Fantasy Summary
At 6-7, Tikkanen tops even the existing redwoods in North American pro hockey. He’s a bit light for that height at 201, but that probably helps him to be so agile for someone that huge. While his technique needs development and consistency, Tikkanen typically remains calm under fire and uses his size effectively. He doesn’t like to go down unless he has to.
Observations
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July 2023 – The 6-7 Finnish goaltender appeared in 38 games for Worcester (ECHL) last season. A former seventh round pick, Tikkanen played well enough to earn a .914 save percentage. With Ilya Sorokin and Semyon Varlamov locked up long-term, the chances we see the 22-year-old in the NHL any time soon are slim to none. Thankfully that means he has a lot of time to develop in the AHL, ECHL or overseas. James Iacovone
June 2022 – After an eye-opening seven-game 2020-21 stint in Finland’s best hockey league that featured a 1.94 GAA and .921 save percentage, the sky-scraping Finn struggled in the Liiga this season. While he was back with KalPa, he posted 4.95 and .765 marks in two games, although he sparkled in a one-game loan to the Liiga’s Växjö Lakers. Hopefully a 13-4 mark in Sweden’s second-tier league restored some confidence. Mark Allan
March 2022 – The towering Finn is still tracking as a long-term project. Taken in the seventh round, the 6-8 netminder had a sparkling 1.94 GAA and .921 save percentage last season in seven games with KalPa. However, in two Liiga appearances to start this campaign with the same Finnish team, his numbers regressed to 4.95 and .765, causing a demotion to MoDo of Sweden’s second-tier pro league. Mark Allan
July 2021 – Perhaps because they had just five picks in 2020, and none in the first two rounds, the Isles’ braintrust spent some time deliberating who would be chosen in the final round. The sky-scraping Finn got the nod due to his immense size, agility and improvement from the previous season. Believing they could get him in the final two rounds, the Islanders actually submitted his name ahead of time to ensure he’d be eligible for the draft. They obviously looked beyond his unimpressive numbers (.889 and .895 save percentages the previous two campaigns for HIFK’s U20 squad). Eyes were opened this past campaign, however, when he achieved 1.94 and .921 stats in seven outings for KalPa in the Liiga, his country’s top pro circuit. Numbers like that take the sting out of a 6-5-1 record with a 3.25 GAA and .877 save percentage for IPK in the Mestis (Finland’s equivalent of the AHL). The Islanders haven’t signed the 20-year-old yet, but their system is not deep with promising young netminders, so a contract offer will likely come sooner rather than later, especially if he continues to thrive in Liiga play. After that, he faces a lengthy acclimation to North America while he refines his technique. Mark Allan
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