Topias Leinonen Profile | DRAFT

COUNTRY:Finland
HEIGHT:6-4
WEIGHT:214
POSITION:G
CATCHES:L
AMATEUR CLUB:JYP Jr. (Finland-Jr.)
RANKING:1st European Goalie (Central Scouting)

WHAT'S THE BUZZ:

"The top-ranked goalie in Europe for NHL Central Scouting. The obvious is his stature, 6-foot-5, 207 pounds. He's a big body goalie who takes up the net. His play in the tournament was mostly solid. He is at his best in a structured format. When his team plays lost in their zone he tends to follow suit and kicks pucks back out into scoring areas or allows a goal he would like to have back. The kid has all the tools, but he will need time. He could be the first goalie off the board in Montreal. A team with multiple picks in the second round could roll the dice."
-Jason Bukala, SportsNet

CUT TO THE CHASE:

The first thing you'll notice about goaltender Topias Leinonen is his size. He stands at 6-foot-5 and 214 pounds, a gigantic frame to take up space in the net. And there is room for him to grow physically.
What's most impressive about Leinonen, is that with his size he still possesses great speed and agility. His ability to read the play allows him to set up in the proper position, relying on technique and body to take away shooting angles.
Leinonen will need to work on certain aspects of his game, as all young goaltenders do. He is still very raw, but with good upside.

YOU CAN QUOTE ME:

"He's a big goalie. Moving good. Young and he stops the puck. I like that." -on comparing himself to Thatcher Demko