Observations:

May 2016 – Mikko Koskinen put himself back in the minds of North American hockey fans at the 2016 World Championships in Moscow. The big Finn was named the tournament’s best goaltender, going 7-1 with a .947 save percentage and leading Finland to the silver medal in the process. Before this month, Koskinen was probably best remembered for his brief stint in the AHL for Bridgeport. In his only full season there, he posted a .892 save percentage. He was loaned to KalPa of the SM-liiga in November of 2011. However, since 2013, Koskinen has been one of the KHL’s top goaltenders. In fact, he was named the KHL’s best goaltender in 2014-15, in the same season he led SKA St. Petersburg to the league title. Obviously, the first thing that you notice about Koskinen is his size. He takes up a ton of net and he is difficult to beat when he has time to square up to the shooter. Predictably, he struggles a bit with his mobility and regularly ends up scrambling. However, he is extremely flexible for a man his size. That combined with his long limbs helps Koskinen make up for whatever deficiencies exist in his lateral movement. Brent Craswell

Fantasy Outlook: D –

Koskinen signed a two year extension with SKA in April of 2016, so it does not appear as though he intends to come back over to North America. If he does, though, this grade will jump up as he could have an immediate impact in the NHL.

Footage

Mikko Koskinen compilation video, best enjoyed on mute.

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Statistics

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