Peter Tessier: with pick #20 the Jets take: Ville Heinola With some activity the Jets finally arrived at their pick and chose

I would have rather had Trouba

I like the pick but would have loved to move down a few spots to add a 2nd rounder

Tomasino should have been the pick. He is everything we need in a Centre and he’s Canadian, but I guess we don’t need that.

Tomasino should have been the pick. He is everything we need in a Centre and he’s Canadian, but I guess we don’t need that.
- foxbat

I think a lot of people see him playing wing in the nhl

THN had Heinola rated at 20th.

This pick reinforces the Jets commitment to its Finnish players.

I hope he stays in Finland for a year, then a year or two with the Moose and hopefully he’ll be ready to play with the Jets.

THN had Heinola rated at 20th.
- bennythehat

Heinola said to be as good as Heiskanen. Good enough for me. It's a crap shoot at #20 anyways.

THN had Heinola rated at 20th.
- bennythehat

Others top 12, he was all over the place.....

This pick reinforces the Jets commitment to its Finnish players.
- 2.0

Yessy Pulijjarvi it does.

Heinola said to be as good as Heiskanen. Good enough for me. It's a crap shoot at #20 anyways.
- grahamzky

Not nearly as dynamic as Miro, but produced better numbers and is still a quality skater. He's prototypical refined two-way guy and fits the new-age label while not being too small. Good pick at 20!

Ross, yes the TSN board has him listed as a RW, but they moved him there as the playoffs drew closer because the team was so deep, but the intentions are to return him back to Centre (1st line) for next season. To me, the kid is the total package; vision, elite speed, high end skill & takes the puck to the net - plus he’s Canadian, which I personally feel we need more of on this team. I like Ville, he would have been my second choice at that spot, but I value Centres so much higher.

I'm not offering who they should have picked at #20 instead, but between the signing of Finnish Joona Luoto last week, and now drafting another Finn in Ville Heinola with the pick they got in return for Trouba... I think the Jets management are actually concerned that Laine would sign an offer sheet with another team. Yes, Heinola is a RHD which is what they lost in Trouba, and Pionk likely isn't his replacement. But it's no coincidence that Laine is not yet extended, so management appears to be trying to make it more attractive to stay by signing an undrafted Finnish forward the same age and also using a quality pick to select a defenseman who is already noted as having skating/stride issues. I don't want to see Laine go, but worst case scenario he accepts a huge offer sheet that Jets can't afford to match... it's gonna be 4- first round picks from a team who currently has the cap space (and therefor is likely not a contender this year).

Any thoughts on my take here?

Ross, yes the TSN board has him listed as a RW, but they moved him there as the playoffs drew closer because the team was so deep, but the intentions are to return him back to Centre (1st line) for next season. To me, the kid is the total package; vision, elite speed, high end skill & takes the puck to the net - plus he’s Canadian, which I personally feel we need more of on this team. I like Ville, he would have been my second choice at that spot, but I value Centres so much higher.
- foxbat

Hey I’m not knocking him, I read good things and he to would have been a good pick.
I wonder what % of centers drafted become wingers in he NHL? I’d guess it’s over 50% but have no clue.

I'm not offering who they should have picked at #20 instead, but between the signing of Finnish Joona Luoto last week, and now drafting another Finn in Ville Heinola with the pick they got in return for Trouba... I think the Jets management are actually concerned that Laine would sign an offer sheet with another team. Yes, Heinola is a RHD which is what they lost in Trouba, and Pionk likely isn't his replacement. But it's no coincidence that Laine is not yet extended, so management appears to be trying to make it more attractive to stay by signing an undrafted Finnish forward the same age and also using a quality pick to select a defenseman who is already noted as having skating/stride issues. I don't want to see Laine go, but worst case scenario he accepts a huge offer sheet that Jets can't afford to match... it's gonna be 4- first round picks from a team who currently has the cap space (and therefor is likely not a contender this year).

Any thoughts on my take here?
- Burnt_juice

I think you are way over thinking it and it has nothing to do with Laine. The Fins just won the World Cup with What, 1 NHL’er on the roster and they did this against full NHL rosters from other countries including ours.

The reality is Finland for the past ten years have made huge improvements to their programs and hockey development and no country is coming close to pumping out the talent they have per population size.

Ross, yup that’s probably a pretty good guess in terms of centres moving to wing. He just doesn’t seem to be lacking anything, but we shall see over time. I think any centre drafted right now is 3-years away & my concern is that we may have nothing at that position in 3-years, which is scary because it’s the most important in the game.

I'm not offering who they should have picked at #20 instead, but between the signing of Finnish Joona Luoto last week, and now drafting another Finn in Ville Heinola with the pick they got in return for Trouba... I think the Jets management are actually concerned that Laine would sign an offer sheet with another team. Yes, Heinola is a RHD which is what they lost in Trouba, and Pionk likely isn't his replacement. But it's no coincidence that Laine is not yet extended, so management appears to be trying to make it more attractive to stay by signing an undrafted Finnish forward the same age and also using a quality pick to select a defenseman who is already noted as having skating/stride issues. I don't want to see Laine go, but worst case scenario he accepts a huge offer sheet that Jets can't afford to match... it's gonna be 4- first round picks from a team who currently has the cap space (and therefor is likely not a contender this year).

Any thoughts on my take here?
- Burnt_juice

No they are not. The one thing I think is safe is that the Jets scouting department for AMATEUR players goes after the right style of player and kids they can believe in for the long term. No one is 100% right and some times it's hard to be wrong based on talent and where you draft. Heinola is the player they wanted who happens to be a Finn.

Updated the Blog with some new information and quotes from Chevy.

Burnt_juice, Heinola is a lefty (not a RHD). The hope would be that he fills in behind Jomo in a few years.

No they are not. The one thing I think is safe is that the Jets scouting department for AMATEUR players goes after the right style of player and kids they can believe in for the long term. No one is 100% right and some times it's hard to be wrong based on talent and where you draft. Heinola is the player they wanted who happens to be a Finn.

Updated the Blog with some new information and quotes from Chevy.
- Peter.Tessier

I don't know about that Peter. It does appear that Cheveldayoff has a Finish fetish. If this is the case, I am unclear as to why he isn't going after Aho or Barkov. I am also sure we could probably get Granlund out of Nashville and I think he could slot into being a true number two Center in Winnipeg.

I am also thinking of how our American first rounders have turned out. Trouba wanted out, Roslovic appears to also want out. The only one that seems content is Connor.

Burnt_juice, Heinola is a lefty (not a RHD). The hope would be that he fills in behind Jomo in a few years.
- foxbat

They already have Niku and though he prefers the right side, I think he is an excellent second option to send out on the left side after JoMo.

I'm not offering who they should have picked at #20 instead, but between the signing of Finnish Joona Luoto last week, and now drafting another Finn in Ville Heinola with the pick they got in return for Trouba... I think the Jets management are actually concerned that Laine would sign an offer sheet with another team. Yes, Heinola is a RHD which is what they lost in Trouba, and Pionk likely isn't his replacement. But it's no coincidence that Laine is not yet extended, so management appears to be trying to make it more attractive to stay by signing an undrafted Finnish forward the same age and also using a quality pick to select a defenseman who is already noted as having skating/stride issues. I don't want to see Laine go, but worst case scenario he accepts a huge offer sheet that Jets can't afford to match... it's gonna be 4- first round picks from a team who currently has the cap space (and therefor is likely not a contender this year).

Any thoughts on my take here?
- Burnt_juice

Hey do you think that's why the Jets also made the Aviator jerseys look like the Finish national team ones?