Former NHL forward Olli Jokinen, who coached Helenius the past two seasons, believes that kind of jump is possible because of the drive and determination he showed.
“I truly think that he’s going to have a great opportunity to crack an NHL lineup next year because he’ll be a useful player,” Jokinen said. “He can play down the lineup as well. In that way he’s a special kid. Obviously his strengths are with the puck and bringing the offense and all that, but sometimes when you go in the new level, you need to be good without the puck, and especially in the NHL level not necessarily become a scorer immediately in the first year.
“Our big focus this year was getting better in the face-offs, getting better understanding that playing solid defense and playing for the team and being on the ice in the crucial situations, that coaches trust you. That was a big learning thing for him this year, and he took a huge step forward.”
Jokinen especially was impressed by the edge that Helenius showed despite his size (5-foot-11, 189 pounds).
“He’s really poised with the puck so obviously he can play fast, but at the same time he can slow the game down,” Jokinen said. “So his hockey sense is off the chart. Obviously his compete level is where it needs to be and also that’s one of the strengths for him, that he loves the competition. He loves to practice, he loves to battle and he loves to get his nose dirty.
“He’s very strong with his skates and obviously the edgework and small turns with the cutbacks and stuff like that, he can really operate in small areas and tight spaces. The compete level and all that, he’s not afraid of going into those small areas.”
Helenius is No. 3 in NHL Central Scouting’s final ranking of International skaters for the 2024 Upper Deck NHL Draft.
“Konsta is a very versatile player, which makes him what he is today,” said Jukka-Pekka Vuorinen, NHL director of European Scouting. “He is not necessarily doing YouTube highlights, but he keeps his team on the right path. He is a leader inside the team and has a great personality.
“Konsta’s hockey IQ is his best part in my mind as he is able to constantly do small plays where he helps his teammates to get better chances to score.”
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