Talking about New Jersey Devils’ draft steals feels like an everyday occurrence at this point. Year after year, we’ve seen later-round players drafted by the Devils break out almost immediately. Despite appearing to be current Stanley Cup contenders, they arguably still have a top-five farm system in the NHL.
With the Devils having to draft without a first-round pick in 2023, emphasis was placed on later-round gems who could blossom into something great down the road. Their first selection – 58th overall – was Lenni Hämeenaho, a 6-foot-1, 185-pound forward playing for Porin Ässät in the Finnish Liiga.
An immediate look at his previous statistics shows pretty solid numbers throughout juniors. In the 2019-20 season, he was playing U16 for Ässät, where he put up 67 points in 39 games. As he moved to U18 for the next season, he put up 60 points in 31 games. That earned him a promotion to U20, where he put up a respectable 37 points in 42 games as a young 17-year-old.
For comparison, Erik Haula also played for Ässät’s U20 team during the 2007-08 season, where he posted 22 points in 40 games. Hämeenaho nearly doubled his production.
Hämeenaho spent all of this previous season (2022-23) playing for the big club (Ässät) in Pori, Finland, competing against men at a very high level of hockey. He had nine goals and 12 assists in 51 games, which is not too shabby for someone who was 17 at the start of the season. For reference, Sebastian Aho only had four goals and seven assists in his 27-game Liiga stint for Karpat at the same age.
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He was also the victim of some poor shooting luck, as he had a stretch where 26 shots in a row did not find twine. Additionally, he didn’t have a lot of talent around him since Ässät was not a very good team last season. The team leader (Roope Talaja) only had 31 points. His ice time was minimized in many cases as well, which is an obstacle for young Finnish players who are successful enough to make it into the Liiga.
“To get a guy that we thought would be first round-talent with the pick, we were crossing any digit we could cross as the picks started counting down,”
– Devils chief scout Mark Dennehy
Despite being regarded by some as first-round caliber, Hämeenaho’s respectable but not earth-shattering numbers allowed him to fall into the Devils’ lap in the late second round.
Hämeenaho Trending Upwards
He attended Devils’ development camp in July, where he was in a category with very few on the ice. He was definitely within the top five, maybe even the top three showings at camp. His shot is definitely respectable. During the team scrimmages, he did not shy away from physicality and going into the dirty areas. The only thing that was lacking was his foot speed, which could potentially be an issue for him. However, with his high level of hockey IQ and overall tenacity, there’s certainly a possibility that his scoring translates to the NHL level regardless. And obviously, he can always improve on his skating, as he doesn’t even turn 19 until November. Since his time in junior, he’s always had a near 50/50 split in goals and assists. When coupled with his decent size, physicality, and great defensive instincts, it becomes evident why Devils’ brass was so high on Hämeenaho.
He has followed that up with an impressive preseason thus far for Ässät. He has three goals in his last two contests, and will likely be in their top-six this season. Additionally, he’s set to be a major piece for Finland at the World Junior Championship, unlike last year where he got fourth-line minutes. He can thank his recent stellar performance at the World Junior Summer Showcase for that, notching six points in four games.
“I want to develop my skating and speed to get more of my strength dialed in every game with the puck. Be stronger in Liiga and the World Juniors.”
– Lenni Hämeenaho
It would not be a surprise at all to see Hämeenaho break out this season. The World Juniors will be a great opportunity for him to prove himself on a global stage and finally get more recognition to his name.
Devils fans: keep your eyes glued. You can follow @PorinAssat on Twitter to keep up with their games, but don’t be shocked if you frequently see Hämeenaho’s goals on your timeline. A lack of skating at 17 and 18 years old does not mean a player should be written off forever, especially when the rest of the tools are there. At the very least, if his feet can’t keep up, I can still see Hämeenaho playing a valuable role as a fourth liner on a future Devils team…think a slightly bigger Curtis Lazar with more offensive production. But if his skating does come along, he could become a very good and well-rounded middle-six forward.
The Devils have the luxury that they don’t even necessarily need prospects like Hämeenaho to pan out, but if they do, it’s just an even bigger bonus to an already-loaded roster.
