Oliwer Kaski

March 2020 – Picked up in a trade for Kyle Wood in December, Kaski has scored 20 points in 31 games thus far for the Charlotte Checkers. An offensive minded defenseman, Kaski brings some significant upside with his mobility and ability to push the pace offensively. It is not sure when we could possibly see him, or if we will with the Hurricanes, but there is some potential here. Jack LeGwin

February 2020 – Kaski was traded from Detroit to Carolina in December. Since the trade, he has scored 15 points in 21 games in the AHL.  Jokke Nevalainen

May 2019 – Kaski has signed a one-year entry level contract with the Red Wings. The signing is made official after the IIHF World Championship tournament where Kaski won the gold medal with Team Finland. Kaski may start the season in the AHL but a strong training camp and preseason could push him onto the NHL roster. Even if he starts in the AHL, he should be one of the first call-ups when an injury occurs.  Jokke Nevalainen

March 2019 – Kaski finished the season with 19 goals and 51 points in 59 games. He led the league in goals and points by a defenseman, and his points total was good enough for sixth on the league among all players. He also led the league in shots. Only two defenseman have had a higher points total in the history of the Finnish Liiga. After the regular season, Kaski received the Lasse Oksanen award which is given to the best player in the league during the regular season, and he won that award voting by a huge margin. After the Liiga playoffs, Kaski will likely represent Finland at the World Championship tournament, and after that he is expected to sign an NHL contract with one of the interested teams. It’s easy to overlook his NHL potential because he turns 24 before next season starts but it’s good to remember Kaski was an undersized forward at age 17 before his delayed growth spurt and move to defense at age 18, so it’s actually very understandable he hasn’t been pushed to the spotlight until now.  Jokke Nevalainen

February 2019 – Kaski is a 23-year-old defenseman who is having an amazing season in the Finnish Liiga. He switched teams over the summer, going from HIFK to Pelicans, which has led to a massive breakout season for him. He leads the entire league in shots, and he leads all defensemen in goals and points by a wide margin. He’s an offensive defenseman who loves to join the rush. He has a great shot, he likes to use it a lot, and he shoots from the right side which is always valuable. He’s especially dangerous on the power play where his shot, vision and passing skills get to truly shine. At 6-foot-3, Kaski has great size as well but he’s not very physical. One great part about his game is that he doesn’t take a lot of penalties. He needs to improve his decision-making to avoid unnecessary risks, and there’s room for improvement in his defensive game as well. Even though he has been used on the penalty kill, he’s not the type of player coaches want to use on their top unit. But his offensive upside is very good which makes him a great free gamble in many fantasy hockey leagues.  Jokke Nevalainen