Oskari Salminen

June 2024 – After two seasons with the Winnipeg Jets franchise, Salminen didn’t receive a qualifying offer on June 30. He is now an unrestricted free agent. Mark Henry

May 2024 – Salminen was reassigned to the AHL’s Manitoba Moose from the ECHL’s Norfolk Admirals on April 18 before Manitoba’s playoff series with the Texas Stars; he didn’t see any playoff action with the Moose. Salminen was reassigned back to Norfolk on May 6; the Admirals are currently in the ECHL’s North Division Finals against the Adirondack Thunder. The Admirals currently lead the series 2-0. Salminen, who played in one game for Norfolk in the 2024 ECHL Kelly Cup playoffs, won game one of the North Division Semifinals against the Trois-Rivieres Lions; he made 33 saves in a 4-2 victory. Mark Henry

April 2024 – Salminen has played in 11 games with the Norfolk Admirals; he has a 7-2-1 record with a 2.99 GAA and .893 SV%. On March 29, Salminen capped off the Admiral’s 5-2 win over the Atlanta Gladiators with a goalie goal; that victory helped Norfolk clinch a spot in the Kelly Cup playoffs. Norfolk is 39-21-6-1 during the 2023-24 season and sits second in the North Division of the ECHL standings. Mark Henry

February 2024 – Salminen was reassigned from the AHL’s Manitoba Moose to the ECHL’s Norfolk Admirals on February 16, he appeared in 11 games for the Moose this season and posted a record of 4-7-0 with a 3.91 GAA and .870 SV%. Mark Henry

January 2024 – After a solid first season in North America with the Manitoba Moose, Salminen has failed to build off his success and has been operating as the Manitoba Moose’s backup goaltender behind Collin Delia. In ten games, he has a 4-6-0 record with a 3.90 GAA and .868 SV%. Mark Henry

August 2023 – In his first season in North America with the Manitoba Moose, Salminen played in 39 regular season games, compiling an 18-13-6 record with a .896 SV% and a 3.06 GAA. Salminen enters the final year of his two-year entry-level contract in 2023-24, looking to build off a strong 2023 playoff performance with the Moose that saw him play in four playoff games; he went 2-2 with a .923 SV% and a 2.25 GAA. Mark Henry

Salminen signed his entry-level contract on May 6th after compiling quite a successful season in Liiga. His development took a monstrous leap forward in the professional ranks of Finland. The Jukurit workhorse appeared in a whopping 55 games, sporting a .920 save percentage, while leading the league in wins, saves, and shutouts. Next season will be the real test for the young netminder, as he competes for a spot within the Jets organization.  The Jets have some decent depth in the crease, and should he not impress at camp, he can still compete in Liiga on loan where he was arguably the best goalie in the league. With Comrie’s status a question mark based on his contract status, neither Berdin nor Holm are elite options and Salminen has the opportunity to step in and be a major contributor at the AHL level.  It remains to be seen if his stellar year in Liiga can translate to success in North America or if this was a flash-in-the-pan for Salminen. One thing is for certain, he demonstrated a valuable toolset and his development has taken a steep trajectory with his performance, worthy of a contract. He will likely take some more seasoning in the minors or overseas before pursuing his fringe starter potential in the NHL.  Justin Kaye