Any Palamino Is A Teravainen
No big trades, no little trades, nothing that will make the hockey ignorant smile or decide they don't want to kill Stan Bowman. However, from most if not all corners, the reports are that Stan made a very solid pick, if not an outright steal, in Teuvo Teravainen. And thanks to him, we'll get to struggle to spell his name right for years to come, should he make the breakthrough.
Even those who aren't all that in the know, like us, projected Teravainen as a Top 10 pick. So getting him at 18, on those facts alone, is exciting. Reasons he might have slipped have to do with his size which has been generously listed at 5-11 and 185lb. But we know the Hawks don't care a jot about size if they think the player can provide other things to get around it, and Teravainen just might have it. Hands that are described as some of the best in the draft, and vision to go with it. Those are two things you can't teach, and should get him far.
Some teams were scared off by a drop in production when Teuvo bumped up to the Jokerit senior team. But unlike Junior, this was a 17-year old playing against men for the most part, not kids around his age. So a dropoff is natural. Not that the Finnish Elite League is better than the CHL, but still making the senior squad at that age is impressive. When picking on kids his own size, Teravaien barfed up 20 points in 11 games. There's obviously some bulging skill here.
Teuvo isn't going to make the Hawks this year, though you can expect them to ooze the normal, we're-so-impressed quotes during his brief stay in training camp this year, which he'll probably attend so they can get a look (if not prospects camp). He's planning on going back to FInland, and after that he's probably going to need a year in Rockford to get acclimated to the North American game. What a wonder it might have done for Marcus Kruger. But on the whole, sounds like a good day for the Hawks.
-A word on the Jordan Staal trade. I know some were dejected that the Hawks weren't in on it, but it's been obvious to just about everyone that Staal wanted to go to Carolina, and that's the only place he'll even consider signing a deal. You can't sacrifice that high of a pick, a pretty interesting center prospect that Sutter is, as well as another prospect, for a guy who's going to be around a year. So let's all calm down.
