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Wednesday, March 16, 2011

Sleeper Alert: Henri Auvinen

This Finnish defenseman who plays for Jyvaskyla is generating some modest buzz around the scouting ranks, which could be bad news for the Bruins, who may have thought they had a market cornered on him given their ties to that Finnish pro hockey club.

Henri Auvinen played well in last month's Five Nations, demonstrating some mobility and good defensive play to go with his 6-2, 180-pound frame. He's not especially flashy as a player, but brings good athleticism and intelligence to the mix.

What we're hearing is that Auvinen brings a good deal of raw tools to the mix with him, and if he continues to develop, could become an intriguing NHL option down the road. He's not overly mobile, but his skating should be improved with some minor tweaks. He's not a top-notch puck mover, but keeps his head up and seems to make the right reads.

Overall, this is a player who hasn't been in the draft conversation much prior to the changing of the calendar year, but the cat is out of the bag.

Keep an eye on this guy-- we're not talking top-60 potential in June, but he is someone who could be a solid value in the middle rounds.

2 comments:

  1. Who do you think the bs are gonna target in the second round?
    As far as the first pick is concerned I think the bs list is gonna be 1. Murphy2. Strome 3.Hamilton as far as their order goes bc RNH larsson lagnesgog and coutureier have no reason to not be off the board at that point

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  2. They could go needs-based with that pick- could see them add a nice goalie prospect like Samu Perhonen, or perhaps a project guy likeMedicine Hat's Kale Kessy, who is getting some Milan Lucic comparisons in terms of his toughness and potential development curve. His stats are nothing to write home about, but neither were Lucic's when he got drafted. Or maybe the snag a player who surprisingly falls to that spot- no way of knowing right now, but the picture is clearing up.

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