Top 5 Vancouver Canucks prospects currently in the system
No. 4 – Olli Juolevi (Defence)
Are you surprised? I know I am Olli Juolevi‘s harshest critic on this site. However, I would like to clarify that the critique is more on Jim Benning for the selection than on Juolevi, the player. Regardless, since it irks so many, I will stick to highlighting the positives from this season (and there were quite a few).
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After looking like his development stagnated with the London Knights, Juolevi spent the season in Finland, under the close eye of Sami Salo. Fortunately for Juolevi, he was on a strong team with TPS and would have the support around him all year.
His 19 points in 38 games do not seem like much, but remember he was a rookie in that league. For his age group, he finished the season second in points from defencemen. Furthermore, Juolevi showed well in the playoffs with seven points in 11 games. Those totals tied for fifth among all Liiga defencemen, not just those under the age of 20.
Juolevi also made a comeback on the international stage. A big reason for the rise in his draft stock was the dominant performance from the Finnish team during their Gold-medal crusade in 2016. The following year did not go well, with Finland staring down the barrel of relegation. Juolevi shouldered much of the blame as the team’s captain, unfair or not.
2018 was a much different year. By not being the go-to guy on the blueline, Juolevi played very well in the tournament. It was like night and day, and despite Finland not winning anything, they had a strong squad led by their defencemen.
Ultimately, I see Juolevi as a second-pairing defenceman. He plays a more passive, understated game with flashes of offensive upside. Hopefully, the Canucks can create some room for him on their already crowded back end.