Even if he can become really good with the right environment and good luck etc... I'm not impressed by his defending.
Looks very weak on his skates and the stop-go ability and intensity especially concerns me the most.
Everyone are yapping about size here, size there. That's secondary at this point. The skating and being able to follow your opponent is crucial to even stand a chance of making it. I mean no one likes a big D with bad mobility either so yeah, he has a long road in front of him. Not making the pressure smaller after his words to Guerin. But at the end of the day? I like that confidence, he will still need it no matter what.
Let's just hope the kid stays healthy these upcoming years because he needs at least 2 years of working hard on his skating imho.
Off topic, I still think it's hilarious when some I*iots in here seem like they want this kid to fail and what is worse? When they always insist on crying about size. Like everything would be black or white.
I've seen Winnipeg Jets give the opportunity to other bigger D's than Heinola through the years with half or less of his high end talent and it hasn't been any kind of success when doing so. But do you see anyone complain about that? I wonder how some people never have the ability to twist and turn things around.
I mean it's not like EK65, Fox or Hughes are huge? Sure two of them are good skaters but it's not like it ever was Fox strength? I'm not stating that Kiviharju will be any where near Fox. I'm just sick and tired of this crying about size like it would be everything.
Benak, another prospect, is a lot better than many other prospects out there with bigger size. I wouldn't mind my Flyers pick him before another typical NA big guy pick that doesn't have anything more in him then becoming a bottom 6 at best.