Otto Makinen – The Next Ones: NHL 2016 Draft Prospect Profile

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Otto Makinen

2015-16 Team: Tappara U20 (#15)

Date of birth: 5/21/1998

Place of birth: Tampere, Finland

Ht: 6’1 Wt: 179

Shoots: Left

Position: C

NHL Draft Eligibility: 2016 1st year eligible

THW midterm rankings: 46

Twitter: @MakinenOtto98

 

Other Rankings

  • Future Considerations: 78
  • The Draft Analyst: 57

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Makinen Part of a Deep and Strong Finnish Draft Class

Tampere-native Otto Makinen has spent his entire ice hockey career in his hometown, playing for Tappara Tampere, the same team that has potential top three 2016 draft selection Patrik Laine. Contrary to Laine, Makinen has not played a single game with the organization’s first team yet.

Makinen plays a very well-rounded overall game and can be effective at both ends of the ice. Offensively, he displays a strong game around the net. He has a nose for the net and for loose pucks in the slot. He puts himself in dangerous shooting positions and uses his hard shot to beat the goaltender while constantly having his stick ready to fire the puck. He likes to position himself in front of the net during the powerplay and is a dangerous finisher who does not require a lot of space to fire the puck.

Makinen has good size and is hard to knock off the puck as he uses his reach to protect the puck. He is a strong skater and uses his powerful first strides to get rid of opponents while rushing through the neutral zone. He has a decent understanding of his defensive responsibilities and backchecks well. Makinen uses his reach to interrupt passes and is often on the ice to kill penalties due to his advanced defensive zone game. Furthermore, Makinen is a strong face-off player and due to his two-way game, he can be used to win key face-offs in the offensive as well as the defensive zones.

NHL Draft Projection:

I would say that Makinen will likely be selected somewhere in the third round. If he is be able to be more consistent, he would have the potential to slip into the second round. Makinen is a complete player and can play a lot of different roles, something that is definitely attracting scouts.

Quotables:

He’s a playmaking center with big-game experience who has been Finland’s top dog at the last handful of U18 tournaments, anchoring the top line and top power play unit. Makinen can thread the needle and get pucks through passing lanes with accuracy, and will dig into the trenches to win puck battles.

-Steve Kournianos, thedraftanalyst.com

The 6-foot-1 left shooting Tappara forward Otto Mäkinen is the former teammate of Patrik Laine and he`s got an advanced playmaking skill set, featuring soft hands and creative vision.

-McKeensHockey.com

Statistics:

Strengths:

  • Nose for the net
  • Powerful strides
  • Two-way game
  • Play away from puck in the offensive zone
  • Finishes off scoring chances

Under Construction (Improvements to Make):

  • Consistency
  • Sometimes not ready to compete at highest level

NHL Potential:

Makinen has the potential to become an effective 360-degree player combining powerful skating, playmaking skills, a nose for the net and solid two-way understanding. He has NHL potential but needs to become more consistent.

NHL comparison: Jeff Carter

Risk-Reward Analysis:

Risk: 3/5   Reward: 3/5

Fantasy Hockey Potential:

Offensive = 5/10   Defensive = 5/10

Awards/Achievements

2014/2015: EYOF Bronze Medal

Interview/Profile Links:

Scouting Report: Otto Makinen

Video:

Shots From the Slot (Interesting Notes):

Makinen is part of a very strong Finnish draft class. While most of the focus is on the top three guys, Jesse Puljujarvi, Patrik Laine and Olli Juolevi, there is a deep Finnish prospect pool beyond the first round. Makinen is part of the “secondary scoring” group if you want to call it that.

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THW’s The Next Ones prospect profile template design architect: Chris Ralph