Prospect Info: At 24th Overall the Jets Select Kristian Vesalainen

[Kaako Kappo]

Vesalainen-Scheifele-Laine
Connor-Little-Wheeler
Ehlers-Perreault-Armia

Lol, by the time Vesalainen is playing in the NHL (if ever) Perreault won't be centering anyone.

 

[Ippenator]

Lol, by the time Vesalainen is playing in the NHL (if ever) Perreault won't be centering anyone.

I wouldn't be so sure about that. It is at least possible that Vesalainen is playing in the NHL after two seasons. And if that happens I don't see it at all impossible for Perreault to play in the same line with him. Of course no one knows when Vesalainen will play in the NHL, if ever. But to claim anything like you did as somekind of a certainty is not right in my opinion. Of course I don't know any better how things will go for sure. But I see that perfectly possible that Vesalainen plays a good season for HPK and then another good season for HPK or in the AHL and after that he could already have a chance to play in the NHL. So do you really think that this scenario is totally impossible?

 

[BB88]

Many will disagree with me but I still prefer Vesalainen over Tolvanen and think for Jets Vesalainen is the better fit.

50-60 point powerforward who can skate would be great.

 

[Kaako Kappo]

Many will disagree with me but I still prefer Vesalainen over Tolvanen and think for Jets Vesalainen is the better fit.

50-60 point powerforward who can skate would be great.

Vesalainen fits in Winnipeg like a glove.

 

[Gabe Kupari]

Finnipeg Jets.

 

[BB88]

Vesalainen fits in Winnipeg like a glove.

Yep, Connor can be the left shot goal scorer and Vesalainen the left shot powerforward.

 

[Mortimer Snerd]

Lol, by the time Vesalainen is playing in the NHL (if ever) Perreault won't be centering anyone.

I wouldn't be so sure about that. It is at least possible that Vesalainen is playing in the NHL after two seasons. And if that happens I don't see it at all impossible for Perreault to play in the same line with him. Of course no one knows when Vesalainen will play in the NHL, if ever. But to claim anything like you did as somekind of a certainty is not right in my opinion. Of course I don't know any better how things will go for sure. But I see that perfectly possible that Vesalainen plays a good season for HPK and then another good season for HPK or in the AHL and after that he could already have a chance to play in the NHL. So do you really think that this scenario is totally impossible?

Perreault is not a centre. He has said so himself. He failed repeatedly at C since joining the Jets. If Vesalainen makes the Jets out of training camp Perreault won't be his centre - or anyone elses. If he ever plays C again it will be only on a short term emergency basis.

Vesalainen could replace Perreault at LW in a year or two .... or three more likely. That will not turn Perreault into a centre.

 

[Mortimer Snerd]

Vesalainen fits in Winnipeg like a glove.

How do you see a fit? He is a LW. Jets are awash in LW's. I like Vesalainen for his talent but he is a poor fit for the Jets. He can play the right side but that is less than ideal and doesn't seem to be in Maurice's playbook.

We need a 4RW and an eventual replacement for Wheeler in the top 6. We will need a 3LW in a couple of years and he would probably be the best candidate for that spot but we have other potential ones. I don't see him pushing either Connor or Ehlers down. For him to play above the 3rd line he, or one of Connor or Ehlers will have to be traded.

 

[Ippenator]

Perreault is not a centre. He has said so himself. He failed repeatedly at C since joining the Jets. If Vesalainen makes the Jets out of training camp Perreault won't be his centre - or anyone elses. If he ever plays C again it will be only on a short term emergency basis.

Vesalainen could replace Perreault at LW in a year or two .... or three more likely. That will not turn Perreault into a centre.

I was not the one claiming for Perreault being specifically a center. That is why I did not mention anything about him being a center in my post, but just discussed the possibility for them being able to play in a same line ever. The post about Perreault being a center was from someone else.

 

[tbcwpg]

How do you see a fit? He is a LW. Jets are awash in LW's. I like Vesalainen for his talent but he is a poor fit for the Jets. He can play the right side but that is less than ideal and doesn't seem to be in Maurice's playbook.

We need a 4RW and an eventual replacement for Wheeler in the top 6. We will need a 3LW in a couple of years and he would probably be the best candidate for that spot but we have other potential ones. I don't see him pushing either Connor or Ehlers down. For him to play above the 3rd line he, or one of Connor or Ehlers will have to be traded.

I'm not sure he was drafted to supplant Ehlers and Connor. I think he'll fit right into that 3rd line LW spot. It should set up the left side for a long time.

 

[Mortimer Snerd]

I was not the one claiming for Perreault being specifically a center. That is why I did not mention anything about him being a center in my post, but just discussed the possibility for them being able to play in a same line ever. The post about Perreault being a center was from someone else.

Sorry, I should have quoted the other post. I just took the last one in line.

 

[Kaako Kappo]

How do you see a fit? He is a LW. Jets are awash in LW's. I like Vesalainen for his talent but he is a poor fit for the Jets. He can play the right side but that is less than ideal and doesn't seem to be in Maurice's playbook.

We need a 4RW and an eventual replacement for Wheeler in the top 6. We will need a 3LW in a couple of years and he would probably be the best candidate for that spot but we have other potential ones. I don't see him pushing either Connor or Ehlers down. For him to play above the 3rd line he, or one of Connor or Ehlers will have to be traded.

Big, strong and fast. The LW/RW thing is nothing. He'll play on either side.

 

[Mortimer Snerd]

I'm not sure he was drafted to supplant Ehlers and Connor. I think he'll fit right into that 3rd line LW spot. It should set up the left side for a long time.

I agree, that's his most likely landing spot. We don't need him there as we have lots of LW's. He might be a slightly better one than any of the others. It limits him though. OTOH a 3LW who can move up a bit may be his peak ability.

If that is the case though he is not as close to the value of that #13 pick as I would like to think he is.

 

[Mortimer Snerd]

Big, strong and fast. The LW/RW thing is nothing. He'll play on either side.

He'll play where Maurice tells him to play. So far, that has been rigidly Left Shot > left side, Right Shot > right side. Even if Maurice relaxes that once his young players get a little experience, it is not nothing. There are good reasons for it.

Edit: "Big, strong and fast" still did not describe a 'fit'. It is a list of characteristics that have nothing to do with 'fit'.

 

[Kaako Kappo]

He'll play where Maurice tells him to play. So far, that has been rigidly Left Shot > left side, Right Shot > right side. Even if Maurice relaxes that once his young players get a little experience, it is not nothing. There are good reasons for it.

Yeah, that's if Maurice is in Winnipeg in two years. You complain about Vesalainen being LW, knowing that Maurice will probably play him RW anyways. Wut. Big strong and fast fits the rest of the team, which also consists of many big strong and fast players. I still think Winnipegs identity is being big and strong, with more skill nowadays though. He'll replace some old fart when the time comes.

You're thinking in "Now". Vesalainen is not part of "now".

 

[BB88]

He'll play where Maurice tells him to play. So far, that has been rigidly Left Shot > left side, Right Shot > right side. Even if Maurice relaxes that once his young players get a little experience, it is not nothing. There are good reasons for it.

Edit: "Big, strong and fast" still did not describe a 'fit'. It is a list of characteristics that have nothing to do with 'fit'.

I think he compliments Connor& Ehlers well, better than Tolvanen on that spot.

Jets picked at 24, all the top LD's were gone by then. Vesalainen adds to assets Chevy can move later if he needs to.

 

[lanky]

LW in four years
Ehlers
Connor
Vesalainen

RW in four years
Laine
Spacek
Armia

 

[Maukkis]

In two years, when we will inevitably lose a big piece from our forward core, people might just understand that going for the BPA is not that bad of an option. At that point, we are in the middle of a punishing cap crunch, and each and every bit of ELC talent is welcomed with open arms. I have a hard time imagining that Vesalainen wouldn't be a big part of the plan then.

 

[Mortimer Snerd]

Yeah, that's if Maurice is in Winnipeg in two years. You complain about Vesalainen being LW, knowing that Maurice will probably play him RW anyways. Wut. Big strong and fast fits the rest of the team, which also consists of many big strong and fast players. I still think Winnipegs identity is being big and strong, with more skill nowadays though. He'll replace some old fart when the time comes.

You're thinking in "Now". Vesalainen is not part of "now".

If Mason lives up to expectations Maurice will likely be here for the long haul. Good goalies make good coaches.

Laine was almost exclusively LW until Maurice. Now he is RW only except for some, not all of the PP time. Dano was RW only until coach Q. Maurice has continued coach Q's approach. Ehlers played a little LW before Maurice but he is there exclusively now. As long as Maurice is here you can count on Vesalainen being exclusively a LW.

OK, I see what you meant about "big, strong and fast". That was the Jets identity until the '15 playoffs. The youth movement, started in '16 seemed to signal a change in that identity. The whole league is moving towards smaller, more agile, more skilled players. The Jets drafts appeared to be moving in that direction. The last couple of drafts suggest more "big, strong and fast" again. So the future would seem to be a mix of the 2.

I don't think "big, strong and fast" by itself constitutes a fit anymore than small, agile and skilled would constitute a fit but that is JMO. I want good players regardless of what it is that makes them good. When I talk about a fit I am referring to filling a need, bringing something that is missing. If we already have plenty of big, strong and fast, then bringing more of that isn't necessarily a fit.

If we had been able to draft either Valimaki or Vaakanainen I would have called them a fit. We needed D, especially LHD both on the roster and in the system. Those needs have been addressed elsewhere, at least partially. So the issue of Vesalainen's 'fit' is less than it was just a few days ago. Maybe if Vesalainen is ready for 3LW in 2 years we save a little cap space by trading Perreault. The thing is that Vesalainen doesn't enable that because we have several other LW's who could fill that role. But who knows? They might be gone by then and Vesa will be a perfect fit.

 

[Mortimer Snerd]

I think he compliments Connor& Ehlers well, better than Tolvanen on that spot.

Jets picked at 24, all the top LD's were gone by then. Vesalainen adds to assets Chevy can move later if he needs to.

Do you mean compliments Connor and Ehlers by playing 3LW? I don't think 1 line's LW needs to compliment another's. I think he is likely a better NHL player than Tolvanen.

I would have preferred a natural RW. 1)because we have both current and pending needs for RW's and 2)because they are less common, therefore more valuable.

Hague was still there and so were a couple of pretty good RD. You can never have too many RD. OK, Calgary has but that is an extreme.

 

[puke]

LW in four years
Ehlers
Connor
Vesalainen

RW in four years
Laine
Spacek
Armia

Centre in four years

Bambi
Roslovic
Little

 

[Mortimer Snerd]

LW in four years
Ehlers
Connor
Vesalainen

RW in four years
Laine
Spacek
Armia

I would be pretty happy if Spacek develops that well.

C in 4 years:
Fefe
Roslovic
Harkins

That would give us 4 of our top 9 from that '15 draft. Plus Foley at 4LW and Niku at 2LD. Talk about a franchise altering draft, wow!
Great if they are all performing well in those roles. Not so great if they are not as good as the players they replaced.

Edit: 7 if Appleton can make 4RW. That would leave only Gennaro not making the Jets from that draft. While it may be just a bit fanciful none of those outcomes is out of sight.

 

[Whileee]

If Mason lives up to expectations Maurice will likely be here for the long haul. Good goalies make good coaches.

Laine was almost exclusively LW until Maurice. Now he is RW only except for some, not all of the PP time. Dano was RW only until coach Q. Maurice has continued coach Q's approach. Ehlers played a little LW before Maurice but he is there exclusively now. As long as Maurice is here you can count on Vesalainen being exclusively a LW.

OK, I see what you meant about "big, strong and fast". That was the Jets identity until the '15 playoffs. The youth movement, started in '16 seemed to signal a change in that identity. The whole league is moving towards smaller, more agile, more skilled players. The Jets drafts appeared to be moving in that direction. The last couple of drafts suggest more "big, strong and fast" again. So the future would seem to be a mix of the 2.

I don't think "big, strong and fast" by itself constitutes a fit anymore than small, agile and skilled would constitute a fit but that is JMO. I want good players regardless of what it is that makes them good. When I talk about a fit I am referring to filling a need, bringing something that is missing. If we already have plenty of big, strong and fast, then bringing more of that isn't necessarily a fit.

If we had been able to draft either Valimaki or Vaakanainen I would have called them a fit. We needed D, especially LHD both on the roster and in the system. Those needs have been addressed elsewhere, at least partially. So the issue of Vesalainen's 'fit' is less than it was just a few days ago. Maybe if Vesalainen is ready for 3LW in 2 years we save a little cap space by trading Perreault. The thing is that Vesalainen doesn't enable that because we have several other LW's who could fill that role. But who knows? They might be gone by then and Vesa will be a perfect fit.

I think the identity is fast and quick, with lots of pressure. Nothing wrong with having fast and talented size. I think the Jets have a nice blend of both.

 

[bumblebeeman]

At first I was a little bit bummed that we missed out on a top D prospect in the first round. But Vesailainen seems like a great fit and could be an important player for this team, and they got some good D prospects in later rounds so I really can't complain. Going BPA was definitely the right call.

 

[Mortimer Snerd]

I think the identity is fast and quick, with lots of pressure. Nothing wrong with having fast and talented size. I think the Jets have a nice blend of both.

With just a couple of exceptions the Jets seem to have drafted speed/skating. Large or small they have been fast. I don't know if that has carried right through into the later rounds or not but it matters less there. You are just hoping for an occasional lucky pick.

The exceptions that spring to mind are Stanley and Petan. Petan has pretty good quickness but lacks top speed. Stanley, I think is acknowledged as needing to work on skating and foot speed. The long reach and long stride will compensate - to a point. We see that in Myers.