Veeti Väisänen

July 2024- Vaisanen has been drafted by the Utah Hockey Club in the third round, 96th overall. Keith Duggan

April 2024 – Väisänen has slipped a bit from our last rankings (48th), with the rising concern regarding his puck handling and decision making under pressure, though his strengths have remained evident. Väisänen relies on his hockey sense as he positions himself proactively to shut down the opponent. He has a great mobility that has allowed him to beat opponents in races to 50/50 pucks. He likes to engage physically and is effective at closing in on the boards, even against the pro competition. – Anni Karvinen 

April Rankings: 68th

February 2024 – Veeti Väisänen is a smooth-skating left-handed defenseman, who’s been logging regular Liiga minutes with KooKoo. He plays a reliable two-way game closing gaps effectively and positioning well. While he may not possess the flashiest tools, he utilizes them extremely effectively. Väisänen plays very mature hockey and rarely looks out of place when playing against professional competition. Despite not having the biggest frame (6’0″ & 163 lbs) he uses it quite well when closing in on the boards even against the Liiga competition. As the season has progressed, he’s seemed more comfortable playing in the Liiga and playing to his strengths. I look forward to seeing if he can elevate his game by becoming more active in the offensive zone on a regular basis. – Anni Karvinen

February Rankings: 48th