C Aleksi Saarela - Lukko, Liiga (2015, 89th, NYR; traded to CAR, traded to CHI, traded to FLA)

[S E P H]

He has the speed, but speed doesn't make you a player. His father was the fastest skater of the league, but was he ever the best or even close?
Saarela has the tools to be special. Kapanen isn't even in the same tier at the moment, as there are more areas for him to improve. I'd have no problem betting which one of them will put up more points next season even having Saarela a year behind in progress.

Your making the same argument as thomast did, except for switching one attribute to another. And he had a better point, eventhough still invalid. It's still early with this kids while no doubt exciting to watch!

This is one of the stupidest things I have ever heard. Do you think MacKinnon would've been drafted 1st overall if he didn't have his skating ability? Do you think if Patrick Kane didn't have his skating ability he would've been drafted 1st overall? Do you think Lindros would have had the same dominance if he was slower player?

If you single out each talent group to a single point, you can say that skating is by far the most important category for scouts.

 

[VictorLustig]

This is one of the stupidest things I have ever heard. Do you think MacKinnon would've been drafted 1st overall if he didn't have his skating ability? Do you think if Patrick Kane didn't have his skating ability he would've been drafted 1st overall? Do you think Lindros would have had the same dominance if he was slower player?

If you single out each talent group to a single point, you can say that skating is by far the most important category for scouts.

Does Paajarvi's speed make him a player?

 

[S E P H]

Does Paajarvi's speed make him a player?

Of course you need the whole overall talent network for you to become a fantastic player, which Paajarvi never had. I am just mentioning to get yourself noticed for teams and scouts skating is the most important thing.

It is different for Saarela who is looking like one of the best players available in the 2015 draft.

 

[VictorLustig]

Of course you need the whole overall talent network for you to become a fantastic player, which Paajarvi never had. I am just mentioning to get yourself noticed for teams and scouts skating is the most important thing.

It is different for Saarela who is looking like one of the best players available in the 2015 draft.

This is probably what kelsier was trying to say. There are plenty of fantastic skaters not in the NHL but they are all missing something else.

 

[Erikfromfin]

tweaked little bit because theres jussi in every thread. sorry going oftopic again.

T.Teräväinen'12 - A.Barkov'13 - K.Kapanen'(14)
---------O.Määttä'12 - S.Vatanen'09----------
---------------S.Aittokallio'10-----------------

J.Puljujärvi'(16) - Mi.Granlund'10 - J.Armia'11
-------R.Ristolainen'13 - V.Pokka'12--------
----------------K.Kähkönen'(14)-----------

A.Lehkonen'13 - A.Saarela'(15) - M.Salomäki'11
----------J.Honka'(14) - J.Hakanpää'10--------
----------------J.Korpisalo'12-----------------

H.Ikonen'13 - Ma.Granlund'11 - T.Pulkkinen'10
-------M.Vainonen'12 - N.Tikkinen'12--------
----------------J.Saros'13------------------

13th: J.Rask'10
14th: M.Aaltonen'13

 

[psycho_dad*]

Said every Finn ever. We should just take it easy on our boys, so that the "Finnish Overhype Bust Curse" doesn't take effect.

Rita was a fast skater and that's it. He always suffered from the hands of stone syndrome that 99.5% of Finnish players do. Saarela has a better shot at 16 than Rita has today or has ever had.

Completely different players.

 

[bebl]

Telling someone that disagrees with you to be quiet on a public forum is rather, well hilarious, at best. You've made somewhere between hundred to five hundred posts about Barkov repeating the same points over and over like a broken record. Then there are people laughing here about overhyped Finnish prospects.

Amen!

 

[Syan Ruter]

Rita was a fast skater and that's it. He always suffered from the hands of stone syndrome that 99.5% of Finnish players do. Saarela has a better shot at 16 than Rita has today or has ever had.

Completely different players.

Point being that every Finnish prospect is always better than some Finn who was supposed to make it, but never did. All I'm saying is that Rita was once considered a good talent, fast and with a great shot á la Saarela hence my comment directed to US Finns to take it easy, watch and see so that we don't make complete fools of ourselves.

Agreeing with you that they are different players, but come on...you can draw parallels from here to China!

 

[fr9dd9]

Have he played anything since sibir game?

 

[psycho_dad*]

Have he played anything since sibir game?

He played (at least was in the roster) against Ambri-piotta in Switzerland yesterday and will play against another swiss league team tomorrow. No points in the game yesterday, Lukko won 3-2 in OT. His line did score 2 of the goals.

 

[fr9dd9]

He played (at least was in the roster) against Ambri-piotta in Switzerland yesterday and will play against another swiss league team tomorrow. No points in the game yesterday, Lukko won 3-2 in OT. His line did score 2 of the goals.

Okey, thanks for the update!

 

[Jussi]

He was injured in the game against Lugano. Seems he'll be fit next week when the season starts. Urheilulehti had a big story on him in their season preview issue if any Finns are interested.

 

[Gaps]

He was injured in the game against Lugano. Seems he'll be fit next week when the season starts. Urheilulehti had a big story on him in their season preview issue if any Finns are interested.

I read the article, thought it was a nice read. Nice to hear all the stuff about him from Dufva. He sounds like a very good kid.

 

[behemolari]

Said every Finn ever. We should just take it easy on our boys, so that the "Finnish Overhype Bust Curse" doesn't take effect.

no seriously, who cares???

 

[Syan Ruter]

no seriously, who cares???

about..?

 

[JJTT]

Saarela is healthy and will play in his first SM-Liiga-game of the season tonight vs Ässät. He is playing 2nd line RW and wearing #87 as usual.

 

[QnebO]

The overhype will calm down if we keep actually having so called "decent" prospects. There were so many years that we didin't have any (besides goalies) prospects, that now when there are some decent prospects they all get super treatment. It's good for our hockey that we have good kids, and we should keep giving them hype and fame in our own league.. We just shouldn't except them to be right away break troughs in NHL, unless some one goes 1st overall or so.

Saw one of Saarela game, nothing special in that game but solid playing thought. Lacked some strenght against mature players in some situations, got knocked down in the corners, but he is big and will gain strength.

 

[J17 Vs Proclamation]

I wouldn't say the majority of Finnish prospects are overhyped. Sure, a few posters have unlikely expectations of certain players, but that doesn't deviate from the normality of analysis on these boards for any group of prospects from any nation by certain posters.

Barkov is a special prospect by Finnish standards and an exceptional one by global standards. I think he's IMO the best European trained and based prospect since 2004.

I haven't seen many proclaiming Saarela to be on that type of level. The talk is generally in line with sanity ; he is an entirely promising player with the potential to be a very high draft pick, but with also much work to do, like any 16 yr old.

Nothing for years, then Granlund, Armia, Tevo, Barkov, Kapanen come along + interesting names ahead in the pipeline. Not all of them will flourish or meet expectations, but these types of prospects weren't being produced at all for a few years. Why not enjoy them?

 

[Hagged]

Nothing for years, then Granlund, Armia, Tevo, Barkov, Kapanen come along + interesting names ahead in the pipeline. Not all of them will flourish or meet expectations, but these types of prospects weren't being produced at all for a few years. Why not enjoy them?

I'd actually say Nothing for years, then Barkov, Puljujarvi come along + interesting names like Granlund, Armia, Teravainen, Kapanen. Two of these prospects just aren't like the others.

 

[Gaps]

I wouldn't say the majority of Finnish prospects are overhyped. Sure, a few posters have unlikely expectations of certain players, but that doesn't deviate from the normality of analysis on these boards for any group of prospects from any nation by certain posters.

Barkov is a special prospect by Finnish standards and an exceptional one by global standards. I think he's IMO the best European trained and based prospect since 2004.

I haven't seen many proclaiming Saarela to be on that type of level. The talk is generally in line with sanity ; he is an entirely promising player with the potential to be a very high draft pick, but with also much work to do, like any 16 yr old.

Nothing for years, then Granlund, Armia, Tevo, Barkov, Kapanen come along + interesting names ahead in the pipeline. Not all of them will flourish or meet expectations, but these types of prospects weren't being produced at all for a few years. Why not enjoy them?

A few years? Try a decade. After such a long time it's not really a wonder if some people no longer know how to treat and what to realistically expect from prospects of that caliber.

Sure, there are people who overhype but on the other hand Finland is the promised country of backstabbers and jealous people and a lot of people underestimate certain prospects (usually the ones with the most media attention) on purpose and even seem to be foaming at the mouth to see them fail. It goes both ways. Some of that extreme negativity can be associated with the typical Finnish attitude that nothing will ever work out for us and that no matter what anyone else says, Finns will always fail because that's how it's been for so long.

 

[Syan Ruter]

A few years? Try a decade. After such a long time it's not really a wonder if some people no longer know how to treat and what to realistically expect from prospects of that caliber.

Sure, there are people who overhype but on the other hand Finland is the promised country of backstabbers and jealous people and a lot of people underestimate certain prospects (usually the ones with the most media attention) on purpose and even seem to be foaming at the mouth to see them fail. It goes both ways. Some of that extreme negativity can be associated with the typical Finnish attitude that nothing will ever work out for us and that no matter what anyone else says, Finns will always fail because that's how it's been for so long.

Actually, that's spot on. That's the mentality. All I'm saying is that when one of these prospects pan out, that's when we should start expecting more from our developing prospects. I really like what we have going on here, let's just hope to god that everything works out like we want it to.

 

[Loffer]

Slow start to the season? Something wrong? Been drinkin too much liquor offseason?

 

[mikko1995]

Slow start to the season? Something wrong? Been drinkin too much liquor offseason?

Are you kidding me...

 

[toewsintangibles]

Does Paajarvi's speed make him a player?

If Paajarvi wasn't quick, he'd been drafted later, if at all, and certainly wouldn't still be in the mix for a spot in the NHL

So yes

 

[JJTT]

Slow start to the season? Something wrong? Been drinkin too much liquor offseason?

Lukko has scored 4 goals this season so it's not like only Saarela has been bad.