Player's Profile
Picture Courtesy of Holly Gunning
- Name: Sami Vatanen
- Position: D
- Shoots: Right
- Height: 5-9
- Weight: 159 lbs
- Birthdate: 1991-06-03
- Eligible for Draft: 2009
- Drafted: 2009
- Hometown: Jyvaskyla, Finland
- Acquired: 4th round (106th overall0, 2009
- Playing In: Europe
Sami Vatanen
Prospect Grade: 7.5 C (About Prospect Grades)
Profile Contributed By: HF Staff
History
2007-08: In 35 games with JYP's U20 squad, the D-man scored nine goals and 29 assists. He also competed with Finland's national team at the U18 WJC, registering three helpers in six games.
2008-09: Suited up for 20 games with JYP in the U20 SM-Liiga, posting three goals and seven assists. Captained the Finnish entry in the U18 World Championships, winning a bronze medal in the process.
2009-10: Playing for JyP HT Jyvaskyla of the Finnish league, Vatanen posted 7 goals, 23 assists, 44 PIM, and 4 powerplay goals. He also registered 324 shots. He also represented Finland at the WJC where he posted 2 goals and 3 assists in 6 games. At the end of the season, he skated for Finland at the World Cup, where he went scoreless in 7 games.
2010-11: Vatanen was an offensive catalyst from his defense spot as a 19-year-old in his second season with JyP, the top team in Finland's SM-Liiga. JyP finished with 129 points - ten points ahead of second-place Assat Pori and Vatanen was a team-leading +30 plus/minus with 11 goals and 20 assists in 52 games. He was +4 with 1 goal and 1 assist in three playoff games before suffering a leg injury that kept him out of the remainder of the playoffs and the 2011 IIHF World Championship. Vatanen played for Finland at the 2011 U20 World Junior Championship and was +7 with 4 assists. He signed a three-year, entry-level contract with Anaheim in May 2011.
Talent Analysis
Vatanen is a smooth-skating, quick defensemen whose best assets are his play-making ability and his ability to read the play on the fly. Undersized and thus vulnerable in his own end, he is able to compensate by using his skating ability and good recognition of passing/shooting lanes. Willing to compete for lose pucks though his size is sometimes a disadvantage. Doesn’t have a powerful shot but is accurate and has a quick release. He is a very good passer. Yet to mature physically, so his size and strength should improve.
Future
Offensive defenseman.
Stats
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Profile Last Updated: November, 15th 2011
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