Smart mobile defenseman with excellent feet and feel for the defensive zone. captained the Finnish U-18 team vocally displays his high hockey IQ, keeping his teammates on task. Besides prototypical size, he great puck handling skills to go along with his agility. This season, he has boasted his offensive totals considerably. That would be a signal that he is improving at the offensive end. He even had a hat trick this season against Vancouver in the WHL. He is not a riverboat gambling rocket out of his own end leading the rush type player. On the contrary, he seems to always be the last one out of his end because he plays such a solid and safe defensive game. You will see him make a tape to tape outlet passes in transition, but rarely leads the throops out. He will activate and calmly keep it until he is all the way down low. He will have to continue to get more handles and more time with the puck, to gain more confidence as an offensive generator. It is hard to argue against his point a game pace in the Dub, but he still has to develop a bit more instinct as a confident attacker at the higher levels. It seems a bit harsh on my part to be asking for more, even though I have him on the cusp of the first half of the first round, but there is untapped potential there. Not overly physical, but clears out the front uses his size well down low. Has a big frame that can get bigger. Great vision, puck-handling and accurate will be the bonuses that will come along with his safe, consistent mistake free play play in his own end.
--Bill Placzek---
