C/W Ville Koivunen - Kärpät, FIN (2021, 51st, CAR, traded to PIT)

[sleb]

Yeah, player selections have been very predictable with Manner. Hopefully Mikkola will bring some new blood there.

Manner was handcuffed the past season. Ask daddy-Aho and Virkkunen about that. The complacency of board and management is starting to remind the dreadful 90's in Kärpät. But Pardus was right. The pipeline in Kärpät is so stacked it's very hard to get a shot. Just look some great examples in Sakari Manninen and Arttu Ruotsalainen. The junior path is very well handled, the pro team not so much.

And of Koivunen? Kid is a competitor. Most of his abilities have been discussed here, but that one tidbit was forgotten imo.

 

[MatthewFlames]

Pretty modest way to talk about Sebastian Aho. Kuokkanen isn't bad player either, although he plays for NJD now. Quality over quantity!

And it's too early to judge Tieksola but he got an ELC earlier than almost every other 4th or later round pick, evidence is there that he's better than his draft position.

 

[MatthewFlames]

Signed his ELC, with European Assignment clauses for the next 2 seasons.



He's playing today for the Kärpät Liiga club in their pre-season game. Will be interesting to see if he can stick (along with Räty.)

 

[JJTT]

Goal in his first Liiga game






Longer video:

Kärpät tekee 4-1 maalin

 

[wings5]

His junior numbers were crazy , good to see him starting well in Liiga

 

[MatthewFlames]

Another goal:

 

[MatthewFlames]

5th point, and 3rd goal of the season for Koivunen, his first playing in Liga. OT goal today, in his tenth game this season

 

[MatthewFlames]

 

[JJTT]

 

[JJTT]

Continues his great play at WJC with 3 points in 4 periods so far.

19 points in 30 games in Liiga with limited minutes this season.

Canes might have something here with another 2nd round pick from Kärpät.

 

[Boonk]

"How many Finns do we need on this team?"

Canes: "Yes"

 

[JJTT]

32 points in 37 games in Liiga. Finally seems to have taken his game to another level.

Penalty shot from today

 

[JJTT]

8 points in last 3 games. Might not be a bust after all. 46 points in 50 games this year.

 

[mattihp]

And to do it on Kärpät is impressive. They probably think he is in his 30s.

 

[Hockeyville USA]

Will the Hurricanes have room for him on the roster? Will they use more of their prospect capital (including Koivunen) at the deadline to go all in for a Cup?

Most of the internet prospects nerd community has liked the Hurricanes' drafting, but so few of them have cracked the NHL with Carolina, part of that being that the current roster is blocking guys from making it, part of it being there's no AHL team under direct control. Interested to see what happens with Koivunen.

 

[Jersey Fan 12]

Seem to remember a couple of years ago Karpat had some economic issues and began giving younger players opportunities more so than they did in the past.

It'll be interesting to see if Koivunen fits in the Canes' plans. Or are his numbers attributable to playing in Liiga with some of the weaker squads that Oulu faces.

 

[Discipline Daddy]

Will the Hurricanes have room for him on the roster? Will they use more of their prospect capital (including Koivunen) at the deadline to go all in for a Cup?

Most of the internet prospects nerd community has liked the Hurricanes' drafting, but so few of them have cracked the NHL with Carolina, part of that being that the current roster is blocking guys from making it, part of it being there's no AHL team under direct control. Interested to see what happens with Koivunen.

Next year we are probably losing Brady Skjei, Brett Pesce, and one of Jalen Chatfield/Tony DeAngelo on defense. At forward, we're probably losing Stefan Noesen, Teuvo Teravainen (unless he takes a lot less $$), and Jordan Martinook. There will probably be 2-3 roster spots for grabs at forward.

I'd think one of them will be Vasily Ponomarev, and the others will go to rookies or a free agent signing. Basically, next year is the first year in a while there will be legit spots available, for cap reasons. Jarvis leaves his ELC and Necas will need a hefty raise.

 

[Hockeyville USA]

Seem to remember a couple of years ago Karpat had some economic issues and began giving younger players opportunities more so than they did in the past.

It'll be interesting to see if Koivunen fits in the Canes' plans. Or are his numbers attributable to playing in Liiga with some of the weaker squads that Oulu faces.

Liiga is a slightly overrated European Pro league so it's always worth following the top guys who come over to the A or the league here and see how they do. I think Koivunen should translate reasonably well, but who knows

 

[BusQuets]

Quite similar pace with Aho and Rantanen in the Liiga. Should bode well.

 

[Boom Boom Apathy]

Quite similar pace with Aho and Rantanen in the Liiga. Should bode well.

I hope you are right, but it's fair to point out Aho was a PPG at 18 years old and Koivunen is achieving that level at 20 years old.

 

[Jersey Fan 12]

Quite similar pace with Aho and Rantanen in the Liiga. Should bode well.

The Liiga Aho and Rantanen played in was a bit more competitive than the current league. And Aho was an 18-year-old in his final Liiga season.

 

[JJTT]

27 points in last 20 games.

 

[mattihp]

Seem to remember a couple of years ago Karpat had some economic issues and began giving younger players opportunities more so than they did in the past.

It'll be interesting to see if Koivunen fits in the Canes' plans. Or are his numbers attributable to playing in Liiga with some of the weaker squads that Oulu faces.

In the AHL, which is a developmental league he for sure would face quite a few worse goaltenders and defensemen than in the Liiga. The defensemen that I have seen Puljujärvi cruise past in the AHL would not have gotten many minutes in Liiga. There are better players too - sure. But young players who just aren't there yet play much, much more in the AHL.

The change in style is more of a concern. The finnish rinks are smaller than other European rinks and the game is a bit faster than other top leagues in Europe, but the physicality has gone down a bit in the last 5 years.

 

[MMC]

Traded to PIT

 

[Jukurit]

Koivunen is a good young player, but I'm worried about his skating. It's pretty bad. Not very big guy and not very strong. Feels like he might struggle in more skating oriented and physical NA game. Only had 1 point in 12 games in AHL last season. His skating needs to improve a lot for him to be NHL player.