Player Discussion Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen (2017, 54th)

[Chainshot]

McKeens had him as their top goalie:

In the running to be the first netminder selected in the 2017 draft, Luukkonen is the
picture of the goaltending prototype. Tall, well-built but not too bulky, he led the Jr. A
SM-Liiga in GAA, with an amazing 1.78 mark. For context, that is the best mark since
Karri Ramo allowed only 1.70 goals per 60 minutes in 2004-05. After his regular season
ended, the Espoo native backstopped Finland to a silver medal in the WU18 tournament.
Now some may quibble with the fact that his save percentages were not as gaudy
as his GAA, especially at the WU18, and that size is not the best predictor of future
goaltending success. To those, I would remind that despite an early-season bout with
pneumonia, Luukkonen was unmistakable for his high-end athletic ability. He moves
very well covering the net from post-to-post. He has strong balance and quick reflexes,
showing the ability to recover and adjust to shots deflected in front of the net. His legs,
in particular, move very quickly.

Traffic does not remove him from his comfort zone and he does not let a bad goal affect
the rest of his game. He plays a somewhat aggressive style, pushing up in his crease to
cut off shooting angles. Luukkonen has two more years remaining on his deal with HPK
and is expected by many to compete for their starting job next season. Although there is
more projection uncertainty with netminders than with any other position, he is one of
the two or three frontrunners for netminder most likely to carve out a starting job in the
NHL at his peak.

Click to read more...

 

[LastWordArmy]

Scouting

http://lastwordonhockeyprospects.co...-luukkonen-scouting-report-2017-nhl-draft-44/

 

[Duddy]

Draft is a win

Amazing

 

[Gabrielor]

Had him as the 2nd best goalie. Like this one.

 

[Onslow]

Great pick. The first one I'm really on board with.

 

[jBuds]

FIgured this was coming in some capacity

 

[Ace]

Knew they'd go goalie early...which I'm not really in favor of as a philosophy... but if they were going to anyway I Like the player.

 

[Rasmus CacOlainen]

So happy we got a decent G prospect. I just want another Murray on our team, not asking for much from Botts

 

[BloFan4Life]

Seems like a nice pick. Performed really well and has a long frame.

 

[dkollidas]

A Finnish goalie? Risto happy.

 

[MackAttack26]

3rd best goalie in the draft, well we needed one. Good pick again.

 

[Chainshot]

Redline:

Tremendous physical gifts with great size and athleticism. Has swift recovery and post-to-post movement. Long legs and quick feet
take away lower portion of the net. Balanced in his stance and controls crease depth well. Generally reads developing plays well and doesn’t leave a lot of net to shoot at. Uses height well to see over traffic and
track pucks. Huge and stops nearly all first shots, but rebound control is poor. Comfortable handling the puck with good stick work. Competitive, yet calm and composed. Missed a month last Fall because of pneumonia and as a result had an up-and-down season. Consistency was an issue as he was struggling to find top form, but he improved towards the end of the season. Has occasional lapses in concentration. Has been solid when it matters most: took his team to the finals two seasons in a row in Finnish Jr. A and at World U-18 Championships.

Projection: Solid back-up with gusts to occasional starter.

Style compares to: Connor Hellebuyck

 

[Sabretooth]

At least his name is amazing. Hope RJ is around long enough to say it haha

Crossposting..

 

[hizzoner]

Not overly thrilled with 1. Reasonably happy with 2. Really like this pick for bpa and need.

 

[Djp]

U-p. ???

 

[Chainshot]

ISS also has him as their top goalie.

 

[NotABadPeriod]

So happy we got a decent G prospect. I just want another Murray on our team, not asking for much from Botts

We already have Brett Murray in the system.

 

[Rasmus CacOlainen]

Knew they'd go goalie early...which I'm not really in favor of as a philosophy... but if they were going to anyway I Like the player.

Late second is not early for any type of pick, come on man. We can't rely on 6th rounders for G prospects forever I posted some stats a while back. Your chance of nailing a starter beyond round 4 are like 5%. We could have used the 3rd but I am fairly certain the top 4 prospects are gone by then. Good pick for sure no matter how he turns out

 

[Sabre Dance]

Not enough K's in his name.

 

[Gigantor The Goalie]

Wrote up a small bit about him. The TL;DR is he's got high upside but there are serious issues there.

Luukkonen is the top international goalie of the 2017 NHL Draft for many agencies and scouts. It’s easy to see why that’s the case as he’s the ideal mixture of size and quick footwork. His quick and efficient movements allow him to not expose himself by being overly aggressive in his challenging. They also allow Luukkonen to be set and in position for shots allowing his puck tracking to do the rest. This leads to Luukkonen making a high positive impact on shots from outside the high danger area. The biggest issue with Luukkonen though is his decision making in close. He either makes the wrong decision in close or takes too long to make a decision. He also struggles with making the right read on rushes. Too often he’ll over commit to the shot even if it’s a sharp angle and then be beaten on the pass before even getting to move.

 

[PlamsUnlimited]

Finnish goalie? Good choice.

 

[joshjull]

Crossposting..

Rayzor will be even more entertaining in his attempts to pronounce.

 

[1TuchAnd1NoTuch]

Wanted defence here, such a crapshoot position don't like take goalies in the first two rounds but oh well

 

[26CornerBlitz]

 

[Ace]

Late second is not early for any type of pick, come on man. We can't rely on 6th rounders for G prospects forever I posted some stats a while back. Your chance of nailing a starter beyond round 4 are like 5%. We could have used the 3rd but I am fairly certain the top 4 prospects are gone by then. Good pick for sure no matter how he turns out

My philosophy is to take a big Nordic goalie in the last three rounds every year and move on with your life. The draft position odds don't apply on goalies...there is almost no rhyme or reason to it.