Getting to Know: Barron and Niemelä

The tentative dates for the 2020 NHL Entry Draft have been moved up to Oct 6-7 and then free agency starts Oct. 9.
The draft, originally set for June 26-27 in Montreal, will be done in a virtual environment.

The Detroit Red Wings have three second-round picks - their own, the Edmonton Oilers' pick (acquired in the trade that sent Andreas Athanasiou to Edmonton) and the Washington Capitals' pick (acquired in the trade that sent Nick Jensen to Washington).
DetroitRedWings.com is taking a look at some of the players, one North American and one international each week, who are likely to be available.
This week it's back to the blue line, starting with Justin Barron of the QMJHL's Halifax Mooseheads.
Barron, who is 6-foot-2, 195 pounds, had four goals, 15 assists and just six penalty minutes in 34 games.

NHL Central Scouting had Barron 16th among North American skaters in its final rankings, released April 8.
Craig Button, TSN's director of scouting, had Barron 26th overall on his final Craig's List, which came out March 30.
Button's TSN colleague, Bob McKenzie, was in step with Button, ranking Barron 25th.

The Athletic's Scott Wheeler placed Barron 47th in his final ranking for the 2020 NHL Draft's top 100 prospects.
"It was hard to get a read on Barron this season," Wheeler said. "He played on a (rare) bad team in Halifax and battled injuries throughout. He has always been a top prospect and has long played with a maturity you don't often see in 16- and 17-year-olds. But he didn't really get the opportunity to progress like much of his peers, his game plateaued when he was in the lineup and I'm just a little hesitant to project him one way or the other these days. I'm just more confident in the players who are ahead of him here.
"He was excellent a year ago and I wouldn't fault a team for considering him late in the first round or early in the second. There's nothing about his game that will really grab you but he does everything well. I'll be keeping a close eye on him next year. He's a Hockey Canada favorite, so if he gets off to a strong start, he'll probably be on Team Canada for the world juniors."

Wheeler's colleague at The Athletic, Corey Pronman, was more in line with Button and McKenzie, ranking Barron 29th.
"Barron is a player who's been hyped for a few years, playing well for Canada and Halifax," Pronman said. "He had a tough season with a blood clot keeping him out for a while. He came back in late February, but it was still mostly a lost season with so-so production. On the ice, Barron is a fantastic skater who can lead a rush and close a gap very well, and he projects to be able to handle the NHL speed easily. When he hooks the net and is able to rush with speed, he's very difficult to stop with his size.

"The question on his game among scouts is whether he has enough skill and offensive IQ to move the puck at the higher levels. I think he does, but I understand the concerns and debated between putting a 55 or 60 on his hockey sense. He may not be a top puck-mover on your blue line, but rather someone who is solid defensively and makes enough plays to take even strength shifts."
The Mooseheads' Twitter account, @HFXMooseheads, had an interview with Barron after he returned to action in early March.
"It was long, it was a long three months," Barron said. "It feels great to be back. I'm happy I was able to recover and be healthy now and help my guys on the ice now."

Dobber Hockey said: "It was a difficult draft-eligible season for the former QMJHL first-round selection. The 6-2 righty lost a sizable chunk of his campaign to a blood clot but returned before the pandemic-induced cancellation of the campaign. Barron is a steady, transitional defenseman that exhibits signs of offensive upside. However, he'll need the prime ice to get there and many question whether that will come to fruition unless the stars align."
Watch: Youtube Video
Red Line Report ranked Barron 28th in its 2020 Draft Guide, saying, "Has a long, powerful skating stride and good instincts on both sides of the puck to establish himself as a steady presence on the blue line. Was mildly disappointing early on, as he failed to take the next step offensively when given a boatload of minutes after a big chunk of the Halifax blue line moved on. Then in early December, things got worse as he was diagnosed with blood clots and shut down for nearly three months, but he did get a clean bill of health and got seven games in before the season was cancelled. That being said, he remains a good prospect with a fine size/mobility combination, and the hockey sense to potentially become a second pairing defenseman. Will rarely have any big brain cramps, and plays a steady game in his own end. Positionally sound and will get physical around the crease and in corner battles."
Over in Finland, defenseman Topi Niemelä, who is 5-foot-11 and a slight 156 pounds, had one goal, six assists and just eight penalty minutes in 34 games with Kärpät.
While those numbers might not stand out, it is important to note that it is very rare for such a young player to spend the entire season in Liiga, Finland's top league.
An injury to a third-pair defenseman opened the door for Niemelä and he grabbed his chance and never relinquished it.
"Of course there are two sides of the same coin", Niemelä said in a March interview with Dobber Prospects' Jokke Nevalainen. "In the junior league, I could have played on power play and penalty kill, getting big responsibility. But here I get to battle against men in a league that has much higher tempo, better quality of competition, and higher requirements for the game. So maybe it does develop more to play at the men's level. Of course it would have been nice to play a few games in the junior league this season but I can't really complain for being in this situation as a 17-year-old."
Watch: Youtube Video
NHL Central Scouting placed Niemelä eighth among international skaters.
Niemelä talked with Nevalainen about the need to gain strength but not necessarily gain a lot of weight.
"You'll easily lose your legs if you add too much, and skating has always been my strength," Niemelä said. "I'm trying to add weight gradually, I'm not in a hurry to get anywhere. Of course you need to add some weight in the summer but not too much at once."
TSN's Button placed Niemelä 46th on his final Craig's List.
TSN's McKenzie was of a similar mind, ranking Niemelä 38th overall.
Tweet from @DraftDynasty1: Topi Niemel�� masterclass of movement and positioning in the offensive zone without the puck. Nice goal. You won't see too many defencemen driving the net like that and getting a rebound. Great instincts. pic.twitter.com/4Yl4791JC4
The Athletic's Wheeler had Niemelä 56th in his final ranking.
The Athletic's Pronman saw Niemelä a little more positively, placing him 36th.
"Niemelä stuck as a regular all season on one of the best teams in Liiga," Pronman said. "He's often played ahead of his age group the past few years. Niemelä may not be a very flashy player, but he is a play-driver. He's a very smart puck-mover who makes a lot of clever zone exits. He has good mobility and skill to evade pressure and make some plays in open ice, but his brain drives his value. Niemelä has enough skill in his game to move the puck up well and make some plays off the offensive blue line, but I doubt whether he's a true power-play type in the NHL.
"Despite his size, I see someone who will be quality in his own end because of his great feet and brain, and will be good enough offensively to take a regular shift."

Dobber Hockey said, "Niemelä has been more of an offensive defenseman earlier in his career but after earning a spot on Kärpät's Liiga team, one of the top teams in Europe, he focused on improving his play without the puck to become a more well-rounded player. His offensive tools weren't as visible at the men's level but they're still there and will show up once he gets comfortable and earns a bigger role. Niemelä is a great skater and a very good puck-mover. He needs a couple of seasons to get physically stronger but he'll challenge for an NHL spot after that, and it's easy to see him eventually playing a middle-pair role there."

Red Line Report was not as high on Niemelä, placing him 85th in its draft guide, saying, "Finesse, puck-moving defenseman has excellent vision and gets the puck to the right spots on the breakout. Smart and highly mobile with quick feet. Is active and involved, handles the puck with his head up and makes good plays. Moves up aggressively to pinch, but gets himself caught up ice on occasion. Outstanding agility and has strong short area burst for winning races from front of the net to the corners.
"Played better against men in the organized, structured environment of Liiga than in junior hockey. Has a surprisingly good shot and walks down off the point to fire dangerous lasers, keeping it low and on net for deflections and rebounds. Slightly built and needs to add lots of upper body strength -- is easily overpowered in battles down low. Relies on angles and an active stick to defend, but is not great in coverage. Willing shot blocker on the PK, regularly giving up his body."