Toronto Maple Leafs 2017 NHL Draft Preview: No. 20 Kristian Vesalainen

As the Toronto Maple Leafs and the rest of the NHL prepare for the draft, we look at Kristian Vesalainen, the Finnish forward who had a great U-18 tournament and strengthened his case as a first round prospect.

The 2016 draft had several headlining players that controlled the main portion of the coverage in North America. This was particularly true north of the border, as the Toronto Maple Leafs and every other Canadian team failed to reach the playoffs.

This summer will be a different story. Further, there has been a lot of movement in the draft rankings over the course of the season.

On Friday, we looked at Nick Suzuki. Today, we profile Kristian Vesalainen, who is the 20th-ranked prospect on our board.

Vesalainen came up through the HIFK junior system. Last season, he signed with Frolunda J20 and had 34 points, including 15 goals, in 37 games.

This year, Vesalianen made the jump to top-tier hockey. He signed a rookie contract with Frolunda HC and played 26 games for the team before they loaned the winger to HPK in Finland.

J20 is where Vesalainen was the most impressive this season. His two-goal performance against Brynas was a great example of how he could take over a game with his strength along the wall, as well as his skating and puck handling ability:

Here’s what Future Considerations had to say about Vesalainen:

"A big and strong winger who has the ability to impact the game in many ways…plays a versatile, high-tempo offensive game…battles for pucks and space…a beast along the wall and difficult to move in front of the net…mixes a heavy game with very soft, skilled hands…possesses a very hard shot with quick release…makes soft, easy-to-control passes to his teammates…dangerous anytime he has the puck in the offensive zone"

He finished the year with 11 points in 45 games this season. Despite his lower production with his club teams, Vesalainen had good showings with the Finnish National Team.

During this year’s World U-18 Championships, Vesalainen had 13 points in seven games. He finished with six goals in the tournament, including a hat-trick against Canada:

He was first in scoring and had four more points than the forward behind him.

Vesalainen just recently re-signed with HPK, so he will almost certainly spend another year overseas before he transitions to North America. When he does come over, he will be a threat with nearly two seasons of top level hockey under his belt.

Next: The potential impact of William Nylander’s next contract

What’s your take on Vesalainen? Do you agree with the current projection that he will be drafted 20th overall, or is this too high or low? Further, what kind of career are you predicting for him in the NHL? Share your thoughts in the comments section below.