Previewing the 2010 NHL Draft: Mikael Granlund
Name: Mikael Granlund
Position: RW
Height: 5'10"
Weight: 172 lbs
Age: 18
Home Country: Finland
Playing For: HIFK (Finland)
Scouting Reports After the Jump....
He's small and Finnish and dominant in his age group, but don't buy into the lazy comparisons to Saku Koivu. Euro Scout's Take: "He doesn't have the same kind of intensity. He's very clever with the puck and has a good shot, though. I like his confidence. He's a 17-year-old kid playing in the top league in Finland and he's leading his team in scoring. He's not fancy but he makes things happen."
Was the leading rookie scorer in Finland's top league with 40 points (13 goals, 27 assists) in 43 games. Led Finland in scoring with 7 points (1 goal, 6 assists) in 6 games at 2010 World Junior Championship. Registered 13 points (4 goals, 9 assists) in 6 games as Finland won bronze at the 2010 Under-18 World Championship. Finished first in assists and third in points at the tournament.
Called the smartest player in the draft, Granlund isn't ranked as highly as he probably should be. He is playing in the Finnish Elite league and averaged nearly a point per game. He is small, but if he has the same drive and determination, not to mention skill set as Koivu, he shouldn't be looked at as a risk of a pick. If players like Jeff Skinner and Vlad Tarasenko are off the board by ten, the Rangers wouldn't be making a bad pick by taking him and having him come over in a year or two.
"Saku Koivu clone. He's small, but no one's told him he's small. He has a really good, winning attitude, works very hard. He's tough, and he has very good hockey sense." --Goran Stubb, NHL Director of European Scouting
