Marcus Kallionkieli – 2019 NHL Draft Prospect Profile

Vancouver THW 2019 NHL Entry Draft Guide (Square)

Marcus Kallionkieli

2018-19 Team: Sioux City Musketeers
Date of Birth: March 20, 2001
Hometown: Helsinki, Finland
Ht: 6’ 2” Wt: 192 pounds
Shoots: Left
Position: C/LW
NHL Draft Eligibility: 2019 first-year eligible

Rankings

The 18th-leading scorer in the USHL (and third-highest scorer among rookies), Finnish forward Marcus Kallionkieli attracted lots of attention early in the year with the Sioux City Musketeers. He burst out of the gate, scoring 13 points (10 goals, 3 assists) in the Musketeers’ first nine games, with all but one of those goals at even strength. He was bound to slow a bit, and, in fact, he had a December to forget, scoring a single point in seven games that month.

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Otherwise, the rookie has had a consistent season, thanks in part to playing on one of the league’s top lines, alongside fellow 2019 prospect Bobby Brink and 2018 Calgary Flames pick Martin Pospisil. On Sioux City, Brink, Pospisil and Kallionkieli are 1-2-3 in scoring, with Kallionkieli contributing 52 points in 57 games this season, including 18 points on the power play.

Kallionkieli’s draft trajectory this season – in which he went from unknown to rookie sensation then kind of leveled out – is nicely illustrated by THW’s Larry Fisher in his monthly draft prospect rankings:

Pre-Season Ranking: Not listed
October: Not listed
November: 53
December: 60
January: 66
February: 65
March: 71

At this time, Marcus has not committed for the fall. He’s a sizable forward with an impressive skillset who has shown an exceptional ability to score goals from all over the offensive zone. His adjustment to the smaller North American rink appears to have taken no time at all; if anything he’s thrived on this ice, as his numbers per game are way up compared to when he played in Finland.

In short, Kallionkieli is a big-bodied forward who likes to find open spaces and who loves to shoot. His upside is as big as his game is simple.

Photo of Marcus Kallionkieli
Marcus Kallionkieli (Jim Utterback, Brianna Norris, Bryce Griffin/Sioux City Musketeers)

Marcus Kallionkieli – NHL Draft Projection

Third-round pick, maybe sooner.

Quotables

Check out the chatter about Kallionkieli at Hockey’s Future Boards.

“Kallionkieli is a one-dimensional player who utilizes his long stride, solid frame and decent puck skills to get himself to scoring positions. His hockey sense, vision, and defensive play are all rather average [but] Kallionkieli’s frame, shot and scoring ability still make him an intriguing long-term prospect.” Asko Huuki, FinnProspects

“I’ve been impressed by Kallionkieli. [He] is a threat from distance with an accurate shot and quick release. Diversity of shot types and weight shifts. Soft touch around the goal.” Mitch Brown

“Kallionkieli … has good size and speed, plus he can really rip the puck.” Ryan Kennedy, THN

Strengths

  • Skating
  • Shot
  • Size

Under Construction (Improvements to Make)

  • Awareness in his own zone
  • Reading the play

NHL Potential

In a few years, with the right coaching and by developing within an organization that believes in him, Marcus Kallionkieli could be a top-six forward in the NHL.

Risk-Reward Analysis

Risk – 2.5/5, Reward – 4/5

Fantasy Hockey Potential

Offence – 8/10, Defence – 6/10

Awards/Achievements

Marcus was a Jr. C SM-sarja Champion (HIFK) in 2016-17 and a Jr. B SM-sarja Champion in 2017-18. He also played on both the Finland U16 and U17 teams, scoring 2-3-5 points in 12 games.

Interview/Profile Links

Meet the Muskies, by Owen Siebring of Siouxland News.

Videos