NHL Draft Prospects: Could Finland’s Patrik Laine Challenge Auston Matthews for 1st Overall Selection?
With the way NHL Draft prospect Patrik Laine is recently playing, how can a team not consider selecting him 1st overall?
The 17-year-old is leading the SM Liiga (Finland’s top pro league) in playoff GPG (goals per game) with five goals (six points) in five games. Lets put it into perspective: Laine had 17 goals and 33 points in 46 Liiga regular season games. Don’t forget he also tore up the WJC with 13 points in 7 games, which is 2 more than the favorite for #1, Auston Matthews.
Aleksander Barkov, 2013 2nd overall pick, had 48 points in 53 games in 2012-13 for Tappara Tampere his NHL draft year, but was much closer to his ceiling than Laine is now at 17.
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Remember Teemu Selanne? He only had a PPG of 0.40 in his NHL draft season in Liiga, while Laine had a PPG of 0.71. Yes, Laine wasn’t on most peoples 1st round mock drafts a year ago, but has performed so well this year he can’t be ignored. And it’s not only the skill, it’s the size. Laine weighs in at 6’4′ and 209 pounds. On a rebuilding team, he can make an impact in the top 6 right away.
As good as he is, you can’t discount Matthews. He had a crazy 24 goals and 46 points in just 36 games. There’s no doubt he can be a generational talent, but in the drafting order, Laine has an advantage. If the Vancouver Canucks, Buffalo Sabres or Edmonton Oilers win the NHL Draft Lottery, they would pick Laine because they need wingers much more than centres.
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Yes, Matthews was expected to go 1st this year, and he could still end up being the franchise player that everyone expects him to be. But, now scouts are starting to see that Laine’s potential is higher than previously thought. Our cousins over at Editor In Leaf also agree that Laine, or even fellow Finn Jesse Puljujarvi, are legitimate 1st overall caliber players.
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The guys over at Elite Prospects give us a description of his skills:
"“Laine is a towering winger with a knack for scoring big goals. A good skater, albeit not the most agile forward in traffic. Has a set of soft hands combined with good vision, but prefers to use his swift and heavy shot. Able to find openings to use his shot. Definitely likes to play physical, but doesn’t get carried away by hitting the opponents. Playing in the pro ranks has matured his game considerably.”"
So, the question remains: Will Laine become the first Finnish born player to be selected 1st overall in the NHL Draft?