NHL Central Scouting Services, which ranked Helenius third among international skaters in the draft, offered the following description of the forward: “Plays a mature game and does not shy away from the physical side of the game despite his size. A unique skater who always seems to be in the right spot at the right time. Excellent understanding of the game. His playmaking and passing game are outstanding. He is only 17 but is already a key player on his team playing professionally in Finland. Played first or second line center for Finland at the World Junior Championship showing his talent against 19-year-old opponents. Reliable, solid player with a great set of tools.”
NHL.com’s Mike Morreale had Helenius to Buffalo with the 11th-overall pick in a mock draft earlier this month.
“He’s quick, got a lot of skill,” Morreale told Sabres.com. “He’s real smart out there. What I like about him too is that, despite playing against older competition, I thought he showed a lot of poise with where he needed to go, what he needed to do in certain situations.”
