Columbus Blue Jackets draft candidate, Konsta Helenius is a heady two-way center
Konsta Helenius may be the most NHL ready forward in the entire draft class. While he doesn't have elite level skill, I think he's being underrated amongst his peers.
The Columbus Blue Jackets hold the fourth overall pick at the draft, which is just over two weeks away. While I don't see them using it to nab Finnish center Konsta Helenius; I feel like he's an important player to profile here. His game fits a lot of what the Blue Jackets need.
If the Jackets decide to trade their pick back and pick up some other assets, I think this is a player who should be really high on their list. In fact, I think Helenius is wildly underrated in this draft as a whole, and we'll look back in a few years and wonder how he was taken so low.
At 5'11" and roughly 180 pounds, you would expect Helenius to be one of those flashy, highly skilled centers. His production in Finland's Liiga - the top league in the country - would point to that as well. He scored 14 goals and 36 points in 51 games for Jokerit this season.
To put that into comparison, Patrik Laine scored 17 goals and 33 points (46 games) in the same league. And, at the same age; then went second overall at the 2016 draft. So, why isn't Helenius being talked about more?
For starters, Helenius doesn't have one elite trait to his game. He's not a high end skater or playmaker. He doesn't have the lethal one-timer or a hard-checking physicality to his game. He doesn't have size or really anything about his game that makes him stand out.
Instead, he's just a really intelligent, efficient player. On both sides of the puck, he's very polished and capable already. Having just turned 18 in May, he already has a full season against men under his belt - and he was very productive throughout.
While Helenius doesn't have size, he's a hound on the puck. He understands how to position himself, and has surprising strength that allows him to create turnovers. Then, he has enough skill and vision to make plays with the puck once he has it.
He may not have one elite trait that jumps out at you when you watch him play; but he's an intelligent player who already plays the game like an NHL veteran. I think he can step right into the lineup and be a middle-six player in the NHL next season.
On the next slide, I'll break down Konsta's overall upside, and share my final thoughts on where he might be picked.
Konsta Helenius could step right into the NHL next season and play center. Sounds great to me, but not at fourth overall.
If I had to make a comparison for Helenius at the NHL level (one relevant to Blue Jacket fans), I think I would have to say William Karlsson. Remember him?
Wild Bill scored 15 goals in 162 games in his two full seasons in Columbus. Then, he exploded onto the scene in his first season in Vegas, scoring 43 goals in 82 games. Since then, he's back down to an average of around 15 goals and 60 points per season.
That's basically what I see Konsta Helenius becoming. A 15-20 goal, 50-60 point two-way center in the NHL. You can play him in all situations and have him be a matchup nightmare. He'll chip in some secondary offense.
But, when you have the fourth overall pick at the draft, that's not the kind of upside you're hoping for. There will be better options available to the Jackets here, who may not be ready as quickly; but in two or three years, project as far better players in the NHL.
Now, if the Jackets were to deal away their #4 pick and acquire something in return; moving back in the draft and taking Helenius could still be a win. I don't think any of us would complain about having Adam Fantilli, Cole Sillinger, Dmitri Voronkov, and Helenius down the middle in a few years. Especially if they can get more assets to play around them in that kind of deal.
In fact, now that I brought him up, Cole Sillinger is a pretty good comparable to Helenius as well. Remember how he stepped right into the NHL after being the 12th (technically 11th) overall pick in the draft?
In the end, I think someone drafting between 8-12 overall will be ecstatic to land this player. He's going to be an NHLer in some capacity, probably soon rather than later - not unlike Sillinger. Some of the guys taken ahead of him will probably "miss", which is why I think Helenius will turn into a steal in due time.
But again, not unlike Sillinger, or William Karlsson - temper your expectations here. This isn't a guy who is going to hold down top line minutes for the long haul. That's the reason I don't see him as a top-5 pick in this draft.
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