More analysis paralysis.
He's fine. He's a power forward. It's not his job to make pinpoint passes and carve up zone defenses. His job is to bury loose change and get pucks on net. The stickhandling and vision are gravy.
The truth is that he has excellent chemistry with Ikonen. This tournament is just a few games. People dropped him because of the WJC, but he's been excellent since returning to Frolunda.
Don't understand what people want out of power forwards. Their job is to be physical, score goals and wear down opponents. Only Vesalainen can make plays off the cycle and winning puck battles. The fact that this draft is thin is another reason why he's a worthy gamble.
Chris Kreider is one of the fastest players in the league and he almost 6 years after his debut, he still drives rangers fans crazy with vanishing acts. And this was his career-best season.
Sounds like people who soured on him are just mad he's playing well again.
He's the top scorer at the U18s. Nuff said.
In my opinion, Vesalainen is a perfect player who shows hockey sense isn't black and white and you can't just say "player X has good hockey sense" and "player Y has bad hockey sense." It's not that simple.
I think Vesalainen is a really smart player who understands the game well. He anticipates plays, he's an active defensive player who understands his responsibilities and forces turnovers. In the offensive zone, he gets into scoring areas and is often in the right place at the right time. So, sure, he has high hockey IQ.
But watching him in the U18s, you see him making some questionable decisions or trying to do too much. Whether it's a shot into traffic without even thinking about passing options or a turnover in the neutral zone because he tried to stickhandle his way through three opponents, there are several examples that make you question his senses.
So, overall hockey sense as in understanding of the game and anticipating plays, I'd say is good. But offensive awareness and vision, not so much. It's sometimes hard to distinguish between selfish players and those who lack hockey sense - Vesalainen might just be too selfish because he wants to raise his draft stock - but most times, the smarter players are those who can be playmakers.
I'm a big fan of power forwards and am really high on Vesalainen. But there will be a time when he can't stickhandle through every opponent or use the same between-the-leg deke down the right wing that he's used about 10 times at the U18s. Those things just stop working when the opposition is quicker, tougher, and simply better at hockey. So once Vesalainen reaches that level, he will have to start playing passes to get through. That doesn't mean he needs to become a playmaker, it just means he needs to prove he sees where his teammates are and can get accurate passes through the neutral zone or to a better-positioned offensive player, rather than stick handling into traffic or taking bad shots.
Again, I'm really high on Vesalainen, but I find this concerning.
And regarding him being the top scorer, "nuff said," Toni Rajala once had 10 goals and 19 points in 6 games at the U18. Toni Who? Exactly.
