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Olli Juolevi | #48 | D


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9 hours ago, jking said:

Well, there was that audible groan in the building when Benning announced his pick. If I recall correctly, Winter Soldier was the only person here who wanted us to pick OJ prior to the actual draft.

I had four guys at 5.  PLD was gone, Chykrun, OJ, Serge and Liljren. 

 

I wanted a d man and was leary of Tkachuk even then. 

 

Looks like McAvoy was the d man to snag so far.  Still way too early to predict how everyone will pan out. 

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Finnish D-man wants more gold at his third WJC

Olli Juolevi has gone from the highest highs to the lowest lows at his two previous World Juniors. Here in Buffalo, the Finnish defenceman is on a mission.
Let’s recap. 2016 was a dream year for this Helsinki native. After earning U20 gold and a tournament all-star berth in his hometown on a team featuring Patrik Laine, Sebastian Aho, and Jesse Puljujarvi, Juolevi won the Memorial Cup with the OHL’s London Knights. He was also selected fifth overall by the Vancouver Canucks in the NHL Draft.
But the following season proved painful. Juolevi was named the captain of the Finnish U20 national team at the World Juniors in Montreal, but losses to the Czechs, Danes, and Swedes doomed his team to the relegation round and a ninth-place finish. Critics also claimed the development of his low-key, puck-moving game had stalled.

Now, as the lone returnee who played for both the 2016 and 2017 Suomi squads, Juolevi seems to have found stability. The Canucks loaned the Jokerit-schooled player to TPS Turku this season, and he’s put up 14 points in 20 games. His World Junior defence partner, Henri Jokiharju of the Portland Winterhawks, has nothing but praise.

“Of course, you can see the experience he has,” said Jokiharju. “He’s a role model for me. He’s a year older than me and did the same thing, going to the Canadian Hockey League and stuff like that. I enjoy playing with him a lot and I think we have good chemistry.”
We chatted with Juolevi after Finland’s dominating 4-1 win over Denmark on Thursday. This evening they will play Slovakia.

How do you feel about the role you’re being asked to play on this year’s team?
I’m happy with my role. We have a really good D-corps here, and we can all play in all kinds of situations. So it’s easy for our coaches to put anyone in for PK, power play, whatever. I think it’s really good.
What has impressed you about Henri Jokiharju?

Of course, he’s super-skilled and good offensively. It’s hard to say, because [the Danes] didn’t really test us today defensively, but I know he can handle that job too. He’s been playing well here in North America. I really like playing with him.

You were hoping to make the Canucks this year. What helped you get past the disappointment when you went back to Finland?

When I went back to Finland, it’s a new situation for me. There are new challenges. I think I did a good job of jumping in right away in those games. It’s been a great start to the year.

With TPS, you’re working with a former Canucks defenceman in assistant coach Sami Salo. What have you learned from Sami?
He gives a lot of small tips, more individual stuff. I think it can really help. It’s always nice when you can learn from those old players.

He was known for his big slap shot. Are you shooting the puck 100 miles an hour yet?
[laughs] No, I don’t think so! I think you need a kind of talent for that, and a different flex for your stick, stuff like that. But I’m working on it.
Does he still shoot it like that in practice?
Oh yeah, he does sometimes. He still has a really good slap shot!
The TPS goalies must be very happy about that.
They’re happy he’s not playing full-time anymore. Still, sometimes in drills, when he shoots the first puck, I think they’re scared.

You played with your TPS teammate and fellow Canucks pick Petrus Palmu in the Jokerit system and at last year’s World Juniors. What do you think of his progress?

I think he’s doing good. What he brings to our team is more skill and young energy. He’s a great team guy, too. He already has more than 10 goals in Liiga, and that’s pretty good for a young guy.

You lived most of your life in Helsinki. What’s it like living in Turku?
It’s nice. It’s still a big city in Finland. So it’s pretty easy. And it’s only two hours from my home, so if I have a weekend or day off sometimes, I can still go see my parents or whatever. It’s kind of more relaxing now.

Winning that 2016 World Junior gold medal in Helsinki was one of the best moments in Finnish hockey history. Do you feel like this could be a gold-medal team as well?
Oh, for sure. But there are a lot of good teams this year. I think all the teams are pretty even. Just like we showed two days ago when we played Canada, it’s tough to win those games. Whoever comes on top is going to be the champion.

 

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1 hour ago, Canorth said:

Since the Draft was in Buffalo, and the Sabres were picking soon after, wouldn't it be more likely that any audible groan was a response in disappointment that he was no longer on the table? I know I probably made a similar noise when both Dubois then Puljujarvi were taken.

Buffalo is close to the border and rife with Canuck fans in it's own right, as we know. So Canuck fans were there, ready to celebrate picking Dubois or Tkachuk. 

 

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12 minutes ago, jking said:

Buffalo is close to the border and rife with Canuck fans in it's own right, as we know. So lots of Canuck fans were there, ready to celebrate picking Dubois or Tkachuk. Speaking of Dubois.....what happened to him....half a point a game in junior now....yikes.

 

He's playing on the Blue Jackets this year, not in junior. 19 points in 39 games as a 19 year old NHL rookie is pretty solid, he has really been turning it up recently. Not everyone is Brock Boeser :P 

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12 hours ago, jking said:

Well, there was that audible groan in the building when Benning announced his pick. If I recall correctly, Winter Soldier was the only person here who wanted us to pick OJ prior to the actual draft.

I didn't realize I was that loud sitting on my couch, although it was more f bombs than a groan, haha.....really wanted Serge or Tkachuk, but I've been coming around.::D

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38 minutes ago, 3rdGenCanuck said:

He's playing on the Blue Jackets this year, not in junior. 19 points in 39 games as a 19 year old NHL rookie is pretty solid, he has really been turning it up recently. Not everyone is Brock Boeser :P 

lol....Cape Breton....CBJ.....smh.:rolleyes:

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1 hour ago, Sedintwinpowersactivate said:

You do realize that Matthew Tkachuk played for the London Knights.

Uh, yes and why I said that.   He was far from a “team” player in junior but if you were not familiar with the LK you may not know that.

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2 hours ago, Rob_Zepp said:

Uh, yes and why I said that.   He was far from a “team” player in junior but if you were not familiar with the LK you may not know that.

I didn't know that's what you meant.  I was not an advocate of picking Tkachuk either.  He is an a$$hole.  I understand your defence of Juolevi.  He is a smart defender and he makes the safe plays and has good vision.  I think that his game will also improve playing with better players in a more structured game like the NHL.  The Canucks definitely needed to draft a defenceman and the BPA at #5 was Mikhail Sergachyov (I was with Forsberg on this one pre-draft).  Followed by Vilardi, Tkachuk and Keller.  Juolevi next.  I think Juolevi is a high IQ player but he seems to lack a motor or passion or offensive flair.  I've watched him closely this world junior and he continues to make the right plays.  My question is why isn't he on the top PP unit or logging the top minutes of the team or the captain of the team (like last year) at his age and the fact that it is his 3rd WJC?  He has not progressed with age.  These are my concerns.   We selected a safe reliable defencemen with the 5th overall pick in 2016.  I'm over it now... but I wish Juolevi could show us a bit more passion and offensive, because you know that his draft position will make him a CDC whipping boy.  Fair or not.  I'm cheering for him!

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I agree with those saying that passing on Tkachuk was the right move. As good as he is as a player, had he been drafted by Vancouver, we would average 100PIM every game, his suspensions would include an extra 1,000 games and his fines would be as large as Louis Eriksson's cap hit.

 

We'd be the most hated team in the NHL since 2011, but except this time we suck. It'll be like Matt Cooke, Todd Bertuzzi, Alex Burrows, and Ryan Kesler never left our team except all through one entity in Matthew Tkachuk. 

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6 minutes ago, Rush17 said:

That is some high praise!

I'm no expert Lol, but from what I've seen he has similar size, skating ability and poise at the same age. Really skilled all around but not flashy.

 

Might be too hopeful. But he's the best d prospect we've had since Bourdon easily.

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5 minutes ago, PCprincipal said:

I'm no expert Lol, but from what I've seen he has similar size, skating ability and poise at the same age. Really skilled all around but not flashy.

 

Might be too hopeful. But he's the best d prospect we've had since Bourdon easily.

Do not let him buy a motorcycle.  

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  • -Vintage Canuck- changed the title to Olli Juolevi | #48 | D
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