests in his ability to make quick, calculated passes that help aid smooth transitions and maintain possession. While not overly flashy, his ability to read and react to game situations reflects a reliable understanding of the game's flow and his role within it.

Soini’s ability to read the movements of opposing players enables him to maintain tight coverage and disrupt offensive rushes early, often using his stick to intercept passes or disrupt shooting lanes. His disciplined approach to defending ensures that he remains composed under pressure, making smart decisions that prioritize maintaining defensive integrity while also supporting his teammates. Overall, his astute awareness and decision-making in the defensive zone contribute significantly to his team's ability to limit opponents' scoring chances and maintain control of games, underscoring his value as a reliable defensive presence on the ice.

https://www.mckeenshockey.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/Smarts1.mp4

Smart play by Soini in this clip, he baits the defence into thinking he is going to shoot, only to zip the puck over to his partner who is streaking in from the point. Not something we see much out of Soini but if he continues to build off it, we may see more offence from him in the future.

https://www.mckeenshockey.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/Smarts2.mp4

His lone Liiga point is in this play and it is all due to Soini. He makes the defender covering him change the direction of his feet before he pulls in a second defender. This allows Soini to chip the puck to the point where his teammate scores. This play was all Soini.

https://www.mckeenshockey.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/Smarts3.mp4

Great read here by Soini in the neutral zone. He picks off an outlet pass by pinching up.

https://www.mckeenshockey.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/Smarts4.mp4

In this clip, Soini baits in multiple forecheckers and does a nice quick pass to a streaking teammate to start a transition play.

Grade: 50

Physical/Compete

Soini is quite adept in defending the front of the net with a combination of positioning, stick work, and awareness. Despite not relying heavily on physicality, he effectively uses his body to box out opponents and establish a strong defensive presence in front of his goaltender. Soini’s keen anticipation allows him to read plays and react quickly to threats, ensuring he is in the right place at the right time to block shots or clear rebounds. Because of his size at 6’2” and 195 pounds, he is difficult to move when defending the front of the net, and his frame contributes to winning a lot of loose puck battles both in front of his goalie’s net, but also in the corners, digging and battling for pucks.

He isn’t very physical, however, and this is an element of his game I hope to see him improve upon before he reaches the NHL. He has the frame to throw his body around more, however, he is quite timid in his approach to this side of his game. He prefers to defend with his stick than to line someone up for a check. However, if he can improve on this element in his game, we can see him becoming a very good “Playoff Style” defender - in that he is a strong skating defender who is sound defensively and can throw the body when the tempo of the game is increased.

https://www.mckeenshockey.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/Phys1.mp4

Soini does a great job in using his body here in cutting off the opposing forward and taking him out of the play.

https://www.mckeenshockey.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/Phys2.mp4

Soini does a fantastic job here cutting off the player who is trying to attack the middle with speed. He uses his body and leverage to stop the forward in his tracks and showcases his potential as a defender at this level.

https://www.mckeenshockey.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/Phys3.mp4

This clip illustrates Soini’s ability to not give up on a play and use his stick to his advantage in front of the goalie, stopping a good rebound chance.

https://www.mckeenshockey.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/Phys4.mp4

Soini showcases his ability to smother the opposition along the boards and his ability to win 50/50 puck battles.

https://www.mckeenshockey.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/Phys5.mp4

Another clip where Soini ties up a player down low and his team comes away with the puck as a result. Soini is very effective at this.

https://www.mckeenshockey.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/Phys6.mp4

Soini ties up his opponent after pinning him to the boards. It allows a teammate to come in and retrieve the puck.

Grade: 57.5

OFP: 51.375

A note on the 20-80 scale used above. We look at five attributes (skating, shooting, puck skills, hockey IQ and physicality) for skaters and six for goalies (athleticism/quickness, compete/temperament, vision/play reading, technique/style, rebound control and puck handling). Each individual attribute is graded along the 20-80 scales, which includes half-grades. The idea is that a projection of 50 in a given attribute meant that our observer believed that the player could get to roughly NHL average at that attribute at maturity.

2024 NHL DRAFT: MCKEEN’S MID-SEASON TOP 100 – Celebrini sits comfortably on top – Demidov and Parekh among risers in ranking – Strong defense group defines this draft class

Brock Otten — Fri, 16 Feb 2024 15:58:41 +0000

It’s time to update and expand our 2024 NHL Draft rankings. Since our preliminary ranking in December, we’ve passed some major events on the scouting calendar, like the World Juniors, CHL Top Prospect’s Game, World Junior A Challenge, and the USA Hockey All American Game.

Macklin Celebrini still sits comfortably at the top of our rankings. Not only has he continued to be a difference maker for Boston University, but he was also a solid contributor at the World Juniors for an underwhelming Canadian team, an impressive feat for a double underager. In our opinion, he is unquestionably the top prospect available this year and is the one player we view as a near surefire high impact player at the NHL level.

One player moving up our ranking inside the top ten is Ivan Demidov. While ice time issues have limited his impact at the KHL level, he has been an absolute monster at the MHL level and in a draft that we feel lacks high end upside, he stands out as a potential difference maker. One player falling inside of our top ten is Cole Eiserman. While the goal scoring ability is unquestionably impressive, we’ve been left wanting more from the rest of his game and feel that his development is showing signs of plateauing.

Saginaw defenseman Zayne Parekh is another big-time mover and shaker for us as he pushes his way inside the top ten. At this point, his production and offensive upside is too vast to ignore. Yes, there are questions regarding his defensive game. Yes, there are questions about how he fits into an NHL system given Saginaw’s unique modern approach. However, the skill and sense are so high end that we believe the reward outweighs the risk.

Other movers and shakers include Jett Luchanko (40th to 18th), Alfons Freij (32nd to 21st), Harrison Brunicke (HM to 25th), and Dom Badinka (58th to 28th). Luchanko is a speedy, playmaking pivot who brings consistent effort in all three zones. As he bulks up, he should be able to become a more consistent point producer. Freij has been terrific internationally this year for the Swedish U18 team and is starting to remind us of Tom Willander in regard to his steady presence on the ice at both ends. Brunicke is a very mobile, right-handed shot defender with size who remains a work in progress. He flashes high end skill and upside in the defensive end, and we believe that he is just scratching the surface of what he is capable of. Dom Badinka has a similar profile to Freij in the sense that he has a very projectable frame and skill set. He has been steadily improving in the SHL this year with Malmo and the Czech blueliner projects as an all situations top four, right shot blueliner.

Overall, 2024 is still holding strong as a quality draft for defenders. In fact, 14 of our first round graded players are defenseman. On the other hand, the strength of this goaltending crop remains to be seen. OHL netminders Carter George and Ryerson Leenders remain our top ranked goalies and the only ones inside of our Top 70. There are others pushing up the list (like NTDP netminder Nick Kempf and WHL re-entry Lukas Matecha), but it’s not looking like the ideal year to use a high pick on a stopper.

In the coming weeks, expect to see a podcast on our new YT channel (here), where Director of Scouting, Brock Otten, Associate Director of Scouting, Derek Neumeier, and Director of Video Scouting, Josh Bell, debate the midseason list and provide some insight into why certain players are ranked where they are.

RK	Name	POS	TEAM	GP	G/GAA	A/SV%	TP	PIM	HT/WT	DOB
1	Macklin Celebrini	C	Boston University (HE)	25	22	19	41	10	6-0/190	13-Jun-06
2	Sam Dickinson	D	London (OHL)	52	14	39	53	24	6-3/195	7-Jun-06
3	Ivan Demidov	RW	SKA-1946 St. Petersburg (MHL)	23	20	25	45	16	5-11/170	10-Dec-05
4	Anton Silayev	D	Torpedo Nizhny Novgorod (KHL)	57	3	8	11	8	6-7/210	11-Apr-06
5	Cayden Lindstrom	C	Medicine Hat (WHL)	32	27	19	46	66	6-4/215	3-Feb-06
6	Berkly Catton	C	Spokane (WHL)	49	38	44	82	37	5-11/170	14-Jan-06
7	Artyom Levshunov	D	Michigan State (B1G)	30	8	20	28	40	6-2/200	28-Oct-05
8	Konsta Helenius	C	Jukurit (Fin-Liiga)	40	12	19	31	6	5-11/180	11-May-06
9	Cole Eiserman	LW	USN U18 (USDP)	37	38	22	60	28	6-0/195	29-Aug-06
10	Zayne Parekh	D	Saginaw (OHL)	49	25	49	74	40	6-0/180	15-Feb-06
11	Carter Yakemchuk	D	Calgary (WHL)	48	24	29	53	95	6-3/190	29-Sep-05
12	Tij Iginla	C	Kelowna (WHL)	48	35	28	63	25	6-0/185	1-Aug-06
13	Liam Greentree	RW	Windsor (OHL)	46	28	41	69	25	6-2/200	1-Jan-06
14	Trevor Connelly	LW	Tri-City (USHL)	34	17	31	48	40	6-1/160	28-Feb-06
15	Zeev Buium	D	Denver (NCHC)	26	7	27	34	16	6-0/185	7-Dec-05
16	Michael Brandsegg Nygard	RW	Mora (Allsvenskan)	32	6	7	13	14	6-1/195	5-Oct-05
17	Adam Jiříček	D	HC Plzen (Czechia)	19	0	1	1	2	6-2/175	28-Jun-06
18	Jett Luchanko	C	Guelph (OHL)	50	17	37	54	32	5-11/185	21-Aug-06
19	Matvei Shuravin	D	CSKA Moskva (KHL)	22	0	7	7	26	6-2/170	22-Mar-06
20	Michael Hage	C	Chicago (USHL)	37	21	23	44	35	6-1/190	14-Apr-06
21	Alfons Freij	D	Vaxjo Lakers (Swe J20)	33	11	15	26	12	6-1/190	12-Feb-06
22	Emil Hemming	RW	TPS (Fin-Liiga)	35	7	4	11	0	6-1/200	27-Jun-06
23	Ryder Ritchie	RW	Prince Albert (WHL)	34	13	18	31	16	6-0/175	3-Aug-06
24	Sacha Boisvert	C	Muskegon (USHL)	41	27	18	45	42	6-2/180	17-Mar-06
25	Harrison Brunicke	D	Kamloops (WHL)	46	10	11	21	45	6-3/185	8-May-06
26	Andrew Basha	LW	Medicine Hat (WHL)	47	23	44	67	32	6-0/185	8-Nov-05
27	Henry Mews	D	Ottawa (OHL)	46	8	34	42	46	6-0/185	9-Mar-06
28	Dom Badinka	D	Malmo (Swe J20)	15	2	10	12	39	6-3/185	27-Nov-05
29	Beckett Sennecke	RW	Oshawa (OHL)	46	19	26	45	53	6-2/180	28-Jan-06
30	Igor Chernyshov	LW	MHK Dynamo Moskva (MHL)	18	10	14	24	8	6-2/190	30-Nov-05
31	E.J. Emery	D	USN U18 (USDP)	41	0	10	10	51	6-3/185	30-Mar-06
32	Leo Sahlin Wallenius	D	Vaxjo Lakers (Swe J20)	34	7	23	30	30	6-0/180	10-Apr-06
33	Dean Letourneau	C	St. Andrew's (CHS-O)	14	14	11	25	6	6-7/210	21-Feb-06
34	Yegor Surin	C	Loko Yaroslavl (MHL)	37	19	27	46	104	6-1/190	1-Aug-06
35	Adam Jecho	C	Edmonton (WHL)	38	15	17	32	18	6-5/200	24-Mar-06
36	Maxim Massé	RW	Chicoutimi (QMJHL)	51	26	26	52	16	6-2/190	7-Apr-06
37	Lucas Pettersson	C	MoDo Hockey (Swe J20)	36	20	23	43	38	5-11/170	17-Apr-06
38	Charlie Elick	D	Brandon (WHL)	51	4	19	23	47	6-3/200	17-Jan-06
39	Raoul Boilard	C	Baie-Comeau (QMJHL)	52	21	31	52	32	6-2/190	7-Jan-06
40	Matvei Gridin	RW	Muskegon (USHL)	41	20	30	50	28	6-1/185	1-Mar-06
41	Nikita Artamonov	LW	Torpedo Nizhny Novgorod (KHL)	48	7	15	22	12	5-11/185	17-Nov-05
42	Jesse Pulkkinen	D	JYP (Fin-U20)	18	11	17	28	47	6-6/215	27-Dec-04
43	Leon Muggli	D	Zug (Sui-NL)	4	0	2	2	4	6-0/165	9-Jul-06
44	Teddy Stiga	LW	USN U18 (USDP)	41	24	25	49	26	5-10/155	5-Apr-06
45	Aron Kiviharju	D	HIFK (Fin-Liiga)	7	1	1	2	0	5-10/165	25-Jan-06
46	Miguel Marques	RW	Lethbridge (WHL)	50	22	37	59	47	5-11/170	8-Mar-06
47	John Mustard	C	Waterloo (USHL)	39	22	18	40	22	6-0/185	16-Aug-06
48	Lukas Fischer	D	Sarnia (OHL)	52	4	22	26	50	6-4/180	6-Sep-06
49	Simon Zether	C	Rogle (Swe J20)	17	11	16	27	25	6-3/185	18-Oct-05
50	Luke Misa	C	Mississauga (OHL)	51	21	46	67	8	5-10/175	25-Nov-05
51	Sebastian Soini	D	Ilves (Fin-U20)	8	0	0	0	8	6-2/195	10-Jun-06
52	Carson Wetsch	RW	Calgary (WHL)	49	19	20	39	53	6-2/185	4-May-06
53	Terik Parascak	RW	Prince George (WHL)	52	31	42	73	37	5-11/180	28-May-06
54	Christian Humphreys	C	USN U18 (USDP)	35	15	25	40	14	5-11/170	4-Feb-06
55	Cole Hutson	D	USN U18 (USDP)	41	11	26	37	44	5-10/160	28-Jun-06
56	Cole Beaudoin	C	Barrie (OHL)	48	23	25	48	23	6-2/200	24-Apr-06
57	Marek Vanacker	LW	Brantford (OHL)	51	27	34	61	41	6-0/165	12-Apr-06
58	Stian Solberg	D	Vålerenga (Nor)	34	3	9	12	12	6-2/200	29-Dec-06
59	Herman Traff	RW	HV71 (Swe J20)	22	11	7	18	69	6-3/195	31-Dec-05
60	Kamil Bednarik	C	USN U18 (USDP)	41	18	25	43	40	6-0/185	26-May-06
61	Tomáš Galvas	D	Bili Tygri Liberec (Czechia)	26	2	4	6	6	5-10/150	11-Feb-06
62	Carter George	G	Owen Sound (OHL)	41	3.09	0.914	-	-	6-0/160	20-May-06
63	Ryerson Leenders	G	Mississauga (OHL)	38	3.19	0.909	-	-	6-1/175	1-Jun-06
64	Tanner Howe	LW	Regina (WHL)	52	24	38	62	48	5-11/180	28-Nov-05
65	Colton Roberts	D	Vancouver (WHL)	50	7	17	24	45	6-4/195	8-Jun-06
66	Ben Danford	D	Oshawa (OHL)	51	1	30	31	21	6-0/175	6-Feb-06
67	Eriks Mateiko	LW	Saint John (QMJHL)	40	19	19	38	18	6-4/210	18-Nov-05
68	Daniil Ustinkov	D	ZSC (Sui-NL)	18	0	1	1	0	6-0/200	26-Aug-06
69	Veeti Vaisanen	D	KooKoo (Fin-Liiga)	40	2	7	9	12	6-0/175	15-Feb-06
70	Clarke Caswell	C	Swift Current (WHL)	51	16	37	53	14	5-11/170	2-Feb-06
71	Jakub Fibigr	D	Mississauga (OHL)	44	6	20	26	33	6-0/170	22-Jul-06
72	Ondrej Kos	LW	KOOVEE (Fin-Liiga)	14	3	2	5	8	6-1/150	7-Mar-06
73	Sam O'Reilly	RW	London (OHL)	52	15	30	45	24	6-1/175	30-Mar-06
74	Jack Berglund	C	Färjestad BK (Swe J20)	37	14	18	32	18	6-3/210	10-Apr-06
75	Linus Eriksson	C	Djurgardens IF (Swe J20)	24	5	16	21	8	6-0/185	23-Mar-06
76	Tarin Smith	D	Everett (WHL)	54	7	30	37	45	6-1/175	24-Mar-06
77	Nick Kempf	G	USN U18 (USDP)	22	3.02	0.901			6-2/190	1-Mar-06
78	Melvin Fernstrom	RW	Örebro HK (Swe J20)	38	26	28	54	26	6-1/185	28-Feb-06
79	Alexander Zetterberg	C	Örebro HK J20	35	19	27	46	10	5-9/160	27-Apr-06
80	Spencer Gill	D	Rimouski (QMJHL)	50	9	23	32	50	6-3/180	17-Aug-06
81	Kevin He	LW	Niagara (OHL)	51	26	18	44	47	5-11/185	30-Apr-06
82	Aatos Koivu	C	TPS (Fin-U20)	23	15	14	29	28	6-0/165	22-Jun-06
83	Will Skahan	D	USN U18 (USDP)	40	2	7	9	63	6-4/210	14-May-06
84	Justin Poirier	RW	Baie-Comeau (QMJHL)	52	40	20	60	58	5-8/185	4-Sep-06
85	Maxmilian Curran	C	Tri-City (WHL)	40	5	27	32	25	6-3/190	27-Aug-06
86	Tory Pitner	D	Youngstown (USHL)	33	7	14	21	34	6-1/185	6-Mar-06
87	Lukas Matecha	G	Tri-City (WHL)	29	3.14	0.910			6-3/195	21-Mar-05
88	Brodie Ziemer	RW	USN U18 (USDP)	41	20	22	42	14	5-10/190	22-Feb-06
89	Niilopekka Muhonen	D	KalPa (Fin U20)	25	4	6	10		6-4/185	28-Feb-06
90	Anthony Romani	D	North Bay (OHL)	51	44	40	84	16	6-0/180	12-Jul-05
91	Julius Miettinen	RW	Everett (WHL)	53	22	24	46	30	6-3/205	20-Jan-06
92	Luca Marrelli	D	Oshawa (OHL)	50	2	38	40	14	6-1/185	4-Oct-05
93	Filip Sitar	C	Malmo (Swe J20)	33	12	31	43	10	5-11/175	29-Jun-05
94	Noel Fransen	D	Färjestad BK (Swe J20)	36	17	21	38	16	6-0/185	7-Dec-05
95	William Zellers	LW	Shattuck St. Marys (USHS-Prep)	43	41	43	84	20	5-10/165	4-Apr-06
96	Gabriel Eliasson	D	HV71 J20	27	0	3	3	81	6-6/205	9-Sep-06
97	Kim Saarinen	G	HPK (Fin-U20)	22	2.34	0.918			6-4/180	22-Jul-06
98	Max Vilen	D	Malmo (Swe J20)	39	1	12	13	8	6-2/200	29-Jun-06
99	Gabriel Frasca	C	Kingston (OHL)	26	9	9	18	10	6-0/170	18-Feb-06
100	Harrison Meneghin	G	Lethbridge (WHL)	41	2.46	0.922			6-3/165	13-Sep-06
HM	Tanner Adams	RW	Providence (NCAA)	27	5	12	17	2	5-11/185	2-Sep
HM	Alexandre Blais	C	Rimouski (QMJHL)	53	18	48	66	30	5-10/155	14-Nov-05
HM	Viggo Gustavsson	D	HV71 (Swe J20)	33	1	10	11	38	6-2/195	11-Sep-06
HM	Andrei Krutov	LW	Chaika Nizhny Novgorod (MHL)	35	15	24	39	10	5-11/175	25-Apr-06
HM	Darels Uljanskis	D	AIK (Swe J20)	35	7	16	23	14	6-1/185	25-Aug-06
HM	Pavel Moysevich	G	SKA St. Petersburg (VHL)	19	2.31	0.927			6-5/175	29-Sep-04
HM	Ondrej Becher	C	Prince George (WHL)	42	19	40	59	32	6-1/175	22-Feb-04
HM	Veit Oswald	RW	EHC Munchen (DEL)	32	8	4	12	0	6-1/165	31-Aug-04
HM	Nathan Villeneuve	C	Sudbury (OHL)	47	18	21	39	52	6-0/185	13-Apr-06
HM	Petr Sikora	C	HC Ocelari Trinec (Cze U20)	27	12	21	33	26	5-11/170	2-Jan-06
HM	Oskar Vuollet	C	Skelleftea AIK (Swe J20)	32	17	24	41	6	5-10/170	3-Dec-05
HM	Kenta Isogai	F	Wenatchee (WHL)	49	25	48	73	22	5-11/155	28-Aug-04
HM	Marcus Kearsey	D	Charlottetown (QMJHL)	51	5	32	37	14	5-11/170	17-03-06
HM	Nate Misskey	D	Victoria (WHL	40	6	26	32	52	6-3/210	1-Dec-05
HM	Thomas Desruisseaux	C	Chicoutimi (QMJHL)	52	10	34	44	16	5-11/160	10-Mar-06
HM	Jonathan Morello	C	St. Michaels (OJHL)	44	23	27	50	20	6-1/175	31-Jul-06
HM	Kieron Walton	LW	Sudbury (OHL)	47	15	19	34	12	6-5/205	22-Apr-06
HM	Adam Kleber	D	Lincoln (USHL)	33	5	13	18	20	6-5/205	24-Mar-06
HM	Riley Patterson	C	Barrie (OHL)	49	18	27	45	4	6-0/175	22-Mar-06
HM	Eemil Vinni	G	JoKP (Fin-Liiga)	27	2.5	0.9	-	-	6-2/285	18-Dec-06

MCKEEN’S HOCKEY 2024 NHL DRAFT RANKINGS – December 2023 – Top 32 – Macklin Celebrini leads the pack early by a wide margin

Brock Otten — Mon, 11 Dec 2023 21:40:04 +0000

NORTH ANDOVER, MASSACHUSETTS - DECEMBER 1: NCAA men's hockey at Lawler Rink on December 1, 2023 in North Andover, Massachusetts. (Photo by Rich Gagnon)

It’s time for a ranking update at McKeen’s Hockey as we approach the end of the calendar year. Hopefully you’ve all been following along with our early regional favourites series, where our regional scouts have been providing detailed breakdowns of some of their favourites for the 2024 Draft.

This article shows our top 32 and is available to everyone. For subscribers, we are providing our Top 64 with a few honorable mentions. Then in the new year, we will expand to a Top 100.

The top player on our list is Boston University’s Macklin Celebrini. One of the highest scoring players in the NCAA this year as a freshman, Celebrini has met the ultra-high expectations placed on him heading into the year. He is, in our opinion, a slam dunk to be the first player selected this year. Recently named to the Canadian World Junior camp roster, hopefully Celebrini can earn a roster spot and have a strong performance for Canada as a focal point of the team’s offensive attack.

Sam Dickinson of the London Knights. Photo by Natalie Shaver/OHL Images

After Celebrini is where things get…murky. We see a group of seven players in competition for that second spot; Sam Dickinson, Cayden Lindstrom, Konsta Helenius, Cole Eiserman, Anton Silayev, Ivan Demidov, and Artyom Levshunov. How those seven players are ranked was heavily debated amongst our scouts. There truly wasn’t much of a consensus among our staff and we know that NHL scouts are having a similar debate at this current time. An argument could be made for any of these seven to be ranked second. Conversely an argument could be made for any of these seven to be ranked eighth. Hopefully a few of these players can truly separate themselves from the pack in the second half. In particular, we’re looking to see if the three defenders, Dickinson, Silayev, and Levshunov, can clean up some of their poor decisions with the puck.

Rounding out the top ten are forwards Berkly Catton (Spokane Chiefs) and Michael Brandsegg-Nygard (Mora). Catton is a dynamic play creator who has a chance to jump into that second tier grouping if he can find a way to become a more consistent off puck player. While Brandsegg-Nygard is a winger who plays a game that should translate easily to the pro level in North America. He competes hard. He skates well. It’s just a matter of whether you feel that he has the offensive upside and skill to be a top six player. At this point, considering our high ranking of him, we do believe he possesses that upside.

Of the remaining 22 players currently in our first round, 11 are defenders. While we aren’t enamored with this draft crop (overall), we do really like the upside of this blueline crop. The question is, can the likes of Adam Jiricek and Aron Kiviharju hang on to a spot in our first round because there is no question that they have underperformed compared to their expectations thus far.

But what about the goalies? This is everyone’s favourite question. At this point, we don’t see any netminders worthy of first round consideration. But we did rank OHL goalies Carter George and Ryerson Leenders at the back of our Top 64. George has been the more consistent performer thanks to his excellent play reading ability and mature approach. This was on display at last summer’s Hlinka/Gretzky too, when he stole the starter’s job from Gabriel D’Aigle. Meanwhile, Leenders is unquestionably the better athlete and a netminder with a penchant for making the highlight reel save thanks to his quickness. He just doesn’t have as refined of a technical approach.

The List:

RANK	PLAYER	POS	TEAM	HT/WT	DOB	GP-G-A-PTS
1	Macklin Celebrini	C	Boston University (HE)	6-0/190	13-Jun-06	15-10-15-25
2	Sam Dickinson	D	London (OHL)	6-3/205	7-Jun-06	27-6-14-20
3	Cayden Lindstrom	C	Medicine Hat (WHL)	6-3/210	3-Feb-06	27-22-16-38
4	Konsta Helenius	C	Jukurit (Fin-Liiga)	5-11/180	11-May-06	26-8-11-19
5	Cole Eiserman	LW	USN U18 (USDP)	6-0/195	29-Aug-06	21-25-16-41
6	Anton Silayev	D	Torpedo Nizhny Novgorod (KHL)	6-7/210	11-Apr-06	38-3-7-10
7	Ivan Demidov	RW	SKA-1946 St. Petersburg (MHL)	5-11/180	10-Dec-05	7-2-5-7
8	Artyom Levshunov	D	Michigan State (B1G)	6-2/205	28-Oct-05	16-4-11-15
9	Berkly Catton	C	Spokane (WHL)	5-11/170	14-Jan-06	25-16-20-36
10	Michael Brandsegg-Nygard	RW	Mora (Allsvenskan)	6-1/195	5-Oct-05	21-2-4-6
11	Ryder Ritchie	RW	Prince Albert (WHL)	6-0/175	3-Aug-06	30-12-16-28
12	Carter Yakemchuk	D	Calgary (WHL)	6-3/190	29-Sep-05	26-12-16-28
13	Liam Greentree	RW	Windsor (OHL)	6-2/210	1-Jan-06	23-17-18-35
14	Trevor Connelly	LW	Tri-City (USHL)	6-1/160	28-Feb-06	20-8-18-26
15	Tij Iginla	C	Kelowna (WHL)	6-0/185	1-Aug-06	27-20-11-31
16	Zeev Buium	D	Denver (NCHC)	6-0/185	7-Dec-05	16-5-16-21
17	Zayne Parekh	D	Saginaw (OHL)	6-0/175	15-Feb-06	25-10-26-36
18	Matvei Shuravin	D	CSKA Moskva (KHL)	6-3/195	22-Mar-06	8-0-2-2
19	Adam Jiricek	D	HC Plzen (Czechia)	6-2/175	28-Jun-06	19-0-1-1
20	Aron Kiviharju	D	HIFK (Fin-Liiga)	5-9/170	25-Jan-06	7-1-1-2
21	Emil Hemming	RW	TPS (Fin-Liiga)	6-1/200	27-Jun-06	24-5-2-7
22	Igor Chernyshov	LW	MHK Dynamo Moskva (MHL)	6-2/190	30-Nov-05	15-6-6-12
23	Leo Sahlin Wallenius	D	Vaxjo Lakers (Swe J20)	5-11/175	10-Apr-06	27-5-20-25
24	Beckett Sennecke	RW	Oshawa (OHL)	6-2/180	28-Jan-06	21-7-13-20
25	Michael Hage	C	Chicago (USHL)	6-0/190	14-Apr-06	20-7-13-20
26	Henry Mews	D	Ottawa (OHL)	6-0/185	9-Mar-06	22-3-19-22
27	Cole Hutson	D	USN U18 (USDP)	5-10/160	28-Jun-06	22-6-15-21
28	Maxim Masse	RW	Chicoutimi (QMJHL)	6-2/190	7-Apr-06	30-13-16-29
29	Adam Jecho	C	Edmonton (WHL)	6-5/200	24-Mar-06	19-8-10-18
30	Sacha Boisvert	C	Muskegon (USHL)	6-2/180	17-Mar-06	22-13-8-21
31	Veeti Vaisanen	D	KooKoo (Fin-Liiga)	6-0/175	15-Feb-06	23-1-4-5
32	Alfons Freij	D	Vaxjo Lakers (Swe J20)	6-0/185	12-Feb-06	27-8-12-20

MCKEEN’S HOCKEY 2024 NHL DRAFT RANKINGS – December 2023 – Top 64 plus Honourable Mentions – Macklin Celebrini leads the pack early by a wide margin

Brock Otten — Mon, 11 Dec 2023 21:30:02 +0000

NORTH ANDOVER, MASSACHUSETTS - DECEMBER 1: NCAA men's hockey at Lawler Rink on December 1, 2023 in North Andover, Massachusetts. (Photo by Rich Gagnon)

For this update, we are providing our Top 64 with a few honorable mentions. Then in the new year, we will expand to a Top 100.

Sam Dickinson of the London Knights. Photo by Natalie Shaver/OHL Images

The List:

RANK	PLAYER	POS	TEAM	HT/WT	DOB	GP-G-A-PTS
1	Macklin Celebrini	C	Boston University (HE)	6-0/190	13-Jun-06	15-10-15-25
2	Sam Dickinson	D	London (OHL)	6-3/205	7-Jun-06	27-6-14-20
3	Cayden Lindstrom	C	Medicine Hat (WHL)	6-3/210	3-Feb-06	27-22-16-38
4	Konsta Helenius	C	Jukurit (Fin-Liiga)	5-11/180	11-May-06	26-8-11-19
5	Cole Eiserman	LW	USN U18 (USDP)	6-0/195	29-Aug-06	21-25-16-41
6	Anton Silayev	D	Torpedo Nizhny Novgorod (KHL)	6-7/210	11-Apr-06	38-3-7-10
7	Ivan Demidov	RW	SKA-1946 St. Petersburg (MHL)	5-11/180	10-Dec-05	7-2-5-7
8	Artyom Levshunov	D	Michigan State (B1G)	6-2/205	28-Oct-05	16-4-11-15
9	Berkly Catton	C	Spokane (WHL)	5-11/170	14-Jan-06	25-16-20-36
10	Michael Brandsegg-Nygard	RW	Mora (Allsvenskan)	6-1/195	5-Oct-05	21-2-4-6
11	Ryder Ritchie	RW	Prince Albert (WHL)	6-0/175	3-Aug-06	30-12-16-28
12	Carter Yakemchuk	D	Calgary (WHL)	6-3/190	29-Sep-05	26-12-16-28
13	Liam Greentree	RW	Windsor (OHL)	6-2/210	1-Jan-06	23-17-18-35
14	Trevor Connelly	LW	Tri-City (USHL)	6-1/160	28-Feb-06	20-8-18-26
15	Tij Iginla	C	Kelowna (WHL)	6-0/185	1-Aug-06	27-20-11-31
16	Zeev Buium	D	Denver (NCHC)	6-0/185	7-Dec-05	16-5-16-21
17	Zayne Parekh	D	Saginaw (OHL)	6-0/175	15-Feb-06	25-10-26-36
18	Matvei Shuravin	D	CSKA Moskva (KHL)	6-3/195	22-Mar-06	8-0-2-2
19	Adam Jiricek	D	HC Plzen (Czechia)	6-2/175	28-Jun-06	19-0-1-1
20	Aron Kiviharju	D	HIFK (Fin-Liiga)	5-9/170	25-Jan-06	7-1-1-2
21	Emil Hemming	RW	TPS (Fin-Liiga)	6-1/200	27-Jun-06	24-5-2-7
22	Igor Chernyshov	LW	MHK Dynamo Moskva (MHL)	6-2/190	30-Nov-05	15-6-6-12
23	Leo Sahlin Wallenius	D	Vaxjo Lakers (Swe J20)	5-11/175	10-Apr-06	27-5-20-25
24	Beckett Sennecke	RW	Oshawa (OHL)	6-2/180	28-Jan-06	21-7-13-20
25	Michael Hage	C	Chicago (USHL)	6-0/190	14-Apr-06	20-7-13-20
26	Henry Mews	D	Ottawa (OHL)	6-0/185	9-Mar-06	22-3-19-22
27	Cole Hutson	D	USN U18 (USDP)	5-10/160	28-Jun-06	22-6-15-21
28	Maxim Masse	RW	Chicoutimi (QMJHL)	6-2/190	7-Apr-06	30-13-16-29
29	Adam Jecho	C	Edmonton (WHL)	6-5/200	24-Mar-06	19-8-10-18
30	Sacha Boisvert	C	Muskegon (USHL)	6-2/180	17-Mar-06	22-13-8-21
31	Veeti Vaisanen	D	KooKoo (Fin-Liiga)	6-0/175	15-Feb-06	23-1-4-5
32	Alfons Freij	D	Vaxjo Lakers (Swe J20)	6-0/185	12-Feb-06	27-8-12-20
33	EJ Emery	D	USN U18 (USDP)	6-3/185	30-Mar-06	22-0-5-5
34	Tanner Howe	LW	Regina (WHL)	5-10/180	28-Nov-05	28-16-17-33
35	Nikita Artamonov	LW	Torpedo Nizhny Novgorod (KHL)	5-11/185	17-Nov-05	29-4-10-14
36	Lukas Fischer	D	Sarnia (OHL)	6-2/180	6-Sep-06	27-2-9-11
37	Luke Misa	C	Mississauga (OHL)	5-10/175	25-Nov-05	25-11-26-37
38	Matvei Gridin	RW	Muskegon (USHL)	6-1/185	1-Mar-06	22-13-12-25
39	Will Skahan	D	USN U18 (USDP)	6-4/210	14-May-06	22-1-4-5
40	Jett Luchanko	C	Guelph (OHL)	5-11/185	21-Aug-06	27-10-16-26
41	Simon Zether	C	Rogle (Swe J20)	6-3/185	18-Oct-05	17-11-16-27
42	Dean Letourneau	C	St. Andrew's (CHS-O)	6-6/210	21-Feb-06	28-32-31-63
43	Andrew Basha	LW	Medicine Hat (WHL)	5-11/185	8-Nov-05	27-13-22-35
44	Christian Humphreys	C	USN U18 (USDP)	5-11/170	4-Feb-06	22-10-20-30
45	Daniil Ustinkov	D	ZSC (Sui-NL)	6-0/195	26-Aug-06	15-0-1-1
46	Yegor Surin	C	Loko Yaroslavl (MHL)	5-10/175	1-Aug-06	21-11-14-25
47	Leon Muggli	D	Zug (Sui-NL)	6-0/165	9-Jul-06	24-2-4-6
48	Sebastian Soini	D	KOOVEE (Fin-Mestis)	6-2/180	10-Jun-06	15-0-4-4
49	Lucas Pettersson	C	MoDo Hockey(Swe J20)	5-11/170	17-Apr-06	26-13-13-26
50	Cole Beaudoin	C	Barrie (OHL)	6-2/200	24-Apr-06	24-10-8-18
51	Jakub Fibigr	D	Mississauga (OHL)	6-0/170	22-Jul-06	25-4-12-16
52	Justin Poirier	RW	Baie-Comeau (QMJHL)	5-7/185	4-Sep-06	30-23-10-33
53	Kamil Bednarik	C	USN U18 (USDP)	6-0/185	26-May-06	22-13-14-27
54	Niilopekka Muhonen	D	KalPa (Fin-U20)	6-4/195	28-Feb-06	19-1-5-6
55	Hagen Burrows	RW	Minnetonka (USHS-MN)	6-1/175	13-Oct-05	4-3-8-11
56	Teddy Stiga	LW	USN U18 (USDP)	5-9/155	5-Apr-06	22-16-12-28
57	Melvin Fernstrom	RW	Orebro (Swe J20)	6-0/185	28-Feb-06	29-18-16-34
58	Dominik Badinka	D	Malmo (Swe J20)	6-3/185	27-Nov-05	15-2-10-12
59	Charlie Elick	D	Brandon (WHL)	6-3/200	17-Jan-06	29-3-10-13
60	Terik Parascak	RW	Prince George (WHL)	5-11/175	28-May-06	28-22-21-43
61	Tuomas Suoniemi	C	Kiekko-Espoo (Fin-U20)	5-10/160	16-Apr-06	20-3-11-14
62	Raoul Boilard	C	Baie-Comeau (QMJHL)	6-1/185	7-Jan-06	30-12-17-29
63	Carter George	G	Owen Sound (OHL)	6-1/190	20-May-06	9-8-2, 3.03, .902
64	Ryerson Leenders	G	Mississauga (OHL)	6-1/175	1-Jun-06	11-7-0, 3.03, .913
HM	Anthony Cristoforo	D	Windsor (OHL)	5-11/190	23-Feb-06	25-1-13-14
HM	Colton Roberts	D	Vancouver (WHL)	6-4/195	8-Jun-06	28-5-11-16
HM	Carson Wetsch	RW	Calgary (WHL)	6-0/185	4-May-06	26-9-9-18
HM	William Zellers	LW	Shattuck-St. Mary's (USHS-MN)	5-10/165	4-Apr-06	25-24-24-48
HM	Aidan Park	C	Shattuck-St. Mary's (USHS-MN)	6-1/185	6-Jan-06	25-15-27-42
HM	Noel Fransen	D	Farjestads (Swe J20)	6-0/180	7-Dec-05	30-15-15-30
HM	Oskar Vuollet	C	Skelleftea (Swe J20)	5-10/170	3-Dec-05	22-12-16-28
HM	Max Plante	LW	USN U18 (USDP)	5-10/170	20-Feb-06	12-4-13-17
HM	Tomas Galvas	D	Bili Tygri Liberec (Czechia)	5-10/150	11-Feb-06	17-1-2-3

2024 NHL DRAFT: EARLY SEASON FAVOURITES – European Video Scout – Veeti Väisänen, Sebastian Soini, Dominik Badinka, Ondrej Kos

Steven Graves — Fri, 24 Nov 2023 21:51:19 +0000

231012 Malmö Redhawks Dominik Badinka under ishockeymatchen i SHL mellan Malmö Redhawks och Leksand den 12 oktober 2023 i Malmö.
Foto: Petter Arvidson / BILDBYRÅN / kod PA / PA0668

Time for another series at McKeen’s from our scouting staff. The 2024 NHL Draft season is well under way and our scouts have been busy soaking in the action around the globe. Analyzing early season play can be difficult; perhaps even a bit of a ruse. Hot starts aren’t always sustainable and cold starts are not always indicative. However, players can still catch our attention in positive ways and that’s what this series intends to highlight.

Steven Graves - European Video Scout

Veeti Väisänen - Defence - KooKoo

6’0, 164lbs - 2006-02-15

Coming into the season, I was quite down on Vaisanen as a player. He played for Finland at the U18s as an underage player in April and looked downright bad. He consistently appeared overwhelmed and was forcing plays. Unfortunately, although he was poised to make the team, as Finland’s #1 defender since Aron Kiviharju was practicing with the U20 team, Vaisanen got injured and missed the summer Hlinka/Gretzky Cup.

However, Väisänen started the season in the Liiga and has played well early on. He has been taking a consistent shift for KooKoo and hasn’t looked out of place. He is averaging just over 10 minutes of ice time per game, and although at times his youth shows, you can see just how comfortable he is getting game in and out. His adjustment to playing against men has been smooth and I wouldn’t at all be surprised if he pushes for a spot on the Finnish World Junior team in December.

With Väisänen, one of the first things you’ll notice about him is just how good of a skater he is. He possesses great speed, agility, and edgework, allowing him to navigate the ice with ease. His smooth stride and balance make him a dangerous defender, both in transitioning the puck from defense to offense and in covering opposing players. His skating allows him to get out of a jam, and dictate the tempo of the game as he sees fit. You will regularly see Väisänen activate from the blueline using his skating to great effect in the offensive zone, catching defenders' flat-footed. He also isn’t afraid to use his skating to transport the puck up the ice and is naturally quite an effective player in the transitional game because of it.

Väisänen also stands out with his defensive game, as he sees the ice really well and is very good at anticipating the movements of the opposition. He reads the play very well and it enables him to anticipate and intercept passes, disrupt offensive rushes, and create turnovers. Väisänen is quite responsible in his own end using his strong positioning and active stick to break-up plays, however he needs to bulk up if he wants to start winning more 50/50 puck battles and be able to clear the crease more effectively. We should see this through time but with how good of a foundation Väisänen has to build off of, we should only begin to see him become more dominant in the defensive zone as he gains weight.

That brings me to just how versatile of a player Väisänen can be once he matures. His skating, IQ, and defensive prowess allow him to play the game in all situations. He can man the powerplay because of how good he is at transporting the puck and finding open teammates from the blue line. Additionally, he can anchor a penalty kill because of how smart of a defensive player he is. This is a potential minute eater.

Although we have yet to see just how Väisänen’s offensive game has improved over last season because of how he’s being deployed in the Liiga, the very fact that he has been playing in the best league in Finland is a testament to how mature of a game he already plays at 17. I really hope we get to see him play in the upcoming WJC.

Bring on the Videos!

I really like this play from Väisänen, it’s a simple puck retrieval that allows his team to transition from defense to offense. Väisänen does a great job shielding the defender and it gives his team an easy zone entry as a result.

https://www.mckeenshockey.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/VaisanenClip1.mp4

Here is Väisänen’s lone Liiga goal up to this point in time. You can see how he takes advantage of how much space his opponents are giving him and makes them pay with a laser from the point. Fantastic shot and execution here.

https://www.mckeenshockey.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/VaisanenClip2.mp4

This is Väisänen showcasing his potential as a defender who is able to activate during transition to gain the zone or create a scoring chance on the rush. He hasn’t learned to do this with consistency in the Liiga yet, but this is the potential he does have as a puck carrier.

https://www.mckeenshockey.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/VaisanenClip3.mp4

This is a great heads-up play by Väisänen off the puck drop. After his team loses the faceoff in the offensive zone, Väisänen makes a great defensive read. He quickly closes out on the forward and breaks up the pass. These types of heady plays are becoming more of a regular occurrence as he continues to get comfortable playing against men.

https://www.mckeenshockey.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/VaisanenClip4.mp4

Sebastian Soini - Defence - Ilves

6’2, 181lbs - 2006-06-10

Soini has sort of flown under the radar among prospects eligible for the 2024 NHL draft. He didn’t make the Finnish Hlinka team in the summer even though Soini has been thought of as one of the top Finnish players among his age group for a while. Although he has gotten into a few Liiga games early in the season for Ilves, he has spent a good majority of his season thus far in the second-tier men's league in Finland where he plays in the Mestis for Koovee.

Soini stands out in a multitude of aspects, however, the one I’m most impressed with on a consistent basis is how poised he is in the defensive zone. Soini is a standout in his own end - he uses his size and reach to his advantage, effectively breaking up plays with both his stick and his body. He is a reliable shot blocker and excels in one-on-one situations against opposing forwards. His positioning and awareness in the defensive zone are very good for a player his senior.

Although Soini isn’t the most flashy skater, his skating ability is effective and best suited for his playing style as a more defensive defender. Of note, his balance and agility are two of his greatest strengths and that allows him to pivot quickly, maintain good gaps against opposing forwards, and make effective lateral movements to suppress and cut off shooting lanes. Soini is also quite strong on his edges, enabling him to maintain balance in physical battles and when battling for pucks along the boards.

Although his offensive game isn’t the most refined, one thing that stands out in it is his ability to make an effective first pass. Soini can make crisp, tape-to-tape passes to start breakouts effectively. His precision and decision-making with the puck help his teams quickly transition from defense to offense.

So, while Soini may have flown under the radar in the lead-up to the 2024 NHL draft, his performance and potential should not be underestimated. Soini's ability to make precise first passes and facilitate quick breakouts highlights his value as a player who contributes to the transition from defense to offense. While his offensive game may not be as refined as some, his defensive capabilities make him a prospect worth keeping an eye on as he continues to develop and refine his skills.

Bring on the Videos!

https://www.mckeenshockey.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/SoiniClip1.mp4

Here is Soini pouncing on a loose puck, shielding the defender behind him so he can retrieve the puck and get his team started the other way. Soini is very good at puck retrievals like this and is an aspect of his game I have become quite impressed with.

https://www.mckeenshockey.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/SoiniClip2.mp4

Again, another impressive puck retrieval and first pass by Soini - he gets into the corner after his teammate freed the puck along the boards, used his body positioning to grab the puck, and skated it behind the net and up ice to start the breakout.

https://www.mckeenshockey.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/SoiniClip3.mp4

I know.., another puck retrieval clip but this one shows off his skating ability. When given open ice, his opponents were barely able to change before Soini brought it back ice - I just love how seamless he can be at transitioning from defense to offense

https://www.mckeenshockey.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/SoiniClip4.mp4

This clip showcases his offensive potential. Soini gets the puck at the blue line and has the opposition think he was going to shoot, only to make a quick pass over to his teammate Emil Jarventie for a much better shooting angle. I love how he is showcasing his ability to be deceptive from the blue line here.

https://www.mckeenshockey.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/SoiniClip5.mp4

This is Soini’s first-ever Liiga point, as he attacks down low with the puck after his forward had stopped at the line after a zone entry. Soini then does a couple of pivots to throw off the defender only to pass it back to the forward who walks in and snipes it on the net. Just a clean play for his first point in the Liiga.

https://www.mckeenshockey.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/SoiniClip6.mp4

Last one - here Soini does a great job maintaining his gap and keeping his stick in the shooting lane of the forward. Just an excellent defensive read and play.

Dominik Badinka - Defence - Malmö Redhawks

6’3, 183lbs - 2005-11-27

I was a little surprised to see Badinka move from Finland to Sweden for his draft season. Likely he was hoping he’d play more games in the SHL than he would in the Liiga had he stayed in Jokerit’s developmental system. Early on in Sweden, Badinka hasn’t looked out of place. He has been one of the highest-scoring defenders in the J20 league in Sweden and has even seen a couple of games up with Malmo in the SHL where he looked good.. The Czech-born defender has definitely impressed me early on in his draft season.

Badinka is a very intelligent defender. He has an advanced understanding of the game that when combined with his decision-making allows Badinka to excel in various aspects of the game. One of these aspects is how he anticipates plays - he positions himself well to block passing lanes in the defensive end where he sees fit. He is able to jump into the rush and act as a 4th forward while at the same time being in position to stop a rush going the other way. His head is always on a swivel and he is always thinking ahead in the game.

Because of his size at 6’3, he can have a positive impact on the game physically. He is excellent in board battles, especially at the J20 level, where he is outright dominant. He just knows how to position his stick and body to have an advantage in physical battles. He never hesitates to engage in battles in front of the net either - he is a physical presence in front of his crease and Badinka uses his body quite effectively to clear the slot. He can over-commit to being physical at times, however, and I have seen it lead to odd man rushes. While it’s a notable component to Badinka’s game, he could learn how to reel it in every once and a while and pick his spots better.

The last thing I’d like to zero in on with Bainka is how well he moves up and down the ice. He is a very mobile defender who is able to use his four-way mobility to great effect on both ends of the ice. Although Badinka seldom activates from his spot at the blue line, when he does he is able to use his skating in a deceptive way by arching his body one way, making the defense think that he is going one way only to make a quick cut around the defender for a better scoring opportunity. As previously stated, he doesn’t do this often but when he does, it is almost poetic and I hope to see more of this in his game moving forward.

Badinka's journey from Finland to Sweden has unveiled a promising and versatile talent on the ice. His intelligence, physicality, and mobility make him an exciting prospect for the 2024 NHL Draft... With his unique skill set and adaptability, Badinka should see himself called early. I think he has the makings of being called in the first round.

Bring on the Videos!

https://www.mckeenshockey.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/BadinkaClip1.mp4

This is a great video of Badinka that showcases his puck retrieval skills and his ability to transport the puck for zone entries, fighting through numerous defenders to do so.

https://www.mckeenshockey.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/BadinkaClip2.mp4

Here is Badinka doing a fantastic job at closing out on a forward who just received an outlet pass, then being physical and pinning him along the boards to stop the forward in his tracks.

https://www.mckeenshockey.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/BadinkaClip3.mp4

This is by far my favourite Badinka clip and it is easy to see why. He gets the puck at the blueline, does a few head fakes while stick handling and it was enough to make the defender lose balance and fall down and retreat in embarrassment. He plays the puck to his teammate who gets it back to Badinka who throws the puck on the net through multiple defenders, creating a rebound opportunity which his teammate capitalizes on. Beautiful assist.

https://www.mckeenshockey.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/BadinkaClip4.mp4

Heads up play by Badinka here - he gets the puck in the neutral zone, sees that the other team is in the middle of a line change so he takes advantage of it by coming down on the goalie and slipping it through his legs. A great showcase of his skating ability is in this clip.

Ondrej Kos - Wing - Koovee

6’1, 148lbs - 2006-03-07

Kos is a kid who really got on my radar at the Hlinka Gretzky Cup where he and team Czechia pulled off an impressive performance. Kos, although Czech-born, has played the past two seasons in Finland for Ilves’ development system. This season he has played the majority of it on loan to Koovee in the Mestis (Finland’s second-tier men's league) where alongside one of my fellow early season favorites Sebastian Soini - Kos has impressed early on with his offensive skillset.

My favorite element of Kos’ game is how hard he competes game in and game out. He never takes a shift off and always has his feet moving. Kos lives off of applying pressure on both the forecheck and the backcheck and is relentless when chasing a puck carrier. He often causes defenders to struggle at puck retrievals because of the pressure he is applying to them. Kos has an unwavering determination to win puck battles in both the offensive and defensive ends of the ice. It is worth mentioning that he isn’t as effective as he could be at the moment given his slight stature, but you can’t teach a player to have as good of a motor as Kos has.

To pair with Kos’ compete level, he is also a great skater. Kos is able to get down the ice in a hurry, possessing a great first step and also very good top-end speed. He is often able to outpace his opponents and is extremely dangerous in the transition game as a result, often leading rushes and being the puck carrier on his line even though he is oftentimes the youngest player on the line. One thing I consistently notice about Kos is that he is difficult to knock off the puck, as he has excellent balance and core strength to be able to maintain puck possession in some of the circumstances he gets put in. One can only imagine how much better he’ll get as he puts on some weight.

Unfortunately for Kos, although I love how he plays the game, I believe his upside may be a bit limited at the next level. He doesn’t change the pace of the game enough and nor does he create offense at a consistent enough level for himself for me to see anything more than a middle six penalty killer at the next level. I’d need to see more offensive production, and smarter offensive plays to think his ceiling is anything more than that. Improving his vision is going to be imperative in relation to his development.

For the remainder of the season, I’ll be fascinated to see if Kos can improve upon his offensive consistency in the Mestis and maybe even see some games at the WJC in December and possibly even in the Liiga. Either way, he’s been great to start the season and a player I’ve come away thoroughly impressed with.

Bring on the Videos!

https://www.mckeenshockey.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/SGKosClip1.mp4

This is a great representation of Kos’ game. In this clip, you can see him constantly changing his position and angle of attack to help his team on the power play and confuse the defense. He gets rewarded at the end by getting the puck in the slot and beating the goalie.

https://www.mckeenshockey.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/SGKosClip2.mp4

Another play where Kos is all over the puck in the offensive zone, constantly moving his feet looking for opportunities to strike.

https://www.mckeenshockey.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/SGKosClip3.mp4

Great play by Kos to identify his teammate was going to throw the puck into center ice.Kos is able to get a high-danger shot off because of his great anticipation on this play.

https://www.mckeenshockey.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/SGKosClip4.mp4

Kos is able to effectively bring the puck up the ice in transition, and although he loses control of it on the entry, battles back, shields the puck along the wall and makes a nifty backward pass to his teammate to keep the possession in his team's hands.