18-year-old center scored 36 points in 51 games with Jukurit in the Finnish SM-Liiga
After trading down in the first round on Thursday, the Buffalo Sabres selected Finnish center Konsta Helenius with the 14th overall pick at the 2024 Upper Deck NHL Draft in Las Vegas. Helenius was projected to go slightly higher in the first round and was passed over by the Philadelphia Flyers, who were looking for help up the middle and selected Guelph center Jett Luchanko one pick before Buffalo.
The 18-year-old was impressive in his draft year, scoring 36 points (14 goals, 22 assists) in 51 games for Jukurit in the Finnish SM-Liiga, playing for his country in the IIHF World Junior Under-18, Under-20 Championships, and World Championships, and is considered an energetic two-way center with excellent hockey IQ.
The Hockey Prospect Black Book describes Helenius as a natural playmaking center who plays with an edge, while offering a good amount of agility and craftiness,” and “is a gifted passer, while Tony Ferrari of the Hockey News (who had him going to Minnesota at 13) compared the 18-year-old to former Wild center Mikko Koivu.
Helenius is coached by former NHLer Olli Jokinen, who considered the young center nearly NHL-ready and some draft analysts believe it is not impossible that he could come to North America as soon as next season.
"Go back 12 months ago(with 2023 top pick Zach Benson), we’re open to these things. We want to make sure we're putting a player in a position to succeed but this is a player that we have really high expectations for and we think is closer rather than further away." Sabres GM Kevyn Adams said after the first-round. "(Helenius) is a player that could be in Buffalo, Rochester. Anything's on the table."
