Kristian Vesalainen!!!

[D24]

Hey gents

i have been tracking this kid for a while now, hey just HPk and will now Finnish off the rest of the season with Oulun Karpat a top team in the Finnish league, would love some extra input on this guy, like how far off is he from the NHL, and could you possibly put a 3 year projection once he arrives, always good to no if his ceiling is as high as guys like tolvenan kaprizov or is he solid 50pt a season guy.

thanks fellas

[Jouko-Pouko]

He's expected to cross the pond after this season is over. He'll most likely start in the AHL but I wouldn't be surprised to see him in the NHL quickly after that. I like him a lot, and have liked him for a while now. Right now, I'd project him as a 60 point player, so between 55 and 65 most seasons during his prime. But on a high-scoring team like the Jets, if he can find chemistry with some of the star players they have, that projection could definitely go up from there.

[VincentVega]

He's been one of the biggest risers from the 2017 draft. As far as upside, I think he's on par with Tolvanen but the latter is getting a lot more exposure due to his explosive start in the KHL, Olympics and the fact that he's expected to sign his ELC this season.

For comparison, here are his D+1 stats from the same league Laine played

17 yr Laine's last year in Liiga. 46GP, 17G, 16A, 33PTS.
18 yr Vesalainen this year in Liiga. 44GP, 19G, 20A, 39PTS.

Yes, Laine was a year younger but what Vesalainen is doing in the Liiga as an U19 player is mighty impressive.

[Zorro]

With Laine, Vesalainen, and Niku, the Jets must have a couple scouts living in Finland!! Keep'em coming!!

[bergman]

Great to hear the opinions on big upside. He seems like a guy who’s rep took a bit of a hit around his draft. He had been ranked high, then declined, fell in the draft, then lit it up in Liiga and at the 2018 WJC. Same point production as players like Sebastian Aho and Teuvo Teravainen at the same age in the same league, but with a bigger frame and owned by a better NHL team. I think the rationale for big upside is definitely there.