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Prospect Info: Konsta Helenius, RC, Jukurit (Liiga) - 14th Overall, 2024: Signed to ELC

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Black Book has him at 13:

Konsta Helenius can be characterized as a natural playmaking centre who plays with an edge, while offering a goodamount of agility and craftiness, but also suffers from inconsistency within his finishing ability. Helenius’s biggest asset ishis playmaking ability. His maturity was on display this season, which found him playing in Liiga where he accumulated 36 points in 51 regular season games, before stepping up in the playoffs and finishing point per game with 6 points in 5 games. Konsta is a gifted passer, who can routinely make high end passes while at half and full speed. Much of his success as a playmaker is due to his ability to fluidly move through all three zones, while baiting a level of pressure or attention that he’s able to handle, in order to open up options .
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Helenius can see the ice very well. Both at even-strength, and on the powerplay, he looks to become the F1 carrying option before making backhand lateral passes, and crisp, accurate saucer passes that have the right trajectory in order to hit the tape. He’s also effective at making himself an available passing option while keeping his hips open to set up the next pass; which further enhances his give and go sequences or sequences that require quick one touch passes while still in stride. Within his playmaking, there’s a high level of deceptive look offs and skating fakes, to keep opponents guessing as he attempts to set up his teammates. He makes clean, hard passes under pressure and is able to use his agility and shiftiness to buy the extra second he needs to open up a passing lane in congested areas of the ice.
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EP had him at 11 on their board:

Finland hasn’t produced many star-level centre prospects in recent history. Over the past 10 years, only Jesperi Kotkaniemi and
Anton Lundell really fit that label. Not only will Konsta Helenius join that group, but he could end up being the best of the bunch when
it’s all said and done. Helenius’ draft year was historic in many ways. His 36 points in 51 regular season games was the fifth-best mark among draft-
eligible skaters in Liiga history. His production only ramped up in the playoffs as he maintained a point-per-game pace through six games, joining Aleksander Barkov, Kaapo Kakko, and Mikael Granlund as the only players to do so at his age.
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Zman5778

Zman5778

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Helenius was very good at the Liiga level and was a top player for Finland's U20 team. He had a strong playoffs for Jukurit leading to an invite to Finland's national team. He is a highly skilled playmaker who can make a lot of difficult passes consistently. He shows the vision to run a pro powerplay effectively. He skates well and creates a lot of offense with pace for himself and others. Helenius isn't a big center, but he gives strong efforts off the puck, doesn't shy from going to the net and has an edge to his game. Inside the NHL the debate is whether he's a good or a special 5-11 forward. I've seen enough flashes to think the latter, but his so-so U18 worlds and World Juniors gives some pause. I think he can be a top line center or a #2 on a top team.
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Helenius put together one of the most productive under-18 seasons in Liiga history this year, entering into similar territory as names like Patrik Laine, Kaapo Kakko and Mikael Granlund without quite chasing down record holder Aleksander Barkov. He wasn’t just one of the better young players in Liiga, or one of the better players on Jukurit, either. He became one of the top players in the league, period — cemented by an excellent Liiga playoffs. He did while sticking at his natural center position despite being a 5-foot-11 17-year-old who won’t turn 18 until next week. At year’s end, he was also excellent in his debuts with the Finnish men’s team, earning a spot on their senior world championships roster. He was also Finland’s top player at U18s, though he didn’t completely take over in the way many expected and hoped he would. All this, after impressing at world under-17s (where he capped off an 11-in-seven tournament with a four-point performance in the bronze medal game) and last year’s U18 worlds (where I thought he really drove the bus on an otherwise disappointing team). All this, after playing 33 Liiga games as a 16-year-old last season (as the league’s youngest player and still registering 11 points). All this, after impressing at the World Junior Summer Showcase last summer months after his 17th birthday and still as the youngest player invited. All this, after centering a top-six line as an underager at the world juniors (where he wasn’t a star but I thought played better than his two points in seven games indicated).

There were some who wondered for a time if he’d be a center or winger at the NHL level, but he’s solid in the faceoff circle, his defensive play is where it needs to be and then some (it’s a real strength of his game), and he’s got an impressive understanding of how to forecheck, track, and engage for pucks with his body and stick

Helenius is a joy to watch navigate, manipulate and pass the puck with his smarts and intuition. He's got an ability to find his teammates in space and then get pucks to them with the perfect weight and timing, even while he’s well covered. He also stirs the drink through his effort level, regularly coming up with pucks when you don’t expect him to while quietly and efficiently impacting play at both ends of the rink and coming up with a ton of steals and lifts. He’s both a driver and a playmaker. He does such a good job identifying lanes and taking what the defense gives him. He’ll look for his own look when it’s there or play in a quick give-and-go when spacing tightens up. He seems to create constantly. He’s a good though not great skater (which has led to some ranking him outside their top 10s). He anticipates the play at a very high level off the puck (the puck just seems to find him again and again inside the offensive zone). He shields pucks extremely well and can play keep away to wait for his options to open up. He’s got a sixth sense for timing and spacing. He’s always in good support positions and always seems to make the right decisions with the puck. He’s got vision and finesse and a real east-west game. He’s a problem-solver.

He looks like a top-10 pick to me. He has looked pretty clearly like one of the draft’s most intelligent forwards in my viewings. I like the determination he plays with, too. He has already proven to be a pro play driver as well. I think he’s got real top-six prospects as a center, which is hard to come by.
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Zman5778

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Olli Jokinen says there have been other things — important but often overlooked things — that have come along as well.

Confidence. Improved English. When scouts asked to speak to him throughout the season, they’d often ask for Jokinen to join him for the conversations. As the year progressed, Helenius told him he didn’t need or want him there, and that he could do it himself.

“He’s got a good head on him,” Jokinen says. “And he doesn’t think about the draft or anything. In that way, he’s got a little bit of coolness about him. He doesn’t put any pressure on it. So he’ll be comfortable speaking and all of that.”

At year’s end, Jokinen was even prepared to project him beyond Liiga.

“I believe that six months from now when NHL training camps start that (his hockey sense) is going to give him an opportunity to play in the National Hockey League next year,” Jokinen says. “That gives him the opportunity to play and be a really, really good player in the NHL as well. I truly believe that he can make that step because of the way that he plays. (And) he can be a two-way guy too. A lot of the times, the younger players, especially the without-the-puck play, that’s something that they don’t even want to hear, they don’t even want to listen because it’s all about having the puck and watching the YouTube highlights. He really is committed to playing good defense.

“Konsta’s a different breed in that way.”
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paulmm3

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We've talked for years about how our roster needs more players with a combo of skill and sandpaper. Seems like Helenius could help fill that gap in time
 
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Faceboner

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I think we got another good one Benson savoie kulich now helenius 4 blue chippers asking Rosen our 5th best insane f depth and already good young guys in Quinn jjp cozens
 
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Zman5778

Zman5778

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The Buffalo Sabres drafted Finnish forward Konsta Helenius with the No. 14 pick.

Helenius was very good at the Liiga level and was a top player for Finland's U20 team. He had a strong playoffs for Jukurit leading to an invite to Finland's national team. He is a highly skilled playmaker who can make a lot of difficult passes consistently. He shows the vision to run a pro powerplay effectively. He skates well and creates a lot of offense with pace for himself and others. Helenius isn't a big center, but he gives strong efforts off the puck, doesn't shy from going to the net and has an edge to his game.

Inside the NHL the debate is whether he's a good or a special 5-11 forward. I've seen enough flashes to think the latter, but his so-so U18 worlds and World Juniors gives some pause. I think he can be a top-line center or a No. 2 on a top team.
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Draft grade: Helenius projects as top-6 forward​

Pick grade: B-
Thoughts on the pick:
Helenius is a very good and well-rounded player. He’s very intelligent and scored versus men this season. He fits here on talent and projects as a top-six forward, but, yet again, Buffalo takes a sub 6-0 forward with a premium pick. I get the best player available angle, but there are only so many power play jobs in the NHL, and it feels like they are backing themselves into a corner on the trade market.
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elchud

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Three right handed centers now, cool. I think he plays in the NHL in 26-27. With Ostlund we've got a hell of a spine.
 
Sabresfansince1980

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My Cozen Dylan said:
His ceiling is Sebastian Aho. If we had to make a pick, I like this one. He was #9 on my list.
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Yeah, trade drama aside, if they were going to make the pick at least they took the right guy. MBN would have been great, but the hole at C is just too big right now, and Helenius is now the best C prospect in the system. Might only be 2 years away.
 
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