Kasper Halttunen

June 2023 – Halttunen was selected 36th overall by the Sharks. Pat Quinn

September 2022 – Halttunen spent last season with Jokerit’s U20 team, notching 24 goals in 41 games, which is a great stat line for a draft-1 player. The situation with Jokerit is very unsure at the moment, and Halttunen made the jump to another Helsinki team, HIFK. He is expected to get some games at the Liiga level but will probably spend the majority of the season in U20 SM-sarja.

Halttunen is a right-handed winger whose biggest weapon is his arsenal of goal-scoring skills. While Halttunen can use his wicked wrist shot to score with direct shots off the rush, he can also score in many other ways, such as dirty goals from in front of the net, as his 6-3, 207 pound frame helps him to drive there. Halttunen can throw hits and protect the puck well with his size. He also skates well considering that size. Halttunen handles the puck smoothly, and he can surprise many with his great passing ability. He’s also a real powerplay force as he can score with his great one-timer. Long story short, he’s a great goal scorer with a strong offensive toolkit and has a real potential to become a first round pick in the 2023 NHL Draft. Eetu Siltanen