2012 NHL Draft Prospect Profile: Teuvo Teräväinen

Teuvo Teräväinen, F

Birthplace: Helsinki, Finland, 9/11/94
Bio: 5’11, 170 lbs., L
Jokerit, SM-Liiga
Rankings: ISS – 8; CSS – 2 (EU)

The Skinny: The skill-heavy Finn, Teuvo Teräväinen, is a deadly sniper and distributor whose excellent production in the SM-liiga is worthy of a second look – but will this flavor-of-the-month climb his way into the top-five come June 22?

With all due respect to Ville Pokka, Teuvo Teräväinen is the top talent from Suomi available in 2012. With an offensive skillset that borders on the obscene, he has first line potential. Indeed, the youngest of our top-50 prospects (born a week later and we’d be talking 2013) is already lighting up stat-sheets in the top Finnish division.

Very shifty and speedy, Teräväinen has the skating game necessary for a player of his minimal dimensions. He uses his wheels well, backing off defenders with some explosive bursts and decelerating rapidly to open lanes and gain spacing. While not the top skater in this draft-class he’s certainly more than adequate in this regard.

He works the half-wall and tops of the circles well on the powerplay and is already (at 17!) making teammates noticeably better with the man-advantage. Teräväinen has an especially potent one-timer and likes to set up in Stamkos’ office to rip cross-ice feeds past opposing netminders. He’s an elite distributor and has the hockey sense to thread some impressive passes and manage the puck effectively in the O-zone. Teräväinen has very good hands and can get through traffic with possession as well as any.

Teräväinen’s hands are outstanding and along with his mind he has two real plus-plus tools. With exceptional vision and superlative reading of the defensive coverage, Teräväinen is able to set up the attack with deadly precision. He’s very adept at slowing down the play, surveying his options before setting things in-motion.

Earlier in the season, questions about his defense and grit were significant obstacles to his first-round aspirations. However, several scouts report development in these areas. His commitment to self-improvement must be commended. Both defense and physicality remain areas where he’ll have to continue progressing in order to make it.

The primary issue Teräväinen will have to face is his size and strength. At 5’11, he doesn’t possess prototypical size and at a reported 170 (though some reports have him up to 10 lbs. lighter) he needs to add significant mass. The North American pro game is punishing and he’ll need to put on serious muscle to contend with the physicality. Still, he uses his modest strength well and will come away victorious from many battles against bigger and stronger opponents.

While Teräväinen has the skillset to be a first-line player at the NHL level, you wouldn’t find his name in most top-10 lists until recently, with the obvious concern being his size. In fact, some had the Finn as far down as the late second round until the second-half. While Teräväinen’s size and inconsistency make him a classic boom-or-bust type, his tools are worth taking a chance on, even early. Despite his obvious Flavor-of-the-Month status, we love (repeat, LOVE) his game and believe he could wind up being the best player taken in 2012.

Ideal Fits: Teams looking for an elite forward talent or best-player-available in the first ten picks: Anaheim, Minnesota, Carolina and Toronto.

Why Your Team Will Take Him: Because he’s up there alongside the very tip-top of the offensive talents in this class, no question about it.

Why Your Team Will Pass on Him: Because, no matter what they tell you, size is an issue.

Strengths: Hockey IQ (Offensive Acumen), Hands, Vision, Shooting, Playmaking, Elusiveness

Weaknesses/Concerns: Size, Strength, Defensive Game, Physicality, Durability, Consistency

Projection: All-Star Caliber First-Line Forward (40g, 90p potential)

Predicted 2012 NHL Draft Range: First Round (5-9)

Overall Rank: 4

Euro Rank: 1

SM-liiga Rank: 1

Forward Rank: 3

Finnish National Rank: 1

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Bob Mand

Bob is the Boston Bruins correspondent for The Hockey Writers and a credentialed member of the Providence Bruins' Media.

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