Prospect Scouting Report - Valtteri Vaakanainen

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Prospect Scouting Report - Valtteri Vaakanainen

Drafted 10th Overall - Helsinki Titans

 

LW | 6' 2" | 187 lb. | Age: 23

 

Growing up in Finland offered Vaakanainen plenty of opportunity to watch his countrymen experience success at the international level. He entered hockey at an early age and excelled through SM-Liiga and Liiga through his teens and early 20's. The 1996 born winger decided to head over-seas for a taste of North American hockey with Houston for 22 games in season 70. His short stint with the Bulls was a promising venture which saw Valtteri score 9 goals and add 8 assists for 17 points. His eagerness to show offensive skill from the get-go was seen through his 70 shots while his balanced two-way game was realized with a +8 rating, 19 hits and 7 blocked shots. Houston went on to the playoffs which gave Vaakanainen 8 more games to hone in his skills. He impressed with five goals but Houston was bounced in round two.

 

Season 71 - Minnesota Storm

The draft was an all new experience for Valtteri. He was a hopeful for the first round but ultimately fell to the first pick of round two. His new club, the Minnesota Storm were geared up for a big season having already selected three times in round one. Minnesota took to the podium six times in the first two rounds and were immediately a threat on paper. The Storm answered the call and produced and impressive 53-17-2 record placing them 3rd in the league. Vaakanainen took his S70 experience and successfully improved his game in all facets. He was one shy of 50 goals on the season while adding an equally impressive 48 assists for 97 points in the 72 game campaign. His shooting prowess continued to be o display as he fired 411 shots on goal. Defensively VV was a +31, had 24 blocks and averaged over two hits a game with 145. His 10 game winning goals were second on the club. In six playoff games he scored four times and added four helpers.

 

Player ratings

Skating: 7.5/10
Scoring: 8.5/10
Defense: 8/10
Discipline: 7.5/10
X-Factor: 7.5/10
Potential: HIGH

 

Areas for Improvement

Passing: While his 48 assists look strong on a stat sheet, Valtteri has a strong bias to shoot the puck in most situations rather than seeking out passing lanes to generate more effective offensive opportunities.

Leadership: The 23 year old will do well on a team with some veteran presence. He has shown to have a timid personality at times and with media. This is a small concern going forward and should improve with time and experience.

 

Season 72 Draft

Vaakanainen was drafted 10th overall to the Helsinki Titans in the S72 entry draft. Helsinki has seen incredible growth from their younger players in Erik Summers, Jim Bob, Hiroshi Okada and Jared Spaz. The recent addition of goalie Michael Johnson give them added confidence in net in a season that should see them return to the post-season. Adding a player like Vaakanainen should speed up their rebuild/retooling and give them increased longevity for success.