| Konsta Helenius | Jukurit | Liiga | R | C | 5’11” | 180 | Ylojarvi, FIN | 2006 | 2023-2024: A |
Game Grade: B
Comments: Another great defensive effort from Helenius today, his offensive game looked better today but still seems to lack the offensive ability to create an impact in the opponent’s end. His skating was great today, he was able to accelerate to high speed quickly and help push play up ice in transition. He is definitely not the fastest player in the draft but can easily keep up with play and push pace at times. Defensively, he was very sound in his own end. He anticipated passes and made smart movements to cut off passing lanes and shut down play. He came away with multiple steals and quickly turned the puck up ice. His forecheck game is very aggressive and he makes it very difficult for opponents attempting to break the puck out of their own end. His passing game looked better than yesterday as he was able to complete more passes and snapped the puck around quickly while on the powerplay. He still made some poor choices with the puck, forcing passes into closed lanes and shooting directly into opponents rather than adapting to changing coverage and making the smart pass. He showed off some quick fakes to escape from pressure and protect the puck while circling the zone but had trouble pushing his way towards the cage. His shot was also on display tonight, firing at least 3 shots on goal that I noted and showing off a heavy wrist shot and one timer. Konsta is a fantastic player without the puck and does most things well but his inability to generate offense on his own and consistently is a real down side. He will need to improve his offensive skills to round out his game.
| Emil Hemming | TPS | Liiga | R | RW | 6’1″ | 201 | Vaasa, FIN | 2006 | 2023-2024: A |
Game Grade: C+
Comments: Not as impressive of a game for Hemming despite picking up an assist. He played at a much lower pace and seemed very low energy. He had a better offensive game showing off his heavy wrist shot multiple times. He pulled off a quick two touch reception into a snap shot early in the game for a dangerous opportunity near the cage. He showed off some speed on the rush and was able to transition the puck into the offensive zone with control but had a lot of trouble cutting to the inside lane. He pushed wide every time and was unable to make any sort of attempt to move the puck towards the net. His assist came early in the second period when he fired a spinning shot around a defender and the rebound was buried by a teammate. His play without the puck was lacking today as well. His forecheck and defensive effort were very low energy. Emil is a talented player but struggles to create chances on his own. We would like to see a lot more energy from him in our next viewing.
Player Evaluations: Henry Lawrence