2024 Draft Notebook: Helenius gaining experience in Liiga, looks to be top-5 pick

The 2024 NHL Draft will be held on June 28-29, reportedly at Sphere in Las Vegas, Nevada. NHL.com will take a closer look at some of the draft-eligible players to watch.

Konsta Helenius is confident he'll hear his name among the top five selections of the 2024 NHL Draft.

Few would argue with him.

The 17-year-old center (5-foot-11, 180 pounds), who is No. 1 on NHL Central Scouting's midterm ranking of International skaters eligible for the 2024 draft, has shown a rapid development curve and his confidence has increased as a result. The right-handed shot has 22 points (eight goals, 14 assists) and 123 shots on goal while averaging 17:04 of ice time in 30 games in his second professional season with Jukurit in Liiga, the top men's league in Finland,

"I had a good summer of training and with a good group of guys who believed in me and that's a good thing; keeps my confidence high," Helenius said. "I became stronger on the puck after that summer training. I think battling for me is the hardest thing playing in Liiga because those big players don't make many mistakes."

He has the most points by any player under 19 in Liiga this season and the second most points among any teenager in the league.

"It's my goal, of course, to be like, top five (in the NHL draft)," Helenius said. "It's not impossible to me. I need to play good in Liiga and I feel I did the best I could at World Juniors."

Helenius had two points (one goal) and 13 shots on goal in seven games for fourth-place Finland at the 2024 IIHF World Junior Championship in Gothenburg, Sweden earlier this month. He averaged 19:12 of ice time in a second-line role for Finland coach Lauri Mikkola.

"He has a good sense of the game," Mikkola said. "He's a step ahead all the time, is a strong guy and always battling in the corners to win pucks. He also has a good shot with lots of skills."

Helenius had six points (two goals, four assists), 15 shots and finished with the best face-off winning percentage (65.5; 38-for-58) in five games for Finland at the 2023 IIHF World Under-18 Championship in April. He averaged 18:27 in ice time for fifth-place Finland.

"Helenius is deceptively quick, skilled and clever, yet plays with the poise of a veteran and while not big in stature, stands out with his compete and battle game," NHL director of NHL Central Scouting Dan Marr said. "He's a top-line center and continues to trend higher in rankings."

Born in Ylöjärvi, Finland, Helenius was loaned to Jukurit from Tappara's junior team in 2022-23 with an eye on receiving even more playing time. Helenius said he and his agent felt the timing was right to face tougher competition. In Jukurit, he is coached by former NHL forward Olli Jokinen.

"He played in the NHL and playing in the NHL is my dream," Helenius said of Jokinen. "He knows what it's like, gives me little tips and helps me understand the little things, battling and face-offs, too."

Who does Helenius model his game after?

"Aleksander Barkov (Florida Panthers) because he's born in Tampere, where I am, too," Helenius said. "He played for Tappara where I played and he's a two-way player and an all-around good player."

Jukka-Pekka Vuorinen, NHL director of European Scouting, has been impressed with the maturity and consistency that Helenius has exhibited. It was certainly a big reason he was No. 1 on Central Scouting's midterm ranking of International skaters.

"He's shown very good progress taking a big role on the men's team," Vuorinen said. "He still has hidden talents. I thought he got better as the World Juniors progressed."

Forward Lenni Hameenaho (New Jersey Devils), who was Helenius' linemate for a few games at World Juniors, feels two full seasons in Liiga will pay off in the future.

"I think he's a very smart player, can pass, shoot and is fun to play with," Hameenaho said. "He's a big player for Jukurit, so I wasn't too surprised by his play at World Juniors, though some people were. He's a strong guy even though he's not the biggest player on the ice. He can win those battles by being smarter than the opponent."

Helenius will continue to improve his defensive play, an area he wants to be more consistency. He has scored three power-play goals and has a 50.3 face-off winning percentage (374 draws taken). 

"I am a minus-1 in Liiga right now but was plus-9 last season (in 33 games)," Helenius said. "I need to get better in the defensive zone but also in the offensive zone. I didn't score many 5-on-5 goals, just on the power play, so I need to get better in both areas."

PROSPECTS ON THE RADAR (listed alphabetically)

Kamil Bednarik, C, USA U-18 (NTDP):  Bednarik (6-0, 185), No. 22 on Central Scouting's midterm ranking of North American skaters, has 37 points (15 goals, 22 assists) in 34 games with USA Hockey's National Team Development Program Under-18 team. He participated in the All-American Game on Monday that featured 41 of the top 2024 NHL Draft-eligible skaters and goalies from the NTDP and the United States Hockey League. He'll attend Boston University in 2024-25.

"Kamil is a good-sized center with a lot of skill," NHL Central Scouting’s David Gregory said. "He's got a real balanced attack, can finish but also can be a playmaker and has excellent compete. He's always on the right side of the puck and plays a solid game."

Trevor Connelly, LW, Tri-City (USHL): The No. 5 skater on Central Scouting's midterm list of North American skaters is tied for sixth in USHL scoring with 35 points (11 goals, 24 assists) in 25 games. Committed to Providence College next fall, Connelly (6-1, 161) is first with 13 power-play assists. He had one assist in the All-American Game.

"Connelly is a prospect that continues to impress scouts as he grows his game with speed, skills and compete," NHL Central Scouting director Dan Marr said. "He plays and processes the game at speed, similar to what Patrick Kane and Mitchell Marner displayed in their draft years."

Matvei Gridin, RW, Muskegon (USHL): An All-American Game participant, Gridin (6-1, 185), No. 30 on Central Scouting's midterm ranking of North American skaters, is third in USHL scoring with 37 points (15 goals, 22 assists) in 32 games. Gridin, who is committed to the University of Michigan in 2024-25, is tied for fifth with seven power-play goals.

"Matvei has a nice combination of size, skill and goal-scoring ability," Central Scouting's Pat Cullen said. "He's very offensively gifted and has excellent hands and hockey sense. He's dangerous around the net and likes to score and find open ice to give himself chances."

LNH.com staff writer Guillaume Lepage contributed to this report.