Marcus Kallionkieli

July 2019 – You may not think Kallionkieli’s pathway to the NHL is a typical one for many Finnish hockey players, but look again as there have been a handful (Tolvanen and Raanta) that have come to the USHL to help hone their craft during their draft year. What sets Kallionkieli apart from his peers is his wicked shot that is both as accurate as it is hard. He has a very quick release that helped him find the net 29 in only 58 contests on one of the most terrifying lines in the USHL. His natural goal-scoring ability alone makes the fact he was selected in the fifth round a bit of a shocker as it was expected he would land somewhere in the first three rounds. Mason Black

June 2019 – Kallionkieli has been drafted 139^th overall by the Golden Knights.  Jokke Nevalainen

June 2019 – Kallionkieli had a good first USHL campaign, playing on Sioux City’s top line and putting up 53 points in 58 regular-season games. At 6-foot-1, Kallionkieli is a winger with good size. He is more of a goal-scorer than a playmaker. Kallionkieli possesses a dangerous release and quick hands in front of the net. His skating is decent for a player his size, although his speed or acceleration is nothing special.

The biggest knock on Kallionkieli is that he isn’t really someone who drives the play a lot. He played on the same line with Martin Pospisil and Bobby Brink – two of the best offensive weapons in the USHL – and clearly benefited a lot from that. When he wasn’t playing with good linemates, he struggled noticeably at creating chances for himself. With a lot of development, I could see him becoming a top-nine forward in the NHL, but likely in more of a supportive role.  Lassi Alanen