Julius Miettinen
- 2023-24 Team: Everett Silvertips (WHL)
- Date of Birth: Jan. 20, 2006
- Place of Birth: Helsinki, Finland
- Height: 6-foot-3, Weight: 207 pounds
- Shoots: Left
- Position: C/W
- Draft eligibility: first-year draft-eligible
Rankings
- NHL Central Scouting (NA): 18
- TSN/Bob McKenzie: 59
- TSN/Craig Button: 17
- THN/Tony Ferrari: 56
- McKeen’s Hockey: 91
- Daily Faceoff: 57
- Dobber Prospects: 54
- The Hockey Writers (Horn): 47
- The Hockey Writers (Baracchini): 69
Julius Miettinen is a Finnish forward who played for the Everett Silvertips in the Western Hockey League (WHL), totaling 31 goals and 67 points in 66 games this past season. He played in two games for Finland’s national team at the U18 level but totaled no points.
The first thing that stands out about Miettinen is size. At 6-foot-3, 207 pounds, he’s an imposing figure on the ice, and he already uses his size well. He’s strong on the forecheck and does well to win one-on-one battles when his team decides to play dump-and-chase.
As expected with someone his size, Miettinen is a strong net-front presence. The Silvertips used him as their net-front presence on their power play, where he used his big frame to provide screens and take away opposing goaltenders’ line of sight. He’s not afraid to do the same at five-on-five, too.
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Another standout of Miettinen’s game is his skating. For someone who’s already 6-foot-3, 207 pounds, his skating is quite good for his size. He has a smooth stride and uses his skating ability effectively in transition, which is notable since he primarily played center for the Silvertips. If he sticks at center in the NHL, which seems like a decent possibility given his size, he will need to be able to transition the puck effectively through the neutral zone.
Related: 2024 THW NHL Draft Guide
Though Miettinen could improve some defensively, he is already a pretty polished player for someone who turned 18 in January. His positioning is sound in the defensive and neutral zones, he applies pressure to oncoming attackers on the rush, and he uses his long reach effectively to knock the puck off opponents’ sticks. This applies to all three zones, but Miettinen uses his frame effectively in faceoffs. That could prove valuable at the next level, especially if his NHL team finds a role for him on special teams.
Offensively, the standout feature of Miettinen’s game is his playmaking. He had some highlight-reel assists in the WHL, but he’s a solid goal scorer, too. Every once in a while, he’d make a slick deke such as this to get his team on the board:
Miettinen is already a well-rounded player and didn’t have too much trouble adjusting to playing in North America for the first time in his career. If there is an area he could stand to improve the most, it’s his shot. That usually comes with age as a player matures, but there’s an intriguing prospect here, which is why he’s risen from 49th in NHL Central Scouting’s rankings to 18th.
Julius Miettinen — NHL Draft Projection
Aside from Craig Button’s rankings, most of Miettinen’s rankings have him projected as a late second or early third-round pick. He’s an intriguing prospect, given his solid skating for a player who measures 6-foot-3, 207 pounds. He was productive in the WHL this season, so it wouldn’t surprise me if NHL teams have him a bit higher on their boards than public rankings given his size and potential upside as a third-line forward.
Other THW Draft Profiles
Quotables
“Julius Miettinen is a 6’3 two-way forward who stands out for his forechecking, playmaking, and net-front positioning. Miettinen’s strong stick work and body positioning make him adept in winning back pucks off dump-ins and extended in-zone sequences. Miettinen is always looking to move pucks across the slot, complemented by his smooth rush game and his slick hands. Without the puck on his stick, Miettinen funnels to the slot and demonstrates a solid blend of power and soft skill to get high-quality shots and deflections, or to make dangerous passes…” – Luke Sweeney, Dobber Prospects
“Miettinen processes situations really quickly due to what looks like his excellent positioning and comfortablity in his team’s structure. He hustles back to be in good position defensively, times stickchecks along the boards well, and one-touches a lot of passes to link breakouts together. His passing decisions aren’t rushed or forced or needless in their execution.” – Joel Henderson, FC Hockey
“He’s very dependable, reliable, and he takes up a lot of ice down there so when you got him out there with a couple other big defensemen, it’s hard (for the opposition) to get to the middle. The hardest thing to do in the game of hockey is score goals because every team defends well. Julius plays hard and heavy, net-front, at both ends of the ice and does a really good job of being able to identify down low and take direction. I think a lot of what helps him too is how well he speaks English.” – Dennis Williams, Silvertips head coach (via Mike Morreale of NHL.com)
Strengths
- Playmaking/creativity
- Skating
- Transition game
- Using his frame effectively
- Net-front presence
Under Construction — Improvements to Make
- Shot/shooting ability
- Defensive game/maturing defensively
NHL Potential
Miettinen seems like the typical high-floor, low-ceiling type of prospect. He’s probably a good bet to make the NHL, especially at his size, but he likely won’t be more than a third-line center or wing. It’s also fair to wonder how much more room he has to develop since he’s already 6-foot-3, 207 pounds, but time will tell.
Risk/Reward
Risk: 2.5/5, Reward, 3.5/5
Fantasy Hockey Potential
Offense: 6.5/10, Defense: 6.5/10
Awards/Achievements
2021-22
- U16 Pohjola Camp All-Star Team
- U16 Pohjola Camp Roster (HIFK)
2022-23
- U17 WHC Bronze Medal
- U18 SM-sarja Bronze Medal
Interviews/Links
Miettinen interview with Mike Morreale: https://www.nhl.com/news/julius-miettinen-learning-whl-wants-more-all-the-time
