The Vancouver Canucks selected defenseman Olli Juolevi with the fifth overall pick in the 2016 NHL Draft on Friday.
Olli Juolevi
Position: Defense
Height: 6-2
Weight: 183 pounds
Age: 18
Club: London (OHL)
Nationality: Finnish
| GP | G | A | P | ES GPG | ES PPG | ES GF% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 57 | 9 | 32 | 41 | 0.088 | 0.298 | 72.414 |
(Even-strength stats courtesy: prospect-stats.com)
Juolevi was fantastic in his first season in North America, recording nine goals and 32 assists and leading all rookies with a plus-38 rating after transferring from Jokerit's under-20 team in Finland to the OHL's London Knights.
But the young Finn really made his mark at the World Junior Championship, where he and fellow 2016 draft prospects Patrik Laine and Jesse Puljujarvi led their country to a gold medal in Helsinki. He finished the tournament with nine assists in seven games.
Juolevi is a great two-way defenseman who can play in any situation. With "elite-level vision and hockey sense," according to Elite Prospects, the 18-year-old is comparable to fellow Finnish blue-liner Olli Maatta, who also possesses great skating ability and skill.
The first defenseman off the board, Juolevi is also the third-highest Finnish blue-liner ever selected at the NHL Draft.
With the addition of Erik Gudbranson, Vancouver has six defenders under contract for next year. So despite Juolevi being as NHL-ready as any blue-liner on the board, it's a long shot he'll contribute next season.
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