Amid all the comings and goings of picks both before and at the 2024 NHL Draft, Edmonton Oilers managed to hold on to their second-round selection and used it to select Eemil Vinni, a 6’2, 185 pound goaltender from Finland.
Vinni played this past season in Mestis, Finalnd’s second-tier men’s league, recording a 2.72 goals against average and .892 save percentage in 37 games. He also served as that nation’s #3 goaltender at the World Junior, this after posting 1.75 / .927 for Finland at the Hlinka-Gretzky Cup (U-18).
The fifth stopper to be selected in the second round after none in the first, Vinni was generally ranked in that range by most draft analysts, with the most striking item on the list being his #1 ranking among European goaltenders by NHL’s Central Scouting.
Scouting reports
This from his player page at Elite Prospects
- Eemil Vinni is a well-rounded goaltender who has an exciting approach to the game which plays into his strengths. The 6-foot-2 netminder is not afraid to attack shooters and force their hand – leading to a lot of mistakes by opponents. Very active and assertive in the crease, but not overly aggressive. He controls pucks with his hands extremely well, and his elite edgework completes the package.
Dylan Robillard of Inside the Rink:
In addition to Bakersfield goaltenders Jack Campbell and Olivier Rodrigue, the Oilers now have three young netminders in the system including Samuel Jonsson (5th round, 2022) and Nathan Day (6th round, 2023). It is anticipated that Ryan Fanti‘s expiring contract will not be renewed, while the Campbell situation may be resolved by direct action in the coming days, be it a trade or buyout.
The waiver wire witching hour (noon MT) has come and gone with no action, indeed just one player waived league wide. Enter Hart Levine from the ever-more-essential PuckPedia with this important tidbit:
Meaning that NHL brass who are neck deep in the Draft just now don’t have to worry about this matter today. In the specific case of the Oilers, it gives them another 24 hours to find a taker for the Campbell pact.
The Oilers at the 2024 Draft
- F Sam O’Reilly, #32 overall
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