With the 14th overall pick of the 2024 NHL Entry Draft, the Sabres have selected Konsta Helenius from Jukurit of the Finnish Liiga
About Konsta Helenius
Konsta Helenius is an excellent playmaker who competes hard enough to succeed in the Finnish Liiga as a 17-year-old. Helenius is level-headed under pressure and makes remarkable passes look routine, setting his teammates up for success. He was one of Finland’s best players at the 2023 U18 WJC, driving play on offense and showing an encouraging amount of engagement defensively. He was also good for Finland at the 2024 World Juniors in Sweden, though the stat sheet might not give you the best idea of how impactful he was.
Helenius’ two-way play against pros as a teenager has been very impressive, especially in transition where he is able to keep up with the pace of play both physically and mentally. The biggest question with Helenius is if he has more skill to show. He has shown flashes of skill against his peers that make you think he could be a top-line player in the NHL, but then whenever he plays against men he plays a more reserved and safe game. Is he simply doing that in order to earn minutes as a young pro or does he not have enough skill to beat men? That’s the question that’ll decide if he’s a first or second line player.
THW Prospect Profile Excerpt
The reason Helenius has been able to put up so many points no matter where he plays is his intelligence. He uses his fantastic skating to create space, employing bursts of speed and quick changes in direction to open up lanes for him to make easy passes to his teammates. He carefully watches how plays develop and can read where the puck is going to go and respond accordingly. Oh, and he’s been able to do all this against players five to ten years his senior.
Related: THW’s 2024 Draft Live Tracker
On defence, he’s equally as smart. Despite standing 5-foot-11, Helenius demonstrates surprising strength and isn’t afraid to engage physically with bigger opponents. He uses strong positioning to pick off errant passes and can pressure players to force them into making mistakes and coughing up the puck. When it happens, he relentlessly pursues the puck, ensuring that possession returns to his team. No matter what is happening on the ice, he is one or two steps ahead of everyone else.
Helenius can really do it all. He’s determined and relentless, skates well, and uses his edges and quick changes effectively. He understands the defensive side of the game, knows how to pick off teammates who have the best chance at scoring with a strong pass, and has a quick, deceptive release. The only knock against him is that, of all these skills, none of them stand out above his competition. But when it comes to adding an impact player, no one impacts more areas than Helenius, and he’s not far from being ready for the NHL.
Full player profile can be found here
How This Affects the Sabres’ Plans
It doesn’t seem fair at this point, but the Sabres continue to draft high-end quality talent. Despite coming in a bit under 6-feet tall, Helenius’ game contains a lot of pro center traits, and I think he will ultimately become a good second-line center (or top-line wing) in his NHL prime. Helenius will earn big power play minutes as a secondary playmaker and possesses lot of qualities to his game that can find him in the NHL sooner rather later. Despite his size, he plays a bigger game and isn’t afraid to show his competitive side. His smarts and attention to detail are a big reason why the Sabres thought highly of him and selected him when they did.
