Nation Network Prospect Profile #9: Olli Juolevi

A competitive spark-plug, Olli Juolevi is a complete, all-around defenceman that can hem the opposition in their own end or make things difficult for the opposition at home; either way, he puts the pressure on and lays it on thick. A strong and balanced skater, he can rush the puck through the neutral zone with ease or backcheck with haste. Uses his size to his advantage, but knows his physical limits and plays within them. Instead of playing overly physical, he makes his presence felt by exhibiting his high-end playmaking ability and puck possession play. All-in-all, a well-rounded blueliner who thrives under pressure and can be trusted in all situations.

Juolevi is a tremendous, powerful skater who makes carrying the puck up the ice seem effortless. What really stands out is his agility and quickness moving both laterally and backwards. You can classify him as your atypical offensive-minded defenseman who always looks to make a play or expand on one that has already developed. Transitioning from blue line to blue line is his bread and butter, and he expands his options not only from his mobility, but from his exceptional passing prowess and vision. Juolevi’s passes are hard and on the tape, and the acumen he provides while doing so is why he’s so highly regarded. He owns a very hard, accurate shot and uses it with authority on a power play chock full of snipers. The problem is that his vast arsenal of contributions begins and ends on the offensive side of the red line, as we’ve seen him struggle in corners and dealing with the OHL’s more zealous power forwards. That will certainly be a developmental area to address, particularly his leg strength and ability to pin and hold in order to wait for help to arrive. Still, this kid is so entertaining to watch that you draft him first and worry about the teachable stuff later.

One of the best defensemen in the OHL this season, Juolevi also recorded the highest point totals ever by an under-18 defenseman at the WJC. Juolevi is a fantastic skater. He exerts very little effort to get up to a dangerous top gear and moves well in all directions. His puck movement is high-end, as he shows calmness, skill and elite hockey sense when he has the puck on his stick. He’s able to QB a power play with the best of them, on top of creating dangerous chances in transition. He’s also not afraid to take risks, but he’s very calculating when he does, and rarely does he hurt his team.
Juolevi’s smarts translate to defense. He is always getting his stick on pucks and is an overall reliable defensive player in his positional play. He could stand to bulk up quite a bit, as he has a bit of a beanpole frame (6-foot-2, 182 pounds). However, Juolevi still works hard on the ice to win battles and get to pucks even if his frame isn’t ideal for those situations yet.

Wisdom at the start of the season had Sarnia’ Jakob Chychrun as the top defenceman of the draft, but Juolevi kept gaining and eventually passed him before the season ended. Juolevi’s star turn came at the WJC, where he was a tournament all-star and Finland’s most valuable defenceman. “When you get a 17-year-old that played those minutes against that competition, it’s impressive,” said one scout. “He’s efficient, intelligent, and has the mental maturity.
He did so in his hometown of Helsinki, en route to the nation’s second gold medal in three years. While the Finns gave up goals early, they clamped down later.
While Europeans often need an adjustment period when they come over to play major junior, Juolevi made a near-seamless transition to the OHL Knights – something that even Pittsburgh’s Olli Maata had early troubles with. “Really smart, very smooth,” said another scout. “He reads the game exceptionally well and doesn’t panic. Lots of poise, whether he’s on the power play or [moving] the puck up ice.”