Prospect Info: Lenni Hämeenaho (#58 Pick - 2nd Round - 2023 Draft)

[Clam Jensen]

I’m just glad all the Finnish posters have forgiven us for taking Jack over Kakko

 

[Its Always Sundstrom]

The Devils have never had a "quality" player from Finland. Most draft picks either didn't make the team or when they did, played very little.
Vatanen and Haula don't count as they were drafted from other clubs.
Lou wasn't too keen on finnish players. He did draft Ahonen but otherwise, not much of anything.
Lenni could change that.

And somewhere Janne Ojanen sheds a tear in a sauna thinking about what could’ve been and where did it all go wrong.

 

[FinnishDevil]

The Devils have never had a "quality" player from Finland.

The disrespect that Anssi Salmela gets here is too damn high.

 

[My3Sons]

The disrespect that Anssi Salmela gets here is too damn high.

Ben Lovejoy says get in line.

 

[Nubmer6]

Ben Lovejoy says get in line.

Who?

 

[My3Sons]

Who?

The jerk store called and they are running out of you.

 

[Classic Devil]

The Devils have never had a "quality" player from Finland. Most draft picks either didn't make the team or when they did, played very little.
Vatanen and Haula don't count as they were drafted from other clubs.
Lou wasn't too keen on finnish players. He did draft Ahonen but otherwise, not much of anything.
Lenni could change that.

Tapio Levo

 

[Guadana]

The disrespect that Anssi Salmela gets here is too damn high.

I still believe he could be good devil if Carter wouldnt hit him in the head.

 

[Mr Bojanglez]

Lenniwinks

 

[Juzmo]

A good poke check to get the puck out while being in trouble in their defensive zone with one Ässät player without his stick after it broke. A moment after Ässät score.

edit. 1st line also generating some good chances and pressure.

 

[Devils731]

An update that isn’t him scoring a goal? I’m outraged!

 

[Cheddabombs]

An update that isn’t him scoring a goal? I’m outraged!

That pokecheck went all the way down the ice and in. The Lenni effect

 

[FinnishDevil]

No points today and didnt even score in the shootout. Dont think he goes 1st overall in a redraft anymore.

 

[Juzmo]

An update that isn’t him scoring a goal? I’m outraged!

Tough opponent today (before today Ässät hadn't scored away vs IFK in their last 157mins). Had some good chances also in overtime, plus a so attempt, but no goal.

 

[Nubmer6]

Tough opponent today (before today Ässät hadn't scored away vs IFK in their last 157mins). Had some good chances also in overtime, plus a so attempt, but no goal.

Bust.

 

[ninetyeight]

I know preseason is preseason, but seeing Toffoli have zero problems with his skating, even though many were critical of it, gives me hope that Hämeenaho can make it work too. That said I'm still very sceptical about his chances of becoming an impact nhler, as skating can really make or break players (especially in our system). But not in a million years would have I expect this type of start for him, maybe like 10, max 15 goals in the entire season. I'm absolutely blown away how he has looked.

 

[Poppy Whoa Sonnet]

I know preseason is preseason, but seeing Toffoli have zero problems with his skating, even though many were critical of it, gives me hope that Hämeenaho can make it work too. That said I'm still very sceptical about his chances of becoming an impact nhler, as skating can really make or break players (especially in our system). But not in a million years would have I expect this type of start for him, maybe like 10, max 15 goals in the entire season. I'm absolutely blown away how he has looked.

I think when people say someone's skating stinks, they are really saying their game processing stinks and as a result they are behind the play constantly or can't process the game with the puck on their stick fast enough.

It's certainly true to have skating that is not NHL caliber but it can be improved and I think the Devils scouts made a smart bet that he will improve, more so than some other scouts who think "I need the best skaters in this draft class."

 

[My3Sons]

I think when people say someone's skating stinks, they are really saying their game processing stinks and as a result they are behind the play constantly or can't process the game with the puck on their stick fast enough.

It's certainly true to have skating that is not NHL caliber but it can be improved and I think the Devils scouts made a smart bet that he will improve, more so than some other scouts who think "I need the best skaters in this draft class."

Is Toffoli that slow? He looks just fine in context but I haven’t seen him in any footraces either.

 

[Captain3rdLine]

Is Toffoli that slow? He looks just fine in context but I haven’t seen him in any footraces either.

Ya I don’t think he’s winning any foot races but he gets around the ice pretty well. Think Lenni might be a similar type of skater where there isn’t much explosiveness and he’s not winning races but gets around alright.

 

[devilsblood]

I think when people say someone's skating stinks, they are really saying their game processing stinks and as a result they are behind the play constantly or can't process the game with the puck on their stick fast enough.

It's certainly true to have skating that is not NHL caliber but it can be improved and I think the Devils scouts made a smart bet that he will improve, more so than some other scouts who think "I need the best skaters in this draft class."

Don’t like this narrative at all

Lennis skating is pretty clearly sloppy. He also seems to process the game very well

McLeod skates well but doesn’t process the game very well. Similar with Boq. Wood was maybe not a great skater but he was an absolute burner while also being a neanderthal level thinker.

Bratt is a very good skater and also thinks the game well

Fans can absolutely tell the difference.

 

[Guttersniped]

Don’t like this narrative at all

Lennis skating is pretty clearly sloppy. He also seems to process the game very well

McLeod skates well but doesn’t process the game very well. Similar with Boq. Wood was maybe not a great skater but he was an absolute burner while also being a neanderthal level thinker.

Bratt is a very good skater and also thinks the game well

Fans can absolutely tell the difference.

Yes, Jason Robertson is a poster boy for a player who has built his transition game to make up for his skating. His success didn’t come from him secretly being a way better skater than scouts originally thought.

Here’s an interesting Elite Prospects article about Robertson’s development.

Jason Robertson might’ve been the NHL’s best-kept secret for the last two seasons. He was an overwhelming force from his first season, hammering pucks into the net and endlessly attacking the net.

Now, the secret’s out.

Robertson’s in a fight for the goal-scoring lead while consistently flirting with an unbelievable 1.5 points per game.

Unlike most of the top scorers, Robertson wasn’t a top prospect. He was a second-round pick in the 2017 NHL Draft, two rounds earlier than his spot in the OHL Draft.

Concerns about Robertson’s skating never dissipated, even as his game diversified in the OHL. For a moment, in his first and only AHL season, it seemed like skating would be a significant hurdle.

But truth be told, Robertson’s tools and style of play ensured he could overcome a skating deficit. So much so that he should’ve been considered a potential top-line scorer the entire time.

Physical force​

Getting past the stride, Robertson had tools that were essentially top-of-the-draft-good.

First, there’s Robertson’s hands. He’s incredibly dexterous with the puck in-tight, but it’s downright unique how easily he controls the puck across his body, from one side to the other, forehand and backhand, reaching out with his hands at the top of his stick.

With the puck comes body control; how easily Robertson powered (and powers) through checks, how he stays balanced through in awkward positions, and when he can’t, how still he manages to maintain control of the puck. And, subtly, he’s one of the NHL’s foremost physical players, just like he was in the CHL. It’s not so much hitting, but more a quick bump to create distance, skating through the opponent’s hands to win positioning, and using his limbs to lock defenders to his back.

The special ingredient for Robertson’s combination of handling and physical skills is his mentality. He’s uniquely aggressive with the puck, taking pucks from the battles along the boards to the inside without hesitation. He pulls pucks from the end-boards directly to the crease. He beats goaltenders to the post, and if he can’t, he (unlike many players) brings the puck out in front of the net, catching the goaltender moving instead of jamming the puck into the pads. Above his numerous other skills, that was the pinnacle of Robertson’s game in his draft year.

Robertson’s skating also facilitated the advanced board play. Many skaters with similar upright stances don’t use their outside edges to escape pressure. They turn on their inside edges. Robertson, and most NHL skaters, turn around the outside edge of their turning leg, positioning the turning foot under their base rather than outside. Deceleration’s more sudden, acceleration’s easier, and it keeps the puck in the hip pocket, prepared to make the next play.

Crafty sniper​

The second standout skill in Robertson’s arsenal was his shot. His upright skating means his shot has its quirks, being more dependent on his upper body. Still, the power behind his shots has always stood out. The puck explodes off his stick, whether he’s shooting off his inside leg, outside leg, or blasting one-timers. As he does today, his shot lost little power when off-balanced, likely the result of having skating as a weakness for years.

Robertson’s placement and creativity with his shot stood out even more than the power. He shot low a ton, trying to sneak pucks under the glove or around the blocker where most shoot high. Angle-changing shots appeared as a quick backhand-forehand move, selling the backhand to freeze the goaltender, then beating them across the crease with a forehand shot. He prepared defenders before shooting, drawing them towards him before stepping around and firing.

There’s also the combination of board skill and shooting. After beating defenders off the boards, he deftly elevates pucks in tight, for example. And he always had that knack for indirect shooting plays, like passing to teammates off the goaltender’s pads or shooting pucks off the goaltender’s back and in.

Foresightful thinking​

It’s important to distinguish between intelligence and decision-making. As this series shows, poor play selection isn’t necessarily a sign of a lack of intelligence. Draft year Robertson made tons of poor decisions. Tons. His shooting decisions were often baffling, even considering that his shooting skill makes the calculations different. He passed into closed, no-chance lanes. He threw pucks away in transition without a second thought.

But Robertson was also an anticipatory genius. Still true today, the game wasn’t just a series of microsecond reactions for Robertson; he anticipated the play steps in advance. He constantly scanned, with and without the puck. Timed movements into space ensured he was always a passing option and shooting threat. Even with speed as a weakness, he was a forechecking machine because he anticipated passes and timed his stick lifts perfectly. He mastered the off-puck assist, taking away sticks, drawing defensive attention, and skating into multiple defenders to create shooting lanes for his teammates. In all situations, he already knew the next play and route to get there when the puck arrived on his stick.

In the NHL, where Robertson's board play became less of an advantage, the off-puck game became a greater part of his offence. Now, he uses those physical skills to win body positioning as he races to the net.

With skating as a weakness, Robertson developed NHL rush patterns and plays far earlier than most. Instead of relying on handling skill, he beats defenders with chips into space or passes to himself off the boards, forcing their pivot to offset his lack of speed. He quickly moved pucks to his teammates, often beating a defender or two. He passed to the middle, slowed down to wait for support, and feathered pucks cross-ice.

In an OHL where the average skill level was far lower and coaching more focused on straight-line play than today, those plays from Robertson often went unfulfilled, making it easy to assume that he had little transition skill. Now, those plays make Robertson one of the NHL's better breakout and zone entry passers.

Historic numbers​

By the numbers, Robertson had a historic draft season. His 2.4 expected goals per 60 ranked third among 350 draft-year forwards in a data set spanning five-plus seasons. The two players above him? Two first-overall picks. The players he beat out are basically an all-star team, ranging from stars like Andrei Svechnikov to top picks Quinton Byfield and Dylan Cozens.

Far and away, Robertson enjoyed the lowest quality of linemates of the players on that chart. He didn’t have a setup man; he was everything for his team. In total, he shot or set up 34.5 percent of his team’s expected goals. That’s a top-five rate I’ve ever tracked, even expanding the parameters from only draft-year players to all players (1500-plus).

And that’s only part of Robertson’s statistical profile. He’s one of the best defensive players I’ve ever tracked, landing in the 98th percentile in defensive impact (breakups, retrievals, and shot share relative to team). He was his team’s top zone entry player, too.

So, that’s what Robertson was in his draft year. Everything translated to the NHL, the board skills, the shooting, and intelligence. But those alone wouldn’t make him the superstar he’s become. He had to take the leap.

Taking the leap​

In the years that followed Robertson’s draft year, his development was anything but typical. It wasn’t just his less-than-dominant AHL season. For most CHL scorers, their production skyrockets by running more of the game through their hands and shooting from medium- and low-danger areas.

Robertson took a different path. Throughout Robertson’s OHL career, his expected goals and shots per 60 peaked in his draft year, dropping in each of the following two years. He lost basically a third of his 5-on-5 shooting volume, from 25.4 to 17.5 per 60.

This wasn’t a dramatic drop-off in scoring chances. While Robertson’s expected goals per 60 decreased, it only dropped from 2.4 to 2.1, which remains an elite mark. Rather, it was a drop-off in low-percentage shots. In 2016-17, 38 percent of his shooting volume was from the outside, roughly 3.3 per 20. In his draft-plus-two, those dropped to just 20 and 1.1, respectively, largely by cutting down on the shots in transition. That means that 80 percent of his shots were inside the home plate area – absurd.

What those shots became is key to Robertson’s development.

Understanding that speed will never be an advantage, Robertson leaned into the slow game through his last two years in junior. Instead of pushing forward until space ran out, he delayed. Instead of gliding, he started cutting inside across defenders to cutting back to create distance with more regularity. Deception became a greater part of his game, faking the shot or looking away from his target to conceal his intentions. The rush was primarily responsible for those low-percentage shots; soon, they became an area where Robertson’s playmaking shone.

Think of Robertson’s playmaking today: The delays in transition to find a teammate in the middle, the give-and-goes to start passing plays, and especially those quick passes from the boards to the middle. Those are what those low-percentage shots became in his last year of junior.

Roberton’s playmaking growth is reflected in the numbers. He goes from a 70th-percentile playmaker by expected primary assists, which weighs shot assists by the likelihood of the shot becoming a goal, to the 96th percentile in his draft-plus-two. That’s a staggering jump, especially considering he was still one of the league’s best shooters.

---

When it came time for Robertson to jump to the NHL, he was no longer just one of the sport’s most diverse finishers. He was one of the sport’s most diverse players, period. He bulldozed his way to the front of the net, scored from distance, and set his teammates for high-danger chances. As he leaned heavier into gearing down without losing his rapid-fire thinking, passing opportunities only increased. The improved passing kept his scoring chance generation high as he shifted from solo shooting attacks to give-and-goes and off-puck movement. Areas of inefficiency, like low-percentage transition shots, were weeded out in favour of plays that further the offence. Decisions improved, and turnovers decreased.

Considering Robertson's diverse, precise game, it’s not surprising that Robertson’s a legitimate first-line forward. But it is surprising that he’s this good. For his many skills, he doesn't have the same dynamic game as those around him in the scoring race. How did he become this good? Is he just that much smarter than everyone? Is his game is just so incredibly diverse that it provides solutions to every problem?

Sometimes, there isn’t a clear answer for development and results, and that’s okay.

Robertson’s development touches on many themes throughout this series: That intelligence can’t be measured through play selection and turnovers; that development’s about what will work in the future, not the present; and that skills and plays from one part of the ice can be applied to other areas.

Perhaps above all, Robertson’s an example that players can and do take unexpected steps, not just in the CHL but in the NHL. Sometimes, players have that little extra something that’s not always visible.

Robertson has that.

Draft Retrospective: How Jason Robertson went from second-rounder to superstar

There were signs that Jason Robertson was going to be a star in his draft year. You just had to know what to look for.

eprinkside.com

 

[Hockey Sports Fan]

Is Toffoli that slow? He looks just fine in context but I haven’t seen him in any footraces either.

Yes. I mean he’s in the NHL so it’s not like i’m gonna beat him in a race, but his skating is bad.

 

[PKs Broken Stick]

Is Toffoli that slow? He looks just fine in context but I haven’t seen him in any footraces either.

Toffoli is quite slow

 

[MVP Zacha]

When he eventually comes over and plays for the Devils in a few years I am getting his sweater. But is 100% guaranteed that Fanatics will spell his name wrong.

 

[DerekDevils30]

When he eventually comes over and plays for the Devils in a few years I am getting his sweater. But is 100% guaranteed that Fanatics will spell his name wrong.

And Butch will butcher it too