BETTER LATE THAN NEVER FOR JUOLEVI
Finnish rearguard on verge of fulfilling his potential
Olli Juolevi is close to making an impact with the Vancouver Canucks.
It just may not feel like it. He’s been one of the most polarizing top Canucks prospects in recent memory. Other defencemen in his draft class have already made it, and some in a big way. It has unfairly taken some of the shine off the 20-year-old, who is still on track to being a top-pairing difference maker.
But one Finnish scout for an NHL team insisted “he won’t be a top player” in the world’s best league.
Former Vancouver Canucks defenceman Sami Salo sees it differently, however, and few have spent more time with the 20-year-old blue-liner.
“I think he’s ready,” said Salo, who was an assistant with Juolevi’s Finnish team. “But this is what I said to him: ‘It’s another big jump to make an NHL team. There will be 10 other defencemen battling for those spots.’ He has to go out there and show what he can do.”
The left side of the Canucks’ defence after Alex Edler isn’t exactly a Murderers’ Row. There’s Michael Del Zotto, Ben Hutton and Derrick Pouliot.
It’s not crazy to think Juolevi can outplay these guys and earn a roster spot in the fall. To do it, though, Salo said Juolevi will need to focus on body language. Wait, what?
“He has a tendency sometimes to look like he’s disinterested, even though he’s not,” Salo said. “Body language is very important in the NHL. You can’t have bad body language. He has to show he’s really into the games and wants to be out there.
“He got better this year as the season went on.”
That’s true for every part of his game. Juolevi saved the best part of the season for last. It was his play down the stretch and in the playoffs that left Salo so impressed.
“When the playoffs started, he was our best defenceman,” Salo said. “We lost (Henrik) Tallinder and it was good to see Olli carry the weight of Tallinder. He really picked up the Tallinder weight and was clearly our best defenceman.
“The only thing he didn’t really do was penalty kill. We had older guys in that role and it really worked out well for Olli. He focused on 5-on-5 play and the power play. He was a big part of our power play.”
Salo said Juolevi worked his way up to being the No. 1 point man on their power play.
“He doesn’t have the hardest shot, but he’s good at finding the open lane and getting the pucks through,” Salo said. “I was happy for him. He did have some struggles.”
Salo was referencing a stretch of games following the world junior championship. Juolevi skidded through a rough patch that included multiple games when he was a healthy scratch for his Finnish club.
“It was good for him to get that adversity,” Salo said. “I think it gave him a push.
“It drove home the reality that it isn’t going to be easy in the pros. I think that’s what he had for most of his career. He had more skill and was a better skater coming up.”
Salo suggested Juolevi’s dip in play was in part because of the number of games he played for the country’s senior team in a couple of tournaments, in addition to his time with Turku.
“That’s why his physical conditioning has to get to another level this summer,” said Salo, stressing a point he’s made when talking about Juolevi for a year now.
Does Juolevi understand what he needs to do in this area?
“He should,” Salo said. “I know his agent, as well, and we’ve been in contact and talked about this. To play 82 games in the NHL is tough. You have to be in tip-top shape because it’s so taxing.
“If you’re in average shape, or even what you would call good shape, it’s not going to be enough.”
Salo said Juolevi reminds him of Kimmo Timonen, a Finnish legend who played for 16 years in the NHL.
“With the way he skates and sees the ice, I do see a little Timonen in him,” Salo said. “He’s in control in every situation, even if he’s under
pressure. He’s just calm with the puck.
“He can compete with professionals. It wasn’t easy this year from the start. There was a lot of things he had to get used to.
“Once he focused on taking charge, it became a lot easier for him. He can make really good plays under pressure. He can make plays a lot of defenceman can’t make.”