4. Aleksi Heponiemi, RW [19] (2-40, 2017)
Stats (Swift Current Broncos, WHL): 57 gp, 28 g, 90 a, 118 p, 14 PPG (37 A), 6 GWG, 141 SOG, 2.07 pts/g (26 pgp, 5 g, 25 a, 30 p, 1 PPG (16 A), 2 GWG, 48 SOG, 1.15 pts/g).
Aleksi Heponiemi is one of the greatest playmakers to go through the WHL ever. With 90 assists in 57 games, he’s one of the very few to accomplish that feat and the first since 1997 to hit 90 assists. Only one other player has ever done that, and while there was tight competition this season, Heponiemi blew them all away. That’s following a season where he was drafted in the top 50 because of his playmaking ability.
The question is, with other more natural goal scorers in the AHL and NHL, can Heponiemi make the professional transition with his skill set. He has always been a better assist man than a goal scorer, coming in first in assists, third in scoring, but tied for 51st in goal scoring this past season. In the playoffs, Heponiemi was fourth in scoring, first in assists, and tied for 27th in goal scoring. He needs to develop his shot, work on his shot production (2.47 shots per game in the regular season, 1.85 in the playoffs) and score more.
But as a terrific playmaker, there will be a place for Heponiemi. He has a top-six ceiling, looks more NHL ready than other players, and has done well on the power play. He has all the makings of an elite playmaker at the NHL level, but again, for him to make the NHL, he’ll need to score goals.