Erlantz Jokinen Scouting Report

[jRuutu 2,466]

 

Prospect Scouting Report
Erlantz Jokinen
D | 6' 2" | 205 lb.

 

 

Pros

 

Puckhandling
Erlantz has excellent hands for a defender. He can hold on to the puck in small spaces. What makes Jokinen a tough player to play against is his ability to keep his head up and still handle the puck effectively. Might sound simple, but takes a lot of skill and practice to reach such a level.

 

Positioning
Jokinen seems to be in the right place most of the time. That goes to defensive, neutral, and offensive zone. He tries to think a couple of steps ahead all the time, which at times leads to a slightly too careful approach to certain situations, but in the long run, he positions himself correctly more often than not. He can get his stick on the puck. He can make an interception, or keep the play alive.

 

Passing
Erlantz can find the open stick from almost everywhere. His passes are heavy and accurate. What makes Erlantz a great passer is a fact that he can also use the backhand to make plays. For example, if a forechecking player can push Erlantz into a tough spot, he can get out of it by making an accurate backhand pass.

 

Cons

 

Skating

One of the slowest players in this year's draft class. He makes up for it with positioning, but when his career is heading towards VHL, he needs to work on his skating, starting from his explosiveness. Forwards in VHL are faster, bigger, and stronger than in VHLM. Poor skating ability can cause a lot of problems for defenders who take forever to gain speed.

 

Likes to pass
When you are as good a passer as Jokinen is, it makes sense that you try to use your passing as often as possible. However, Jokinen needs to start shooting more. He had 130 shots in 72 regular-season games with Yukon. That shows you how often he tried to make a pass instead of taking the shot. Even more interesting is the fact that Jokinen scored 13 goals with those 130 shots, so he has a rather good shot, but too often he refuses to use it. In VHL, such tendencies are quickly learned, which can cause problems for Jokinen.

 

Strength
Despite his relatively large frame, Jokinen is not a physical player. At times, he goes down surprisingly easily, which has caused many to speculate whether Jokinen likes to dive and cheat. Jokinen needs to hit the gym and start lifting weights. Not only to make competing against bigger and tougher players easier but also to make sure he can have a long career. Getting pushed around night after night is eventually going to lead to injuries.

 

Overview
Jokinen played 72 games with Yukon Rush. He collected 13 goals and 60 assists. He has the offensive qualities that suggest he can be a player in VHL. Like many young players, Jokinen also needs to keep on improving to reach his potential. Especially his skating and decision-making with the puck could use some attention.