Jarmo Ruutu - luxury player?

[jRuutu 2,424]

The future of Jarmo Ruutu is anything but certain. The Finnish center came over to NA in the hopes of developing as a player. A secondary motive was to show everybody in the hockey world that he has what it takes to be a professional hockey player at the highest level.  

 

Before making the jump from Finland to VHLM, Jarmo was ranked among the top European center prospects in the world. In the eyes of many VHL scouts, Xiver Zilla from Malta is considered to be the top center prospect from Europe. Not far behind are the two centers from Greenland: Axle Gunner and Severus Targaryen. Then you might see the name Jarmo Ruutu already, so when it comes to centers for the S90 VHL draft - Jarmo Ruutu is close to the top in his position. After playing over 15 games in VHLM, in the papers of many, the Finnish center is still considered to be among the top European prospects as Jarmo has reportedly worked on his game hard in Mississauga.

 

Despite solid performances in the practice rinks the games in VHLM have not gone as Jarmo maybe hoped. After scoring only one goal in sixteen games for Mississauga so far, many fans and scouts have started to speculate whether Jarmo has what it takes to be a player in a scoring line, especially at the highest level. Jarmo has never been known to be a player with the softest of hands, Jarmo does not have the vision of a playmaker either, so what is left? Is the decent two-way hockey or bottom-six grinder style enough in the modern VHL? What about VHLE?

 

I am next going to take a closer look at a few options for Jarmo.

 

Option 1 - playing in Europe

 

It is not a surprise that not everybody gets to play in VHL a few years after first making their way into VHLM. Jarmo could be one of those players. I think playing multiple seasons in VHLE could do Jarmo a world of good. Jarmo has a solid defensive side, he can take faceoffs and bring a certain balance to a line with offensive wingers, but he desperately needs to work on his offensive game if he wants to play in the VHL one day or even in the VHLE and on a scoring line.  Time is on Jarmo's side. One season in VHLE and on a smaller role would give Jarmo almost two full seasons more to work on the basics before the pressure is truly on him. I could see Jarmo as a center on a VHLE team's second line two seasons from now.  

 

Jarmo himself in a recent interview mentioned that playing in Europe for more than a few years could also be an option. It is not a secret that many European players make a nice living playing in VHLE. Furthermore, they get to play in a bigger role, and they get to be closer to their families. The list of perks is significant for many. Jarmo, at least right now, looks like a player who could be a career VHLE player.  

Jarmo's words could also be taken as the words of a frustrated player who lacks confidence in their abilities. After all, Jarmo has the frame to play in VHL, and he is still young. The season in VHLM has just started. And as we often see, the younger players can improve dramatically in a short time.

 

Option 2 -  grind it out

As Jarmo has the size and solid defensive side, many VHL teams could find a spot for him in the defensive units almost right away. Playing just one season in VHLE after the ongoing season could be all that Jarmo needs to iron his game out to a level, where he could operate on a defensive role in some VHL team's roster. I would even go as far as saying Jarmo could play as a checking winger. Jarmo can take faceoffs, which is a valuable skill in VHL. Getting possession of the puck is the best defense and the key to scoring goals. If the center is not able to win them, Jarmo could be switched to take the faceoffs.

 

In general, if we think of VHLE and VHL, playing against the best players in the world and VHL would improve Jarmo as a player a lot faster than playing in VHLE, but then again the money might not be as good for defensive role players in VHL.  As we all know, some teams in VHL play their home games in Europe, so in that sense playing in VHL does not automatically mean staying away from the family for a long time, but you do have to travel a lot more in VHL than in VHLE, which is something that not every player enjoys as the distances are long, the stress of travel also dramatically affects your ability to sleep and recover, which could lead to a higher chance of injuries.  Avoiding injuries is a key factor for a player like Jarmo who has to rely on his frame to be effective and useful player more than many other players.

 

In the end, both options seem like decent choices for Jarmo Ruutu. Both options have their pros and cons. The key for Jarmo is going to be hard work and choosing whether he truly wants to test his wings at the highest level or earn more money while being more comfortable. The ongoing season is going to be important for Jarmo as a poor season in VHLM is not going to get that many VHLE teams interested. A poor season in VHLM is also going to dramatically affect his value in the VHL draft. 

 

As of late, Jarmo has shown signs of improvement on the ice, he managed to score the first goal of the season not so long ago, so if the hard work in the practice rinks continues and Jarmo is able to get on the scoreboard more often - Jarmo himself could get to decide which option seems the best for him. That is the place any player wants to be in.

 

words: 1020

19.6-25.6

26.6- 2.7

Edited June 24, 2023 by jRuutu

[jRuutu 2,424]

26.6- 2.7

[Victor 10,824]

My brain took a minute to process the difference between Jorma and Jarmo - this is a very confusing name.

[jRuutu 2,424]

3 hours ago, Victor said:

My brain took a minute to process the difference between Jorma and Jarmo - this is a very confusing name.

Both "common" Finnish names, Jorma is more of a meme name nowadays as it can also be used to describe certain male body part, but you see Jarmo more often.

[Victor 10,824]

3 hours ago, jRuutu said:

Both "common" Finnish names, Jorma is more of a meme name nowadays as it can also be used to describe certain male body part, but you see Jarmo more often.

Fine - I am one of about 3 people impacted anyway