Jeff
01-26-2004, 07:19 AM
Most likely the next finnish NHL player will be one of them:
Jussi Jokinen, Karpat 42 11+19=30
Mikko Koivu, TPS 32 3+16=19
Jarkko Immonen, JYP 39 16+18=34
Jari Viuhkola, Karpat 41 22+25=47
Janne Niskala, Lukko 42 18+9=27 (defenceman)
Janne Laakkonen, HPK 37 8+21=29
Jokinen's seasons has been unstable. Start of the season was excelent and first rounds in the league the line Jokinen-Lievers-Pesonen was the most dangerous one in the league. Later in the fall/early winter Jokinen was totally in the sleep and he played pretty badly. In one game the coach left him out of the playing squad. Anyways, that woke him up. Ever since that he has been playing really well and there has been results of that also. If he keeps up this way, he'll be fighting for NHL spot next fall or whenever they play the league.
There is a good report about Jarkko Immonen in his own thread so I guess I don't have that much to say about him. The time before christmas was really good for him, but after the christmas he has been in a sleep. Not much results if looking at points. Hopefully he'll be playing better the rest of the spring.I think NHL will take him after this season.
Koivu's season has been ruined somehow with quite many small injuries. Now he has been heatlhy for awhile now and he is playing ok I guess. He is the center of TPS 2nd line currently. The spring will tell a lot about his future. Koivu is an intresting case, becouse he has a 3-year contract with Minnesota already, but he is playing this year in Finland. Most probably he'll move in to NHL next season.
Most probably Viuhkola will move to Chicago next season. If I've understood it correctly, Chicago has a lousy situation with centers. Viuhkola is playign a great season and is currently the best center in sm-liiga. Viuhkola is playing together with Petr Tenkrat and Brad Smyth.
Janne Niskala is an intresting case. I don't think he has been even drafted yet. He came out of nowhere this year by scoring lots of goals being a defender. He has an excelent shot. He is a good offencive defender. Good with the puck, pretty good skater, excelent shot like I said. It'll be intresting to see who'll pick him up in next draft. He is playing in Lukko's first defender pair together with Erik Hamalainen I think. I don't think he'll move in to NHL next season though.
Janne Laakkonen is also a rising star. Played a good fall and made lots of points. He played in HPK's first line together with Thomas Kuharcik and Vladimir Vujtek I think. He got injured sometime ago and the latests news is that he'll make it to the playoffs. I don't know if he is drafted yet or not, but he will be next summer if he isn't yet. I don't think he'll move to NHL next season though.
Jussi Jokinen, Karpat 42 11+19=30
Mikko Koivu, TPS 32 3+16=19
Jarkko Immonen, JYP 39 16+18=34
Jari Viuhkola, Karpat 41 22+25=47
Janne Niskala, Lukko 42 18+9=27 (defenceman)
Janne Laakkonen, HPK 37 8+21=29
Jokinen's seasons has been unstable. Start of the season was excelent and first rounds in the league the line Jokinen-Lievers-Pesonen was the most dangerous one in the league. Later in the fall/early winter Jokinen was totally in the sleep and he played pretty badly. In one game the coach left him out of the playing squad. Anyways, that woke him up. Ever since that he has been playing really well and there has been results of that also. If he keeps up this way, he'll be fighting for NHL spot next fall or whenever they play the league.
There is a good report about Jarkko Immonen in his own thread so I guess I don't have that much to say about him. The time before christmas was really good for him, but after the christmas he has been in a sleep. Not much results if looking at points. Hopefully he'll be playing better the rest of the spring.I think NHL will take him after this season.
Koivu's season has been ruined somehow with quite many small injuries. Now he has been heatlhy for awhile now and he is playing ok I guess. He is the center of TPS 2nd line currently. The spring will tell a lot about his future. Koivu is an intresting case, becouse he has a 3-year contract with Minnesota already, but he is playing this year in Finland. Most probably he'll move in to NHL next season.
Most probably Viuhkola will move to Chicago next season. If I've understood it correctly, Chicago has a lousy situation with centers. Viuhkola is playign a great season and is currently the best center in sm-liiga. Viuhkola is playing together with Petr Tenkrat and Brad Smyth.
Janne Niskala is an intresting case. I don't think he has been even drafted yet. He came out of nowhere this year by scoring lots of goals being a defender. He has an excelent shot. He is a good offencive defender. Good with the puck, pretty good skater, excelent shot like I said. It'll be intresting to see who'll pick him up in next draft. He is playing in Lukko's first defender pair together with Erik Hamalainen I think. I don't think he'll move in to NHL next season though.
Janne Laakkonen is also a rising star. Played a good fall and made lots of points. He played in HPK's first line together with Thomas Kuharcik and Vladimir Vujtek I think. He got injured sometime ago and the latests news is that he'll make it to the playoffs. I don't know if he is drafted yet or not, but he will be next summer if he isn't yet. I don't think he'll move to NHL next season though.