Prospect Info: Veeti Louhivaara (G - #146 Overall - Round 5 - 2024 Draft)

[Guadana]

You went out of context. We were talking about Russian defensemen we drafted. Shakir was the only one who really amounted to anything so far and he isn't with this team.

If you want to dig back to drafts prior to 2019 that's fine because Zaitsev , Rykov etc never played a game here and Okhotiuk is back in the KHL. Let's see if aside from Silayev that any of those Russian/Belarusian players (Orlov , Karpovich , Barbosha etc...) amount to anything at the NHL level.

I'm not knocking on the picks and I actually like these prospects a ton. I like the fact that this organization is drafting players from there because historically that region has pumped out a ton of talent. We would be fools like some other organizations to stay away from drafting Russian/Belarusian players. The Senators are a team who never draft from there and you can see how bad their recent drafts are in part because of that.

I didn’t.

Rykov was a part of the trade. Pick worthy. But bad career.
Zaitsev has career, better than most 7th rounders. May be not pick worthy, but in compare to Hellicksson and Chainey - he is hockey player.
Shakir was a big part of a big trade. Him, not Holtz. We know the price of Holtz.
Misyul is playing in ahl.
Okhotyuk played with organization, as ahler and nhler, was a part of big trade. Pick worthy.
Orlov is KHLer, played 63 games. He was drafted in 2022 and he is ahead of many players who was drafted before him.
Barabosha is near KHLer. Played 21 games. May be he will be more, may be Zaitsev level, still better than most 2022 drafters.
Karpovich was drafted in 2023. His next step is pro career.
Silayev is one of the best defensive defenseman prospect with best skating.

That’s what we have in Russian D prospects.
And we have Chainey, Hellickson, Bernard, Cheslock, McCarthy, Edwards, Davis, Smith, Hurtig.Vukoevic, Vilen, Leddy. Russia vs all the world(typical).
Chainey is nothing,
Hellicson is nothing,
Bernard isn’t even regular AHLer,
Cheslock is far away from pro career now in compare to Russian prospects
McCarthy isn’t bad prospect but he is nothing for organization now.
Edwards is in one step away from making the same. Hope he will sign the deal.
Davis was smaller part in Subbans trade, we can compare him to Okhotiuk. Who was a part of a trade for better player.
Smith isn’t NHLer, was a part for a trade for lesser player than Shakir. And Shakir now have better AHL and KHL career, have better potential to be NHLer or better NHLer.
Hurtig is nothing
Vukoevic isn’t regular AHLer, already isn’t a part of organization
Vilen - good prospect, pro career, NHL potential.
Leddy is somewhere between AHL third pair potential and McCarthy path

Everything is fine with Russian Devils prospects and what this organization have in them. Much more much better than what they had from other drafted defensemen. Like you said - it’s good that we don’t repeat sens way of drafting.

 

[PizzaAndPucks]

I didn’t.

Rykov was a part of the trade. Pick worthy. But bad career.
Zaitsev has career, better than most 7th rounders. May be not pick worthy, but in compare to Hellicksson and Chainey - he is hockey player.
Shakir was a big part of a big trade. Him, not Holtz. We know the price of Holtz.
Misyul is playing in ahl.
Okhotyuk played with organization, as ahler and nhler, was a part of big trade. Pick worthy.
Orlov is KHLer, played 63 games. He was drafted in 2022 and he is ahead of many players who was drafted before him.
Barabosha is near KHLer. Played 21 games. May be he will be more, may be Zaitsev level, still better than most 2022 drafters.
Karpovich was drafted in 2023. His next step is pro career.
Silayev is one of the best defensive defenseman prospect with best skating.

That’s what we have in Russian D prospects.
And we have Chainey, Hellickson, Bernard, Cheslock, McCarthy, Edwards, Davis, Smith, Hurtig.Vukoevic, Vilen, Leddy. Russia vs all the world(typical).
Chainey is nothing,
Hellicson is nothing,
Bernard isn’t even regular AHLer,
Cheslock is far away from pro career now in compare to Russian prospects
McCarthy isn’t bad prospect but he is nothing for organization now.
Edwards is in one step away from making the same. Hope he will sign the deal.
Davis was smaller part in Subbans trade, we can compare him to Okhotiuk. Who was a part of a trade for better player.
Smith isn’t NHLer, was a part for a trade for lesser player than Shakir. And Shakir now have better AHL and KHL career, have better potential to be NHLer or better NHLer.
Hurtig is nothing
Vukoevic isn’t regular AHLer, already isn’t a part of organization
Vilen - good prospect, pro career, NHL potential.
Leddy is somewhere between AHL third pair potential and McCarthy path

Everything is fine with Russian Devils prospects and what this organization have in them. Much more much better than what they had from other drafted defensemen. Like you said - it’s good that we don’t repeat sens way of drafting.

Moral of the story is drafting players isn't necessarily easy and that most players are not going to carve out an NHL career. Regardless of what part of the world they were drafted from. There are plenty of underwhelming players picked from North America and Russia. Literally the only aewhat proven player thay you named is Shakir. Silayev , Nemec & Luke were all very hight picks so the probability of getting a high end player is easier.

Like I said earlier I'm glad the Devils don't shy away from picking players from Russia but those players still have alot to prove....

Yes Okhotiuk is part of a package to land Meier but he was a throw in piece. It was a 1st Round Pick and Shakir that were the main pieces. Every team has a prospect like that to toss in. The fact that he was a 2nd rounder and he left the NHL already shows he isn't that good. It's not a pick to be really that proud/content with.

 

[Guadana]

Moral of the story is drafting players isn't necessarily easy and that most players are not going to carve out an NHL career. Regardless of what part of the world they were drafted from. There are plenty of underwhelming players picked from North America and Russia. Literally the only aewhat proven player thay you named is Shakir. Silayev , Nemec & Luke were all very hight picks so the probability of getting a high end player is easier.

Like I said earlier I'm glad the Devils don't shy away from picking players from Russia but those players still have alot to prove....

Yes Okhotiuk is part of a package to land Meier but he was a throw in piece. It was a 1st Round Pick and Shakir that were the main pieces. Every team has a prospect like that to toss in. The fact that he was a 2nd rounder and he left the NHL already shows he isn't that good. It's not a pick to be really that proud/content with.

I used every example of our picks. The truth is Russian players have better careers or mean at least something or something bigger in trades. That's what we actually got from our players. There are no semantics, only real careers. Because if you are trying to simplify fhis(because your point doesn't work) than we should draft only Slovakian defensemen. Because 100% of Slovakian defensemen who were drafted by Devils are NHLers.

I'm not saying that we should draft only Russian players. I had Buium higher on my list and I had about 3-4 other players from different countries.
But its just a pure fact that there are plenty of late rounders from Russia who are still available and have more talents and chances for better career. And like we know in case of Okhotiuk - he was "throw in" piece, but he was that piece. Vukoevic wasn't. Walsh wasn't. And thanks to Fitzgerald he traded Smith. Because he would translate in the future considerations in one season.

Again, I'm not telling that we should draft only Russian in later rounds - Vilen was great pick. Again - vertical hockey system. But what Devils drafted on defensive market outside top 10 players - they should say thanks only to their Russian scout, because thats all we have now with at least some potential - as future fills, as potential trade pieces.

 

[Moist ReadOnly]

I had to double-take to make sure this wasn't a 28 year old prospect we acquired when I saw the 2014 in the title lmao @Nubmer6

 

[Nubmer6]

I had to double-take to make sure this wasn't a 28 year old prospect we acquired when I saw the 2014 in the title lmao @Nubmer6

Meh. Years are overrated.

 

[Devil made me do it]

it’s good that we don’t repeat sens way of drafting.

The sens were not making any mistakes. Their owner, Melnyk, who was of ukrainian origin, was not exactly fond of russians. It was nationalistic bias that got in the way. You can call it a mistake but it was intentional from his point of view. Last good russian player to come out of Ottawa's system, Yashin, was drafted before Melnyk bought the team.

 

[Guadana]

The sens were not making any mistakes. Their owner, Melnyk, who was of ukrainian origin, was not exactly fond of russians. It was nationalistic bias that got in the way. You can call it a mistake but it was intentional from his point of view. Last good russian player to come out of Ottawa's system, Yashin, was drafted before Melnyk bought the team.

As a Russian who like Russians and not trying to cut my leg to prove that I'm good Russian, I'm fully against this type of thinking, in the same time part of my friends colleges and even part of the family are Ukrainians. I don't think by this way in... opposit. But who asking me except me. This hole story is veeeery different from what how it painted in all over the world press. Of course old fat vss Melnyk who was the child of people who ran to Canada from USSR because they were families of specific members of specific organisations. So his logic to hate Russians is clear to me and not surprising me at all.
Does it work or not for Ottawa? We should study the draft. In recent years before 2021 they had a couple of good drafts. Its not a problem to not draft Russians if you can draft better player - I never had a problem with it, Silayev for example wasn't my guy in the moment, I'm still trying to imagine how we can try to trade for Nygard(I'm failing). May be Goalies are the only ones where I'm strongly disagree to not draft them at all. And yeah, of course I like to draft Russians in later rounds because better talented are still available. And the option to develop then without pressure to sign help to build contender with potential to sign more nhl ready develop talent on ELC.

 

[Devil made me do it]

My dislike for russian players really started with the Kovalchuk debacle when he quit the team because his wife wanted to move back to Russia. Can't emphasize enough how much damage that move caused to the Devils and from thereon I developed a distrust in drafting russian players. The KHL holding up players 'hostage' as they were binded by their local team contracts, that made my decision easier. Drafting a russian was too much of a gamble. Some teams still think this way and it's not an irrational approach by any means. KHL has been more loose recently with player contracts and seeing the quality goalie talent coming out of Russia this past decade, that's made some teams rethink their position.

 

[MartyOwns]

My dislike for russian players really started with the Kovalchuk debacle when he quit the team because his wife wanted to move back to Russia. Can't emphasize enough how much damage that move caused to the Devils and from thereon I developed a distrust in drafting russian players. The KHL holding up players 'hostage' as they were binded by their local team contracts, that made my decision easier. Drafting a russian was too much of a gamble. Some teams still think this way and it's not an irrational approach by any means. KHL has been more loose recently with player contracts and seeing the quality goalie talent coming out of Russia this past decade, that's made some teams rethink their position.

kovy saw the writing on the wall and bolted, i don't blame him. the "damage" was caused by our GM at the time having the foresight of a ruptured hemorrhoid.

 

[Guadana]

My dislike for russian players really started with the Kovalchuk debacle when he quit the team because his wife wanted to move back to Russia. Can't emphasize enough how much damage that move caused to the Devils and from thereon I developed a distrust in drafting russian players. The KHL holding up players 'hostage' as they were binded by their local team contracts, that made my decision easier. Drafting a russian was too much of a gamble. Some teams still think this way and it's not an irrational approach by any means. KHL has been more loose recently with player contracts and seeing the quality goalie talent coming out of Russia this past decade, that's made some teams rethink their position.

Your dislike started from your way of thinking.
After that your dislike is continuing with the fact that Kovy made great excuse to the Devils organisation, saved a lot of money and cap space, and his transition was quite in right time for this holed ship.
After that your dislike is continuing with the fact that modern NCAA players left their organisation much more often.
After that your dislike continuing with hostage stuff where NHL teams own rights for players with or without signed deal in time when KHL teams own their players when they are on the deals only. Some are deciding to play in AHL when they are young - good luck to put your chler in ahl if he isn't ready for nhl and too good for chl, some are translating to nhl from Russia earlier, some of them translating to nhl later, some are trying to play in junior NA leagues, and there are no window to miss rights for this players.

Of course you can stay with your way of thinking, its your own right. So it doesn't matter because Fitz is drafting Russians by late round picks, by middle round picks, even by 20OA or even by 10OA. Like it or dislike it but you will live with it no matter what.

Or you can start to root for Sens. You don't need to ask for a trade for Brady Tkachuk if Brady Tkachuk is already your captain. Tough, big, North American, everything you like. M? Let's go, Sens?

 

[TBF1972]

NJ can pick Russian defenders like nobody else and they can hit on later forwards but no goalies is odd. Must be a scouting issue?

@StevenToddIves can't scout goalis but there is hope he improves soon, thanks to malek.

 

[Nubmer6]

@StevenToddIves can't scout goalis but there is hope he improves soon, thanks to malek.

I think we go in another direction and force @Bleedred to start watching prospect goalies.

 

[Guadana]

I think we go in another direction and force @Bleedred to start watching prospect goalies.

It would be really good and interesting.

 

[My3Sons]

It would be really good and interesting.

Is it fair to a 17 year old to turn Bleed loose as a scout? What will happen when he tells a prospect’s parents he hopes they have a plan B for their son since he sucks as a goalie?

 

[Guadana]

Is it fair to a 17 year old to turn Bleed loose as a scout? What will happen when he tells a prospect’s parents he hopes they have a plan B for their son since he sucks as a goalie?

I believe it helps them to find plan B for their child earlier? We can call it as a crhistianic/humanistic act. in an unsightly shape

 

[My3Sons]

I believe it helps them to find plan B for their child earlier? We can call it as a crhistianic/humanistic act. in an unsightly shape

Unsightly shape? That’s harsh. I think Bleed is among the most handsome scouts.

 

[Bleedred]

I used to follow prospects a lot and could tell you the first 20 guys about to be taken in the upcoming draft of that year. But I don’t think I’ve followed that closely enough since the Travis Zajac draft of 2004.

Actually, I think I was still heavy into it by 2006, because I remember liking Jiri Tlusty and Claude Giroux from that draft.

I can’t remember much after it, so I think I didn’t follow it as much.

 

[Its Always Sundstrom]

O

Is it fair to a 17 year old to turn Bleed loose as a scout? What will happen when he tells a prospect’s parents he hopes they have a plan B for their son since he sucks as a goalie?

With no version of “shit bag” or shit anything sprinkled in, I find this a bit inaccurate.

 

[Moist ReadOnly]

Meh. Years are overrated.

Its all about centuries

 

[Ripshot 43]

I used to follow prospects a lot and could tell you the first 20 guys about to be taken in the upcoming draft of that year. But I don’t think I’ve followed that closely enough since the Travis Zajac draft of 2004.

Actually, I think I was still heavy into it by 2006, because I remember liking Jiri Tlusty and Claude Giroux from that draft.

I can’t remember much after it, so I think I didn’t follow it as much.

Travis Zajac draft?!? Did they even have film that wasn’t black and white?!

 

[My3Sons]

Travis Zajac draft?!? Did they even have film that wasn’t black and white?!

And they say you aren’t a top prospect anymore. With posts like that they are clearly just delusional.

 

[Devs3cups]

Thought I’d share.

 

[NjDevsRR]

Thought I’d share.

 

[Guadana]

Thought I’d share.

Daws was second goalie for WJC Canada behind Hofer.

Joel Hofer - Stats, Contract, Salary & More

Eliteprospects.com hockey player profile of Joel Hofer, 2000-07-30 Winnipeg, MB, CAN Canada. Most recently in the undefined with St. Louis Blues. Complete player biography and stats.

www.eliteprospects.com

Hofer had nice season this year in backup role. It was his 6th season after the draft and first season as a regular backup.

So it was okay to dump Schmid - he wasn't even regular backup for the Devils this year in his D+6. Yeah, team wasn't good, but Kahkonen and Allen still were okay to good for their stint. Daws looked better. We lost Swiss piece but I believe we will survive.

From Louhivaara perspective we should take a patient. And should continue to draft goalies. We don't know how they will look after 5-6 years, who will be traded etc. If team like one goalie per draft they should draft them.
As I remember Yegorov will play in USHL, so its 1 year in USHL, 2-3 years in NCAA, a couple of years in AHL, so its already 5 or even more years away from NHL.

Of course it would be better to draft goalies from Russia(here we go again) because we can marinate player in pro league without signing with no afraid to lose his rights.