The Seattle Kraken selected Julius Miettinen with the 40th overall pick. The 6’3, 201 lbs centre has the physical tools and frame to be a dominant two-way-forward but he has a lot of work to do to get to that point.
The Seattle Kraken selected Julius Miettinen with the 40th overall pick. The 6’3, 201 lbs centre has the physical tools and frame to be a dominant two-way-forward but he has a lot of work to do to get to that point.
After moving to the WHL from Finland in his draft year, Miettinen scored 31 goals and 67 points in 66 games.
Those numbers aren’t the most eye-popping numbers a second-round pick has produced in the WHL but where he lacks in points, he makes up for it with his potent defensive game and consistent all-out effort.
His forechecking and ability to win one-on-one puck battles on the boards are attributed to his size and makes him effective in the dump-and-chase game.
Offensively, Miettinen uses his body to be dominant in front of the net. With the Everett Silvertips, he was used as a net-front presence on the power-play. His size covers a lot of open space and his strength makes him difficult to knock out of the goalie's sight.
What encapsulates the entirety of Mietinen’s game is his speed. He uses it incredibly effectively on the defensive side of the puck. He is quick to get to spots to break up rushes and get into passing lanes. If he can use his speed to be more dangerous in transition, his offensive game can take a jump.
Despite showing flashes of projectable tools, there are doubts about whether those tools can translate to the next level. His offensive game still needs quite a bit of polishing and he is almost the reverse of most prospects where their offensive game is very polished but they lack the defensive tools and frame to be an all-around player.
Steven Ellis of the Daily Faceoff had this to say about the 19-year-old.
"I’m not fully sold on Julius Miettinen, but he had a nice year in the WHL and has good size."
If the Helsinki, Finland native can become what the Kraken have drafted him for, they'll have a dependable third-line centre with offensive upside. He'll have the opportunity to show it with the Silvertips and Finland at the World Juniors.
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