Hurricanes: 5 Under the Radar Prospects You Shouldn’t Forget About
By Alex Ohari
Tuukka Tieksola
First on the list is 2019 4th-round draft pick Tuukka Tieksola, a Finnish forward who’s currently playing in his home country. At 5’10, 160lbs, he’s a tiny kid, but his natural talents more than offsets his lack of size.
In my opinion Tieksola is one of the most exciting and intriguing prospects in the Hurricanes system. Credential Finnish scout Jokke Nevalainen, who’s scouted Tieksola since he was a teenager, has been on record claiming Tieksola was a top-50 talent in the 2019 draft. The Canes drafted him 121st.
"“I’m a big fan of Tieksola. [He] could end up being the biggest steal of the draft. [Tieksola] can drive the offense, and has legitimate top-6 upside. [His NHL arrival will be a bit of a] wait because he needs to mature physically” – Nevalainen said when CAR drafted Tieksola."
After scoring 15 goals and 60 points last year in the Junior league in Finland, Tieksola made a one-game debut for Karpat in Liiga – the same club that produced a certain Cane you may have heard of …. Sebastian Aho. Tieksola was also a staple for the Finland U18 team, scoring 3 goals and 19 points in 20 appearances. Heading into the draft, Nevalainen said this:
"“[Tieksola’s development will require] time and patience but he has massive offensive upside as a playmaking winger. If he can get stronger and adjust to pro level, someone could get a massive steal – especially if he slips past the second round.”"
Nevalainen was absolutely shocked to see Tieksola slip to the end of the 4th round, and said CAR’s selection of him was “a gamble he’d take each and every time”. In terms of his weaknesses, the only real negative to his game is his size/strength, which he can likely work on and overcome.
As far as his skill set; the kid is electric. A very smooth and dynamic talent, he can penetrate defenses in numerous ways. He’s a strong skater – he’s got high top-end speed and is very agile, with quick two-step acceleration.
Branded as a playmaker, his on-ice vision is elite. He’s got smooth hands and as far as his playmaking goes, he routine makes passes that just make you go “wow”. Though not known for his shooting, his shot is deceptive, and he’s already scored 7 more goals in 17 fewer games than a year ago.
He’s currently still playing in the Finnish junior league, but it’s been no secret to onlookers that he’s far too good for that league. Unfortunately, he’s a victim of a powerhouse Karpat program, so opportunities have been sparse. In 34 games with Karpat U20, Tieksola’s 22 goals and 47 points have him among the leagues leaders. His 1.39 points per game clip leads that league.
As such, he was loaned out to Hermes of the Mestis league for 2 games, where he scored 1 goal. He’s now currently forced his way up to the Karpat roster – and he’s played in 5 games but has yet to record a point.
Tieksola won’t be 19 until June, and is already forcing his way into Liiga – one of the best leagues outside of the NHL. His game has been compared to Jesper Bratt, and personally, the way he processes and reads the ice reminds me a lot of Elias Lindholm and William Nylander.
Obviously, considering his lack of size and strength as well as experience, this is a kid who’s a ways away from an NHL spot. He’s very raw, but he has far too much natural ability to overlook. He has a real chance of being a dynamic player in Carolina’s top-six one day down the road.