McDNicks17
Moderator
Maybe ends up in the USHL for next year? I believe Dubuque has his rights.
They have a decent track record with imports. Maccelli, Girgensons, Lagesson, etc.
C/LW Samu Salminen - Denver NCAA (2021, 68th, NJD)
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Maybe ends up in the USHL for next year? I believe Dubuque has his rights.
They have a decent track record with imports. Maccelli, Girgensons, Lagesson, etc.
BKarchitect
Registered User
Oh yeah I imagine you are right. Also Matikka is an October '03 birthday so his natural class is to be fall of 22, so it makes sense if they are entering together.
I don't see any USHL rights for Matikka, wonder if he would also end up in Dubuque.
ChicagoBullsFan
Registered User
Seems strange to me that he isn't playing NCAA in 21-22, too. Playing USHL seems like a lot of fuss for him- I don't really see why he would do that. How similar is his game to Lundell's, as a bigger, two way C?
He needs to finish high school in order to start university.
He might be better than Lundell in offense but defence is not even close to Lundell’s. Salminen is more skilled than Lundell I believe
Svedu
Registered User
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No, he was nothing special against Russia yesterday. Lundell would have scored 4 points against that same Russian defense.
How would he be better than Lundell? His shot? His handling? IQ? Nah, Lundell is a top2 center for the NHL if he reaches his potential. Lundell is on another level, he was a bigger talent at Salminens age as well. Just look at his stats and games when he played with u-20 and was the youngest on ice. I saw him at he u-18´s when he was underage.
I would understand if you compared with Räty or someone else. Have nothing against Salminen but Lundell is heavily underrated by some. He carried a Finnish u20 offense by himself. The only player I´ve ever seen being more important for a Finnish WJC-team is Teräväinen back in 13/14.
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Frk It
Mo Seider Less Problems
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I think he is going to creep into the 1st round like we saw with Borgstrom in 2016. I just have a hard time seeing some of these centers/forwards projected in round 1 going over a player his size with his skill set.
Had a solid u18 tournament 7+2 in 7 games. I think he's ready to play Liiga but it seems he's set on the North America path. I expect we'll see him in the USHL next season with Dubuque
Yes , that fact slipped my mind. He can play bottom line minutes in the KHL but I think Liiga would be more ideal. It would also be nice if he would go straight to the NCAA but it is what it is.
Would be nice if he could get loaned to another organization that has a Liiga team instead of playing USHL, but maybe he wants to get out and see ...Iowa...
LastWordArmy
Registered User
Playing in the Jokerit system, centre Samu Salminen spent the season with their affiliate in the Finnish Under-20 League. Salminen scored 10 goals and 16 assists for 26 points in 17 games. He also had an incredible 70.2% face-off percentage, the best in the entire league. Salminen played with the Finnish team at the IIHF Under-18 World Championships. He was named team captain. Salminen had an outstanding tournament with seven goals and two assists for nine points in seven games.
In 2019-20 Salminen played in 23 games in the Under-20 league. He scored seven goals and 13 assists for 20 points in that time. He also played seven games in the Under-18 league, putting up eight goals and 15 assists for an incredible 23 points. Salminen represented Finland at the Under-17 World Hockey Challenge. He scored three goals and five points in five games. Salminen is committed to playing NCAA hockey for the Denver Pioneers next year. Salminen comes from a hockey family. Older brother Saku Salminen also came up through the Jokerit system, playing for the team in the Liiga and KHL. Sami Salminen played for Northern Michigan and is playing pro hockey in the Mestis.
2021 NHL Draft #56: Samu Salminen Scouting Report
In 2019-20 Salminen played in 23 games in the Under-20 league. He scored seven goals and 13 assists for 20 points in that time. He also played seven games in the Under-18 league, putting up eight goals and 15 assists for an incredible 23 points. Salminen represented Finland at the Under-17 World Hockey Challenge. He scored three goals and five points in five games. Salminen is committed to playing NCAA hockey for the Denver Pioneers next year. Salminen comes from a hockey family. Older brother Saku Salminen also came up through the Jokerit system, playing for the team in the Liiga and KHL. Sami Salminen played for Northern Michigan and is playing pro hockey in the Mestis.
2021 NHL Draft #56: Samu Salminen Scouting Report
Alex Appleyard from my team at Smaht wrote this report on Salminen. Check it out and hit him up if you have any questions.
Scouting Report: Samu Salminen - Smaht Scouting
Scouting Report: Samu Salminen - Smaht Scouting
I really appreciate the report, but here I think a little context needs to be added to something it contained:
The comparison being made here is not apples to apples. Salminen only scored 1.53 points/game in Nuorten SM-Liiga in his draft-eligible season. Taken over two COVID-shortened seasons his points/game was a more modest 1.15.
This is important because the players you compare him to were at different ages when they played in the u20 league.
Granlund and Puljujarvi played entirely in the Liiga during their draft seasons, so their Nuorten SM-Liiga play came when they were a year younger than Salminen is now.
Teravainen played just 11 games and scored nearly 2 pts/gm in the Nuorten SM-Liiga his draft season. He played 40 Liiga games that year as well.
Donskoi scored at roughly the same rate in Nuorten SM-Liiga in his draft season, but also appeared in 18 Liiga games that year.
Pulkkinen scored over 2 pts/gm the the Nuorten SM-Liiga in his draft year and also played 12 Liiga games.
Granted, Salminen's choice of the NCAA as his long-term destination meant professional play was out of the question for him this year. Even if he wasn't college-bound, Jokerit's move to the KHL means it's harder for a draft eligible player to get ice time there. In fact, I'm not sure any draft-eligible player has played with Jokerit since they made the move.
I like Salminen as a draft pick, but the counting stats don't look quite so shiny when examined in context. Of course, Koivunen's and Tuomaala's are probably quite inflated compared to Salminen's, but that's another issue.
MMC
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NJ DevLolz
The Many Saints of Newark
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ChicagoBullsFan
Registered User
One reason why Salminen drop 3rd round is skating.
Salminen has skating issues and it may hold him back in NHL.
But if Salminen can improve his skating and become even passable skater that would be good.
Salminen is excellent face-off taker in U18 WJC's he won about 70% of all his face-offs.
Other strength what Salminen has is a leadership qualities.
Salminen has been a captain in all Team Finland junior national teams ( U16, U17, U18 ).
And i wouldn't be surprised if Salminen is once again Finland's captain in U20 WJC's this December.
NJ DevLolz
The Many Saints of Newark
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Yeah, obvously every prospect has flaws at thsi point of the draft. Devils won't need him to be a burner with great skaters like Hughes, Hischier, and Bratt up front. If he's smart positionally, has good vision, and can finish, he will complement the forward core.
ChicagoBullsFan
Registered User
That's true.
Salminen is versatile player ( can play C and W ) and if he won't pan out as a C then put him winger.
It's easier to put center on the wing than winger a center.
And if i'm not mistaken Janne Kuokkanen who's also C has played mostly winger in Devils
or is he got some game is center when there's been injuries etc.
^^ Yeah that's off topic but hopefully you got my point
ChicagoBullsFan
Registered User
Listed to play with Jokerit U20 again. I guess this means no USHL for Samu, at least to start next season.
OgeeOgelthorpe
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He's going to Denver in 2022 so he can't play in the Finnish pro league. I think Finland also has mandatory military duty so I would imagine that he has to complete that before coming to the United States. It's a similar situation to Red Wings prospect Antti Tuomisto.
I think he just wants to finish high school in Finland, you can postpone your military service if you are an athlete
