Right wing Jesse Puljujarvi of Karpat Oulu in Finland is considered by many the top European prospect available on NHL Central Scouting's Futures List for players eligible for the 2016 NHL Draft. The Swedish-born Puljujarvi (6-foot-3, 198 pounds), who had four goals and 11 points in 21 games for Karpat last season, was the youngest player at the 2015 World Junior Championship while representing Finland. He was the sixth player to make the Finland U-20 national team as a 16-year-old, following retired NHL players Reijo Ruotsalainen and Janne Niinimaa, and current NHL players Mikael Granlund of the Minnesota Wild, Olli Maatta of the Pittsburgh Penguins and Aleksander Barkov of the Florida Panthers.
"Puljujarvi is a tower on ice but surprisingly mobile," said Goran Stubb, NHL director of European scouting. "He has great offensive instincts but also knows his defensive duties."
Puljujarvi is one of 28 players invited by Finland to attend the United States National Junior Evaluation Camp to be held Aug. 1-8 in Lake Placid, N.Y. During the camp Finland will practice and play games against the United States and Sweden. Stubb identified four other European prospects who scouts will likely be keeping tabs on: right wing Patrik Laine (6-4, 209) of Tappara (FIN); right wing Dmitri Sokolov (6-foot, 203) of Omsk 2 (RUS); center Rasmus Asplund (5-10, 176) of Farjestad (SWE); and Latvian-born defenseman Kristians Rubins (6-4, 203) of Vasteras Jr. (SWE). Stubb expects Puljujarvi and Laine to each have big roles for Finland at the World Junior Championship to be held in Helsinki from Dec. 26, 2015 to Jan. 5, 2016. Sokolov could develop into the best Russian available at the 2016 draft.
"Laine is another well-built skilled forward," Stubb said. "Sokolov is a classic Russian power forward with good hands, great skills and fine scoring touch."
Rubins, meanwhile, is the dark horse of the group, according to Stubb.
"[Rubins] could very well develop into a first-round talent. He's a huge, physically strong defenseman, with a very good reach."
Two players from the Czech Republic who are expected to play in North America this season and are regarded highly by scouts are defensemen Vojtech Budik (6-foot, 189) and Libor Hajek (6-1, 196). Hajek was chosen in the first round (No. 2) by the Saskatoon Blades in the 2015 CHL import draft on June 30. Budik was selected in the first round (No. 17) by the Prince Albert Raiders in the CHL import draft.
"Puljujarvi is a tower on ice but surprisingly mobile," said Goran Stubb, NHL director of European scouting. "He has great offensive instincts but also knows his defensive duties."
Puljujarvi is one of 28 players invited by Finland to attend the United States National Junior Evaluation Camp to be held Aug. 1-8 in Lake Placid, N.Y. During the camp Finland will practice and play games against the United States and Sweden. Stubb identified four other European prospects who scouts will likely be keeping tabs on: right wing Patrik Laine (6-4, 209) of Tappara (FIN); right wing Dmitri Sokolov (6-foot, 203) of Omsk 2 (RUS); center Rasmus Asplund (5-10, 176) of Farjestad (SWE); and Latvian-born defenseman Kristians Rubins (6-4, 203) of Vasteras Jr. (SWE). Stubb expects Puljujarvi and Laine to each have big roles for Finland at the World Junior Championship to be held in Helsinki from Dec. 26, 2015 to Jan. 5, 2016. Sokolov could develop into the best Russian available at the 2016 draft.
"Laine is another well-built skilled forward," Stubb said. "Sokolov is a classic Russian power forward with good hands, great skills and fine scoring touch."
Rubins, meanwhile, is the dark horse of the group, according to Stubb.
"[Rubins] could very well develop into a first-round talent. He's a huge, physically strong defenseman, with a very good reach."
Two players from the Czech Republic who are expected to play in North America this season and are regarded highly by scouts are defensemen Vojtech Budik (6-foot, 189) and Libor Hajek (6-1, 196). Hajek was chosen in the first round (No. 2) by the Saskatoon Blades in the 2015 CHL import draft on June 30. Budik was selected in the first round (No. 17) by the Prince Albert Raiders in the CHL import draft.
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