Dallas Stars draft prospect report: Urho Vaakanainen

The Dallas Stars like to take fliers on Finnish defensemen in the NHL Draft.

Since 2013 the Stars have drafted four Finnish blue liners. Some have panned out (Julius Honka and Esa Lindell) while others haven’t (Aleksi Makela and Miro Karjalainen).

Dallas could add to that crop at the 2017 NHL Entry Draft in Chicago, where three Finnish defenders could seemingly go in the first round. Miro Heiskanen could be the No. 3 pick (and we’ve covered him before at Wrong Side of the Red Line), while Jusso Valimaki and Urho Vaakanainen could also be first-round selections.

Vaakanainen could be an option for Dallas at No. 29 or at pick No. 39 in the second round after playing in Liiga (Finland’s top league) as a teenager the past two seasons.

During the 2015-16 season Vaakanainen appeared in 25 Liiga games with the Blues and had six points. He put up similar numbers this past season and had six points in 41 games with JYP while playing close to 15 minutes per game.

Vaakanainen’s elevated level had a couple factors on his development. His confidence grew and he found a way to fit into against elite competition, but he was also forced to jump rather quickly and learn on the fly.

In doing so Vaakanainen’s positional awareness and overall understanding of the game may have taken a hit. He found what worked to play in Liiga, but he didn’t excel and wasn’t in a position to experiment within the game like a prospect playing against his peers.

I’ve read a couple scouting reports that consider Vaakanainen a two-way defensemen, and I think that’s setting a false expectation for the Finn. He’s a very strong skater and he’s mobile, but he’s not a dominant force in the offensive zone. Vaakanainen has a decent shot and will score some goals because of it, but he’s not going to be quarterbacking a power play.

Vaakanainen’s strength is his own zone. He has a long reach that he uses effectively to break up passes and his gap control has greatly improved over the past two seasons. He’s not overly physical, but there are examples of Vaakanainen using his 6-foot-1, 187-pound frame to muscle players away from his net.

When he has the puck he makes the simple play, which isn’t a bad thing, and he makes good outlet passes to start the rush.

Multiple scouts like Vaakanainen’s sound defensive game and there is belief that he’ll take further strides next season, and he should be a part of the Finnish roster at the World Junior Championships in in December.

For Dallas drafting a player like Vaakanainen probably depends on what happens with the No. 3 pick. If the Stars take a defender at No. 3, they’ll probably look at another position at No. 29. But if Dallas goes with a forward at No. 3 Vaakanainen could be an ideal option at No. 29 or at No. 39 if he drops into the second round.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W4-rCglyZXg