The Meet and Greet*
ME: Hi, my name’s Jon.
EL: Nice to meet you. I’m Eetu.
ME: Can you do me a favour? Ask me how I am.
EL: How are you?
ME: I’m good. Et tu?
EL: …
ME: It’s a joke.
EL: …
ME: “Et tu” is Latin for “and you.” It sort of sounds like your name.
EL: Yeah, I’ve heard the joke a few times.
ME: Hey, if you ever become the Oilers’ backup goalie, can I call you E2G2?
EL: …
ME: Like R2D2.
EL: …
ME: You know, the Star Wars robot. Would that be OK?
EL: Sure.
ME: One more thing: I’m writing a blog post about you. Is there anything you can tell me about yourself?
EL: Google me.
*The above conversation was fictional and did not ever happen.
The Details
The Oilers signed Eetu Laurikainen back in May to a two-year entry-level contract. The 22-year-old Finnish netminder played two seasons for the WHL’s Swift Current Broncos (2012-13 and 2013-14) Last season, he was with SM-liiga of the Finnish Elite League.
The six-foot, 185-pound Laurikainen has posted impressive save percentages.
2012-13/Swift Current/60 GP/.922 SV%
2013-14/Swift Current/54 GP/.914 SV%
2014-15/SM-liiga/37 GP/.933 SV%
Those save percentage numbers suggest that the signing of Laurikainen is a solid bet by the Oilers. And he didn’t disappoint in last night’s Young Stars game, stopping all 17 shots he faced.
The Scouting Report
In Jason Gregor’s post on Oilers Nation, Rick Carriere, the Oilers’ Senior Director of Player Development, had this to say about Laurikainen:
If you remember him in Swift Current, he was pretty successful and had a good junior career in the WHL before he went back home. He is a bit of a veteran, if you want to call it that. He has good positional play, he’s sound with the puck behind the net and he’s very athletic.
And according to Soft Mitts, Heavy Hits,
Standing just 6’0″, Laurikainen isn’t one of the physical giants that have taken over NHL creases in recent years. However, he’s an extremely athletic, even acrobatic player with excellent instincts that give him sound positioning. As a fairly small late bloomer, Laurikainen has remained undrafted, but has the potential to be a work-in-progress for an organization that has room for a developing goaltender.
What to Expect
Laurikainen currently sits fifth on the Oilers’ goaltending depth chart–behind Cam Talbot, Ben Scrivens, Anders Nilsson, and Laurent Brossoit. If all five goalies remain healthy and remain Oilers’ property, it’s expected that Laurikainen will begin the season in the ECHL. He should also spend some time in the AHL when the inevitable injuries occur.
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