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LW Kristian Vesalainen (2017, 24th, WPG)

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Hoping to catch his games this season. U18 left me with a bit of a underwhelming taste (watched only the last few games), but I believe his hype is warranted. How does he compare to Rantanen, style-wise?
 
TheFinnishTrap said:
Hoping to catch his games this season. U18 left me with a bit of a underwhelming taste (watched only the last few games), but I believe his hype is warranted. How does he compare to Rantanen, style-wise?
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Both hard workers, but in my opinion Rantanen has a bit better hands and Vesalainen is more a scorer.
 
Hockeyfrilla said:
He looks good, had a beautiful assist today.
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Four points in 9 games (tied for 56th in the league scoring, tied second in junior aged scoring, first in rookie scoring (not, see edit below)), from the top six or has he played on the lower lines as his TOI seems to be only a tad above 11min per game? Is he used on the power play, and his 5on5 minutes managed? Does he look like a rookie out there, is he losing puck battles and/or is he willing and capable to use his size? Is he really still 190cm which he was listed already a year ago. Seems a bit young to have stopped growing (for a nordic guy).

EDIT: he isn't a rookie as he has played too much as 16-year-old last year.
 
4 points in 9 games in your draft-season in SHL sounds quite good, especially if his average TOI is about 11 minutes. If his I've time is increased and he puts up around 0,5 PPG, I think that's one of the more impressive seasons for a prospect from SHL or Liiga.
 
TheFinnishTrap said:
4 points in 9 games in your draft-season in SHL sounds quite good, especially if his average TOI is about 11 minutes. If his I've time is increased and he puts up around 0,5 PPG, I think that's one of the more impressive seasons for a prospect from SHL or Liiga.
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So small sample size that four points can have come by chance.

I just understood that Vesalainen had a quite nice season with four championships:

2015-2016 (all at age 16)

J18 SM Gold Medal
U18 WJC Gold Medal

SHL Champion
Champions Hockey League Champion


I hope he's able to one up from that :naughty:

If anyone is interested. Behind this link you can watch a video clip of every Vesalainen assist (couple of nice ones, and couple of kind of meh 2nd assists).

http://www.frolundaindians.com/lag/087a-087aTQv9u__frolunda-hc/qQ9-9f82F0qDo__78-kristian-vesalainen
 
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Frölunda is certainly a very tough team to break into playing top line minutes as a seventeen year old. If he'd manage that, it would be quite something - but obviously not very likely.

I almost feel Frölunda might not be the best place for him - at this point - to showcase his case for the upcoming draft. But perhaps he proves me wrong. And it might also be that they have top notch junior coaching and all that laada daada
 
He's probably going hi in the draft if he has decen't season in SHL. SHL is highly rated league and even top prospect might not dominate in it, as they're still rawish and young. Laine started "dominating" FEL only in the late part of season. I hope we can see development still move on during the draft season in Vesalainen's case, too.
 
Kake Randelin said:
Frölunda is certainly a very tough team to break into playing top line minutes as a seventeen year old. If he'd manage that, it would be quite something - but obviously not very likely.
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Vesalainen has played in Frölunda's 1st line all season.
 
Kake Randelin said:
11 minutes per game doesn't sound 1st line?
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No PP time like the other players on his line. Frölunda rolls their lines quite evenly and with talent dispersed throughout the lineup, except for clear PP units. So his TOI suffers a bit because his linemates needs to rest after having played first unit PP. Personally I would rather see Vesalainen there than the guy who currently replaces him (Patrik Carlsson) on the man advantage. Vesalainen's shot is superior but I guess they want Carlsson there for his defensive qualities since they play with four forwards. Same thing was going on with Lekhonen for most of last season, Andreas Johnson was getting the first unit PP when it was clear that Lekhonen was the most lethal threat for that position.
 
Vesalainen should be loaned somewhere. Been watching Frölundas last few games and Vesalainen is getting very little icetime and he's not noticeable at all when he's on the ice.
 
Doesn't seem like someone I'd want in the top 10. I question his offensive upside, he is good defensively and could be a good 3rd/4th line forward. But not so sure about top 6 potential at this point.
 
Huffman said:
Vesalainen should be loaned somewhere. Been watching Frölundas last few games and Vesalainen is getting very little icetime and he's not noticeable at all when he's on the ice.
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I wonder if not allsvenskan (tier 2) is the best place for most young players to play in at this age in sweden. You play at senior level, get a bigger role. It is hard to be a impact player in shl at this age.. Not just do you have to be good enough, it also have to be room for you. Very very few are impact players in shl during their draft year, so it can be hard to evalute them based on what they do in shl. I think allsvenskan is the best place. Otherwize they can be trap between superelit and shl. Superelit to low level for the best ones, shl to high. Allsvenskan is the middle ground.
 
wings5 said:
Doesn't seem like someone I'd want in the top 10. I question his offensive upside, he is good defensively and could be a good 3rd/4th line forward. But not so sure about top 6 potential at this point.
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Nylander scored 1G 6A in 22 games during his draft season. Anyways Vesalainen needs to get icetime. Loan him or something please.
 
He should come to Finland, I think that SHL teams don't care if he gets big chance in his draft season, while Finnish system would give prospect of his caliber a chance for sure. It's benefit of the system to give top kids like that the chance. It'll pay back in the NT projects if they break trough in NHL.
 
QnebO said:
He should come to Finland, I think that SHL teams don't care if he gets big chance in his draft season, while Finnish system would give prospect of his caliber a chance for sure. It's benefit of the system to give top kids like that the chance. It'll pay back in the NT projects if they break trough in NHL.
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Nope.. not a single Liiga team would give roster spots, so NT might benefit from it in the future.
 
QnebO said:
He should come to Finland, I think that SHL teams don't care if he gets big chance in his draft season, while Finnish system would give prospect of his caliber a chance for sure. It's benefit of the system to give top kids like that the chance. It'll pay back in the NT projects if they break trough in NHL.
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And that's where he's going, on a loan to HPK.
 
Why Vesalainen didn't come to HIFK?
HIFK has again massive injuries in their offensive roster and Vesalainen would have been solid replacement for Juha-Matti Aaltonen.

Now some ****ing Saku Salmela plays 1st line LW in HIFK and Salmela is defenseman.
I'm always said that Tom Nybondas ( HIFK's GM) is only really arrogant clown which is in the wrong job in relation to his competence.
 
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