St. Louis Blues 2017 Draft Prospects: Urho Vaakanainen
By Todd Panula
The St. Louis Blues have some choices to make when it comes to the first round of the 2017 NHL Entry Draft. With two picks, they have plenty of options and might be able to go for talent instead of need.
The St. Louis Blues have been a little bit silent on the news front following the end of the Stanley Cup Final. That is true of most teams, of course, but we can only hope they are doing some final cram sessions on the prospects that could be available come their turn to draft.
The Blues have two picks in the first round of the upcoming entry draft. They possess the 20th and 27th pick, the latter of which was acquired as part of the Kevin Shattenkirk.
St. Louis has plenty of options with two first rounders available to them. From a prospect standpoint, having two late-round picks is less than ideal, but there are still good players to be had at those spots.
From a pure option standpoint, and from the fans perspective, there is always the hope of a deal. The Blues could potentially move up in the draft if someone feels the guy they want will be available later. They could also try to trade one or both picks as part of a package for a current NHL player.
Sadly, those options are less likely. Trades happen, of course, but it seems like the more we get worked up about the idea, the less likely it is to happen. It seemed a deal was almost a sure thing in 2016 and the Blues stood pat and made their picks.
With that in mind, we’ve already covered one of the potential players the Blues could select. One of the other names floating around is Finnish defenseman Urho Vaakanainen.
When I first saw his name listed in some of the mock drafts, my face turned a frown. The Blues are loaded with defensemen, so why pick another one?
However, if Vaakanainen is the most talented player available when the Blues pick comes around, then why not? No offense, but if the Blues pick at 20 or 27, the player they take is not going to be in the NHL in 2017-18 anyway.
So, take whichever one has the most upside even if you have players at that spot already. You never know if the one available might be better than someone you already have in your system.
In his defense, Vaakanainen has been getting plenty of praise from the scouts too:
ISS Hockey – Feb. 22nd: “Good two-way mindset. Sees ice well & anticipates transition. Active in all zones.”
Mike Morreale NHL.com – Jan. 20th: “An intelligent, two-way defender (6-0, 185) who can read the play well, has good vision and a strong skill set that includes skating, passing and an accurate shot. He is a reliable team player and has a sound defensive game.”
Dennis Schellenberg Hockey Prospectus – Nov. 9th: “A very complete two-way defenceman who does not have a lot of flaws in his game. Vaakanainen is a very good puck mover, has great poise and makes crisp, accurate passes. He’s a very mobile skater with impressive edge work and fluid strides.”
The thing that is potentially exciting about him was the description from Schellenberg. “…who does not have a lot of flaws in his game.”
You do have to take scouting reports with a grain of salt. These guys are not going to blow smoke if they don’t work for a team, but they rarely have anything scathing to say about a player either.
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Still, if you can get a puck mover that can also defend, that is becoming the double-edged sword. Shattenkirk was a great offensive player, but left a lot to be desired on the defensive end. The Blues would have paid big money if he could do both.
On the flip side of that argument, Vaakanainen is not going to be a big point producer. While he is described as a good passer and solid skater, his highest career point total is 33.
That was back in 2013-14. You can argue he’s been focusing more on his defensive duties, but even then it is harder to stomach another defender if he’s not going to bring much to the table offensively. Another scouting report summed up that very point.
Jeff Marek of Sportsnet – Mar. 8th: “Shines on the defensive side of the puck at even strength and PK. Has an uncanny ability to get his stick in shooting and passing lanes. Just don’t expect offence. He won’t be out there late in a game to tie it up, but you’ll love him out there protecting a lead.”
The other danger would be selecting someone who has only been seen in Europe. There are tons of players to come from Finland or Europe and be successful, but it is harder to judge during their younger days.
They play on a larger sheet of ice, with more space. That breeds a different style of hockey and a different style of player. It’s a little more difficult to project defensive talent when they’ve rarely played on the NHL sized rinks.
Related Story: Blues Draft Prospects: Martin Necas
As stated, if Vaakanainen is the most talented player on the board when the Blues pick comes up, take him. It’s just not going to be a very exciting pick.
With so many guys on the pecking order in front of him, it would be quite some time before he sees action with the Blues. He’s only 18, with room to develop, but that means he may not even get a sniff for five years or so.
It is the smart play to think long term. It’s not very sexy to know you’re drafting for 2022 though. Not much you can do when the draft is a little thin.