Winner of the 2017 Gabriel Landeskog award for Best North American accent (for a European-trained player).
LD Juuso Valimaki (2017, 16th, CAL)
- Thread starter JJTT
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Definitely impressive English. Vesalainen could give him a bit of a challenge though. He seems to have also surprisingly good English skills and pronunciation. Especially when you think that Vesalainen has played only in Finland and Sweden so far. But yes, Juuso is for sure very impressive with his English.
AustonsNostrils
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- Apr 5, 2016
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freaky how some of these guys whose mother tongue accents are very different than American English can speak English with almost no accent, I hear none in Valimaki's. It's a natural gift, like people who just open their mouths and amazing singing comes out.
When I visited Copenhagen a couple of years ago, it was disconcerting because all the shop people and restaurant people spoke English at least as fluently as I did. It seemed like they all grew up in Mississauga.
TMLife*
Auston Matthews
He’s a horse. He can log big minutes, play well positionally in the D-zone, likes to pinch hard at the O-line, and is great at transitioning up the ice with his speed.
He’s got a shot at being a #1 (I don’t know how you could say he doesn’t), but he will likely round out as a #2-#4.
I think his biggest areas of improvement could be his edges and agility.
He’s got a shot at being a #1 (I don’t know how you could say he doesn’t), but he will likely round out as a #2-#4.
I think his biggest areas of improvement could be his edges and agility.
TMLife*
Auston Matthews
tacogeoff
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hope he is still available when the Jets his the stage, as I would not be at all against them drafting him.
Nalyd Psycho
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I think there are similarities to Bouwmeester. Jack of all trades, master of none who can log big minutes in any situation. But not a game changer in any situation.
If I was Vegas GM, I would trade down to draft him. A great player to add structure and stability to a team.
LordNeverLose
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This draft, while not as strong in the top 3 as past drafts, has exceptional 1-20 depth.
Patrick
Hischier
Heiskanen
Vilardi
Glass
Mittelstadt
Pettersson
Liljegren
Makar
Tolvanen
Necas
Suzuki
Tippett
Kostin
Andersson
Rasmussen
Valimaki
That's 17 guys I could see an argument for going top 10. Plus Hague, Foote, Brannstrom, Poehling, etc.
BB88
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- Jan 19, 2015
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I wouldn't go as far as to say it's some special gift. Sure some people are more gifted in language department than others but it's mostly because in some countries you get more exposure of english language than in other countries.
For example here in Finland all the movies and TV-shows are subtitled rather than dubbed, so we hear correct english every single day. Also back when I was young every single computer program/game was in english so you had to learn english if you wanted to use them. Good education system also plays a big role.
Yes, the Finns have in general pretty good English skills. But, the amazing thing with Välimäki is the way he talks and his practically accent free pronunciation. I mean, even most Finns whom understand and speak English very well, usually have still very heavy or at least very recognizable Finnish accent and pronunciation. It is extremely rare for Finnish people to not have that tough accent at all, even when they have lived years in an English speaking country. So in that way Välimäki speaks amazingly well. Hell, he speaks with better pronunciation than either Selänne or Kurri, whom both have spoken English daily for decades...
Nalyd Psycho
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And that is why Bouwmeester was a top 3 pick and Valimaki will go 8-13th. But the way they impact the game and the way they will be used is similar.
What's really strange to me is how great Valimaki's English is, and yet how poor Heiskanen's is. I know Valimaki plays in the US, but Heiskanen can barely make himself understood.
firstemperor
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- May 25, 2011
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Bouwmester was probably one of the best skating prospects I've ever seen. Valimaki will never touch that level of skating, but he's a plus skater overall. Valimaki actually has a plus shot though, Bouwmester struggles to get any juice on his.
Bouwmester and Valimaki aren't real great comparables, at the end of the day.
For me, I'd say someone his game resembles (at least in terms of his ceiling) is Ekholm. Very fundamentally sound, good and sometimes uneventful defensive game but he occasionally makes some nice plays in the offensive zone. He'll pinch and dangle around someone and generate chances this way, reads the play very well.
Nalyd Psycho
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BB88
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He was very nervous, often just that can make your english seem a lot worse than it is in reality.
It's pretty basic to see a Finn write well but when hear them speak you think they know barely any english.
Loffer
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- Sep 22, 2011
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That is a strong hyperbole. Heiskanen's English is just fine. Pretty good actually in his Combine interview. I dunno where you got this but he is no Jesse Pulju Lake vol. 2.
AustonsNostrils
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I'm not talking about vocabulary/slang or grammar - i'm talking the lack of an accent. I'm a Sabres fan so have listened to Ristolainen interviews many many times - unlike Valimaki Risto talks with a Finnish accent. I'm sure Risto grew up with the same exposure to English as Valimaki.
Loffer
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- Sep 22, 2011
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That is a sound and correct observation. It is just a talent of having 'ear' as regards phonology of foreign language and its adoption (into one's own 'pronunciation system'). Some do it amazingly well, some averagely, some are just poor and clumsy, typically guys from thick spruce forest, cattle farms and gravel roads of Finland talking English like it was some strange elegant and sophisticated alien form of vocal communication or Rachmaninoff's third impossible to hit one note right.
