Kasper Simontaival has been an integral part of Tappara U20 for the last two seasons. He has been a proficient goal-scorer in the Finnish junior leagues and projects as an offensive player at the pro level. Simontaival's shot is his calling card, but he is also adept at setting up his teammates for scoring chances. He has added speed and endurance since last season and his overall game is also heading in the right direction.
There is no doubt that he has the offensive toolbox to develop into a quality NHL winger. He also reads the game very well and has great vision. At the moment I would consider Simontaival one of the most intriguing draft eligibles out of the Finnish leagues for 2020.
| Kasper Simontaival | 2020 NHL Draft Eligible |
|---|---|
| Position: RW, Shoots R | H/W: 5-9", 172 lbs |
| Stats to date (GP-G-A-PTS-PIMS) | Tappara, Liiga (4-0-0-0-0) |
| KOOVEE, Mestis (6-1-3-4-6) | |
| Tappara U20, Jr. A SM-liiga (37-18-24-42-26) |
Kasper Simontaival of Tappara during the CHL game between Djurgården and Tappara in Stockholm on October 9, 2018.
Foto: Simon Hastegård / Bildbyrån / Cop 118
Skating: Simontaival has improved his skating from the past season. He has gained more endurance which has enabled him to play consistently with higher energy. His first few strides are quick and powerful. He has the ability to separate from defenders and gain a stride ahead. He has a wide stance and he is sturdy on his skates which makes him tough to knock off the puck. Overall, the winger is a well-rounded skater with above-average acceleration at the U20 level. Grade: 50
Shot: Simontaival is a precision shooter and clinical finisher with a scorer's blade. He has an excellent shot selection as he can score with a one-timer, slap shot, wrist shot or backhander. The release is very quick, especially on his wrist shot, with impressive power to boot. He can be a scoring threat from pretty much anywhere in the offensive zone – even from further out. He has the ability to create space for himself to unleash quality shots, even when having limited time and space. Scoring goals seems to come very naturally to him. Grade: 65
Skills: Despite showing lots of promise as a goal-scorer, Simontaival is by no means a one-trick pony. Possessing high-end passing skills he can deliver accurate passes to the slot from below the goal line. He has quick hands and he can beat defensemen in 1-on-1's with deft stickhandling. He has superb hand-eye coordination as he can knock pucks of out mid-air, or corral difficult passes with relative ease. He is a good pass receiver, as he can get the puck under control quickly on his backhand or off his skates. Grade: 55
Smarts: He has great vision and processes the game quickly. He can be creative with the puck and dangle opponents with a high success rate. He rarely turns the puck over in vital areas or gets overly complicated with the puck, which will bode well for in the future. He plays with his head up and anticipates the game well. He is responsible and shows good positioning in the defensive zone. Although he is not a defensive specialist at the moment, I wouldn't call him a liability either. Grade: 55
Physicality: The winger is on the smaller side but his lack of size hasn't affected his game a whole lot – and I don't think it will in the future either. He is surprisingly strong on the puck and uses his body well to keep defenders at bay. This allows him to buy time to make plays in the offensive zone. He will finish his checks every now and then, plus he does not shy away from board battles and can hold his own against bigger opponents. Grade: 50
Overall Future Projection (OFP): 55.75
A note on the 20-80 scale used above. We look at five attributes (skating, shooting, puck skills, hockey IQ and physicality) for skaters and six for goalies (athleticism/quickness, compete/temperament, vision/play reading, technique/style, rebound control and puck handling). Each individual attribute is graded along the 20-80 scales, which includes half-grades. The idea is that a projection of 50 in a given attribute meant that our observer believed that the player could get to roughly NHL average at that attribute at maturity.