Player Profile: Mikael Granlund
Mikael Granlund continues to be the top ranked European skater for the upcoming 2010 NHL Entry Draft. The Finnish born centre put up 13 goals and 40 points in 43 games this year, while playing with HIFK Helsinki of the FNL. Not bad considering he missed 15 games for his club this season, and fell short of leading the team in scoring by just 5 points. Last year, as a 16-year-old, he put up 13 points in 6 games at the World U-18 Tournament. And, at this years World Juniors, he had 7 points in 6 games. All this, and he just turned 18-years-old, and plays with men in Finlands top league. Many scouts are predicting him to be one of the best players to ever come out of Finland, and why not, the kid can dazzle you each time he has the puck. Not to mention, he is a great agile skater, with a good acurate shot, and makes the players around him better everytime he sets foot on the ice. At 5′10″, 175 lbs, he isn’t overly big, but he can handle playing amongst bigger competition, and is determined to create something each shift. Granlund is just another great young prospect, in a draft class that looks to be as strong as the 1990 graduates that featured names like Jagr, Nolan, Tkachuk, Primeau, Hatcher, Zubov and Brodeur.
2009-10 Team: HIFK Helsinki
Born: Oulu, FIN. February 26, 1992.
NHL Draft Eligibility: 2012
Height: 5.10
Weight: 175
Position: Centre
Shoots: Left
2009-10 Statistics: 43 GP, 13 G, 27 A, 40 PTS
2008-09 Statistics Karpat U-20, Jr. A SM-Liiga:
35 GP, 21 G, 36 A, 57 PTS
