Draft Profile: Joel Armia

In my third installment of prospects I’d like to see the Rangers (#15) draft on June 24th, I take a look at RW Joel Armia who had 18g, 11a in 48 games for Assat Pori of the Finnish Elite League last year.

The 6′ 2″ Armia is said to be a dynamic player with power elements to his game. Armia has an incredible shot giving him the ability to score from almost anywhere on the ice. He also uses his size to his advantage on the cycle and is drawing comparisons to Teemu Selanne.

Armia has soft hands that allows him to tip almost any shot as well as corral most rebounds.

On the negative end, reports say that Armia doesn’t backcheck much and at times looks lazy skating up and down the wing. He is also said to have a lackadaisical approach to play in the neutral zone or his own end.

Armia may not go straight to the NHL, as his defensive game needs rounding out, however, he has the potential to be an elite scoring winger and a presence on the power play.

Armia’s stock dropped due to a sub-par performance in the World Juniors this season, where he had just one assist is six games for Finland.

Here’s video of Armia…

Remember to follow me on Twitter & Facebook or e-mail me at [email protected].