Kyle Dubas and the Leafs’ scouting staff have zeroed in on Finland in recent years, selecting six Fins over the course of the last two NHL drafts. When Finland announced their preliminary roster for the upcoming World Junior Championships on Friday morning, three of those draft picks found their names on the list.
Finland’s preliminary WJC roster has been announced. pic.twitter.com/dr2uyQAndG
— Lassi Alanen (@lassialanen) December 4, 2020
Mikko Kokkonen, selected in the third round of the 2019 draft, represented Finland in last year’s tournament and it is expected that he will be a part of the team’s leadership group while playing the role of shutdown defenseman as he does for Jukurit in Liiga. Through 18 games with Jukrit this season, Kokkonen has registered three assists while leading the team in ice time and maintaining their best shot share numbers as well. He came in 8th on TLN’s Prospect Rankings countdown this week:
Mikko Kokkonen is the Leafs 8th ranked prospect
The Leafs traded down from the 44th pick in the 2020 draft, landing Roni Hirvonen and Topi Niemela at 59th and 64th overall, respectively. Hirvonen has been hot as of late, and is now up to five goals …
Read More
Author: Nick Richard / The Leafs Nation