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Columbus Blue Jackets: Top 5 Performing Prospects

By Lansing Murphy

BRIDGEPORT, CT - MARCH 24: Notre Dame Fighting Irish defenseman Andrew Peeke (22) during a NCAA hockey game between Providence Friars and Notre Dame Fighting Irish on March 24, 2018, at Webster Bank Arena in Bridgeport, CT. Notre Dame won 2-1 and moves on to the Frozen Four. (Photo by M. Anthony Nesmith/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
BRIDGEPORT, CT - MARCH 24: Notre Dame Fighting Irish defenseman Andrew Peeke (22) during a NCAA hockey game between Providence Friars and Notre Dame Fighting Irish on March 24, 2018, at Webster Bank Arena in Bridgeport, CT. Notre Dame won 2-1 and moves on to the Frozen Four. (Photo by M. Anthony Nesmith/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) /
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Columbus Blue Jackets
Finland’s goalie Veini Vehviläinen (R) makes a save against Russia’s Yegor Rykov during the 2016 IIHF World Junior Ice Hockey Championship match between Russia and Finland in Helsinki, Finland, on December 28, 2015. / AFP / Lehtikuva / Heikki Saukkomaa / Finland OUT (Photo credit should read HEIKKI SAUKKOMAA/AFP/Getty Images) /

#2: G, Veini Vehviläinen

  • Drafted: 2018 6th Round, #173 Overall
  • Born: 2-13-1997 Jyväskylä, Finland. 21-years-old
  • Team: Karpat, Finnish Liiga

The Columbus Blue Jackets some great goalie prospects in the pipeline and Veini Vehvilainen might be the best of them all. He certainly is playing the best to start the year.

Vehvilainen was drafted by the Jackets in his last year of eligibility after he had one of the most impressive seasons of any goalie in the world. He had the best save percentage and goals against average of any goalie in the World Junior Championships last year.

He also was the best goalie in the entire Liiga with a save percentage of .925 and a goals against average of 1.89 in the regular season. Vehvilainen went on to carry Karpat to the Liiga title with a .933 save percentage and a 1.55 goals against average in 17 playoff games.

This year he is by far and away the best goalie in Finland. Through 13 starts he has a .945 save percentage and a 1.22 goals against average. That is almost a full goal lower than the second best goalie in the league and .020 higher of a save percentage. He also has pitched four shutouts so far. Just crazy numbers for Vehvilainen.

Veini’s dominate start to the year is only outshined by one player in the Columbus Blue Jackets system.

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