Teuvo Teravainen: Puck Daddy’s 2012 NHL Draft FAQ

The 2012 NHL Draft is upon us. Many hockey fans know these prospects well. Others are aware there's a guy named "Nail" and some other dudes among the top picks. Please allow Puck Daddy's 2012 NHL Draft FAQ to fill in the gaps.

Who is this person?

Teuvo Teravainen, a left wing/center and native of Helsinki, Finland.

How do you say ...?

Tay-vo Terra-vine-en

Where did he play?

He's played in his native Finland since 2009, and played 40 games with the Finnish Elite League's Jokerit. He scored 18 points.

What does he do to make scouts drool on their wrinkled suits?

A dynamic playmaker who has the "vision thing", i.e. attempting passes that other forward lack the creativity to try. Fred Poulin went this far on The Hockey Writers: "The talented winger is blessed with a great hockey sense, top-notch puck skills and great skating abilities similar to Pavel Datsyuk."

He's also been known as an asset on the power play given his passing, ability to control tempo and underrated one-timer. Plus, he played among men over in Finland; Victor Hedman's stock was similarly raised coming out of Sweden.

What does he do to make scouts pop antacids?

The Finnish have a word for it: "alamittainen." Which is a fancy, exotic way of saying "undersized."

He's listed at 5-11 and 165 pounds, and the thought is that he needs to be stronger if he's going to be an effective NHL player — essentially he's a perimeter player at this point. He also needs some improvement on the defensive side of the ice.

In your worst nightmare he's ...

... the target of a low-light package during Coach's Corner while Grapes rants about how soft he is.

Is he on Twitter?

Nope.

Celebrity he most resembles?

Draco Malfoy.

Three Questions with Y! Sports' Junior Hockey Blog Buzzing The Net (see full profile here)

1. Is it tough for a smaller forward to play in Finland, like it can be in the NHL?

"It's not so tough. I have to play smart and have to skate a lot and I think it's not a problem."

2. Who are your role models in the NHL?

"I like very much [Detroit Red Wings centre] Pavel Datsyuk and [Chicago Blackhawks centre] Patrick Kane. Those are my favourite players. But I think I'm more like another Finnish guy, Valtteri Filppula [of the Red Wings]."

3. How do describe your game to people who haven't seen you play yet?

"I think I'm a playmaking guy with good skating and I think I'm good with the puck. I think it's natural for me."

Where will he be drafted?

The late word on Teravainen is that his stock is rising. Kyle Woodlief has him at No. 7 to the Minnesota Wild. MyNHLMockDraft.com has him at No. 8 with the Carolina Hurricanes. Adam Kimelman of NHL.com has him a bit lower at No. 12 with the Buffalo Sabres. But he sounds like a player trending up at the right time.

Obligatory YouTube

Here's a good sense of his shot on this goal vs. HFIK