Kim Saarinen, HPK Jr.
Likely a mid-to-late third-rounder or an early fourth-rounder, Kim Saarinen is another one with time to add size to what is a 6’4, 181 lbs frame. His numbers were also rather eye-popping amidst his two appearances in Liiga, where he posted a 1-0-1 record, a 2.46 GAA, and a 0.909 save percentage with HPK.
They also weren’t a good team this season, finishing with the second-worst points total in the league, so it’s not like Saarinen had much help in those two contests. He got most of his work in U20 and U18 SM-sarja, where he saw 23 games in the crease in the former.
Much like his cameo in Liiga, Saarinen played well and finished with a 2.41 GAA, two shutouts, a 0.917 save percentage, and 14 wins. He also dominated in the nine games he played in U18, with a 1.67 GAA, a 0.945 save percentage, and eight wins. Saarinen’s overall performance should see him play full-time in Liiga for the upcoming season, and he should reward any team willing to draft and be patient with him.
If Kevyn Adams selects Saarinen, the best case would be to give him two seasons in Finland, then let him come to North America and continue his development in Rochester. If Luukkonen and Levi remain the dynamic duo in such a scenario, then trading Saarinen would be the ideal endgame. But he would also make perhaps better insurance than anyone else on this list, so if Levi and Luukkonen left and Adams had Saarinen in the system, he could very well become a viable goaltender.
(Statistics provided by Elite Prospects)