| Onni Lind | Jokerit U20 | U20 SM | L | RW | 5’10” | 174 | Helsinki | 2005 | 2022-2023: C |
U18: Jokerit vs JYP Jyvaskyla, February 4, 2023: Lind totaled 17:19 in ice time including a Jokerit forward high 3:45 while short handed. The next closest forward was a full ninety seconds behind him at 2:15 while shorthanded. He did not play on the power play. While shorthanded he was a dog on bone as he played in straight lines and exploded out of stops and starts. Lind used his speed to force plays up the ice and he was very cognizant of when to pressure bobbled pucks or when his opponent had his eyes to the wall. As a penalty killer he also was able to get his stick on two royal road passing attempts that if went through would have been for one-timers. He finished -1 on the game after he failed to get the puck out in the defensive grey area. Yes the play occurred at the end of a ridiculously long shift, but after failing to clear the zone Lind allowed himself to get trapped along the wall so he could not defend the seam. He did have two grade “A” opportunities off of the cycle and we like how he one-timed them, but he misfired high and wide on both. Out of solid defensive zone coverage his speed generated a third grade “A” when he overwhelmed the opposing defender along the defensive blueline and poked the puck by him for a breakaway. On the breakaway he showed separational speed and made a good backhand-forehand-backhand to five hole attempt that just missed trickling in. He finished the night -1 with 0 points, 1 shot (breakaway), 3 grade “A” opportunities and 1 hard hit. Overall he might night provide the offense that an NHL organization will be looking for, but his tenacity and attention to detail are two things that NHL coaching staffs need on their bench if they’re going to win.
U18: Finland vs Czechia, December 27, 2022: Lind is an undersized quick footed left shot forward who primarily played the right wing. He totaled 8: 33 in ice time including 0:03 while on the power play and 0:34 while shorthanded. On the forecheck he was a fearless F1 who showed no regard for his body or well being. There were a few occasions where Czechia’s defensemen looked to step up on him because he was so annoying, but on each attempt Lind kept his feet moving through contact and got the better of the collision. On just such a play he earned a primary assist as he raced in as the forechecking F1 and the Czechia defender looked to give him an exploding shoulder reverse hit. Lind anticipated the defender’s aggression by poking the puck past him to win the 50/50 race / battle. He then protected the puck as he wheeled the net to locate his left defenseman at the point. Midway through the second period he generated a grade “A” when he read Czechia’s left defender had a soft gap. He then made a hard fake to his backhand and used his right inside edge to explode to the middle lane. The fake made the defender stumble and cross his feet. He finished the night +1 with 1 primary assist, 1 shot, 1 grade “A” opportunity, 1 hit, 2 giveaways, 3 takeaways and he won 100% of his 2 puck battles.
U18: 5 Nation Tournament, November 8-14, 2022: Onni Lind is a high energy forward, whose game is defined by his effort and work ethic. He has above average quickness, and he keeps his legs moving. As such he is tough to corral along the boards and in the corners and in fact drew a couple penalties due to guys having to haul him down in compete situations low in the offensive zone. He is not a driver of offense at this level but is a good trustworthy 200 foot player whose effort defensively does not diminish from his offensive efforts. On one particular attack he created separation with a spin and evade delay, then attacked a seam and got a quick shot away for a score chance.
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