The New Jersey Devils’ top pick in the 2023 draft, Lenni Hameenaho, appears to be on the cusp of making his NHL debut. On Saturday, the club recalled Hameenaho from AHL Utica in the wake of waiving defenseman Colton White and forward Juho Lammikko (even though Lammikko was called right back to the Devils and played on Saturday). Hameenaho did not see the ice on Saturday, but head coach Sheldon Keefe says he will travel with the team on their upcoming road trip through Western Canada and Seattle.
Assuming we see Hameenaho get into game action on the west coast, it will be a highly anticipated debut. On a team absolutely starving for skill and scoring ability in the bottom six, Hameenaho almost certainly won’t completely turn that part of the club around singlehandedly, but he does have the potential to provide a big boost in that regard.
So if we do see Hameenaho inserted into the lineup on the upcoming road trip, what can we expect from the youngster? How might be he deployed? And who might he play with? Let’s try and figure it out:
Hameenaho’s Recent Form
Before we dive into scouting reports and potential lineup decisions, let’s briefly go over how Hameenaho has been performing in his first season in North America.
It’s been a bit of a tale of two seasons for Hameenaho with the Utica Comets. On the surface, it looks decent with nine goals and 21 points in 33 games. His nine goals are tied for second on the team behind Brian Halonen’s 10, and his 21 points is tops on the Comets. However, Hameenaho has been really cooking recently. He actually went his first nine games without a point, finally getting on the scoresheet with a goal on November 11. That means that he’s been producing at close to a point per game pace lately with 21 points in his last 24 games.
Adjusting to a different style of game, a smaller playing surface, and life on a new continent in general can be tough for any non-North American prospect. Hameenaho went through his struggles early, but much credit to him for adjusting to his new surroundings to become a highly productive player.
Hameenaho’s Game
I’m sure many of you are familiar with the broad strokes of Hameenaho’s scouting report, but let’s go over what to expect from him anyway. After all, we could all use a refresher considering it’s been a while since we last saw him play for the Devils in the preseason.
Hameenaho was drafted in the second round (58th overall) in the 2023 draft, New Jersey’s first selection in that draft since they moved their first rounder in the Timo Meier trade. He was largely billed as a jack of all trades, master of one type of player. Yes, I am aware the saying is actually “…master of none”, but calling Hameenaho a player with no standout tools would be unfair. By all accounts, he has one high-quality trait: His hockey IQ. Scouts everywhere rave about Hameenaho’s ability to think the game, find soft spots in opponents’ defensive zone coverage, and put himself in position to score.
Aside from that, it’s all middle of the road stuff for Hameenaho. Average skating, average (or perhaps slightly above average) shot, average defensive game. But his high hockey IQ makes all of his traits play up, so while his physical tools lack any dynamic features, he has made himself into a quality prospect because he just knows how to play the game. He’s been a full-time pro player since the 2022-23 season, first in his native Finland in Liiga, and then in North America with the Comets. Every step of the way, Hameenaho has produced, usually as one of the youngest players in his league. You don’t do that with average physical tools unless you have outstanding hockey sense.
Where He Fits In The Lineup
The big question will be where to insert Hameenaho into the lineup. His production and usage with Utica would tell you that he’s someone who should play in the top six, but the fact that he’s a rookie stepping into a team with a strong top six and a glaring hole in the bottom six would tell you that a slot on the third or fourth line would be best. There are pros and cons to both. Let’s go over the options:
Playing with Jack Hughes: In New Jersey’s last game on Saturday, Jack Hughes centered Jesper Bratt and Evgenii Dadonov. Once upon a time, this was the opening day top line before Dadonov suffered a boatload of injuries and the season went off the rails. I can’t see the Devils separating Hughes and Bratt again, so might Hameenaho take Dadonov’s spot? On the surface, this has the potential to work great. Bratt is a player obsessed with passing the puck, as we all know. Hameenaho and his terrific ability to get open in the high danger areas of the offensive zone might be the ideal compliment to Bratt’s skillset. Not to mention that Hughes has this same ability to set up his teammates with killer passes. Back in 2023-24, Tyler Toffoli was a perfect fit alongside Hughes, serving as the pure goal-scorer this team has long been starved for. I’m not saying Hameenaho would be as good as Toffoli right off the bat, but he might have the ability to serve as a diet version of what Toffoli brought to the table, with the potential to grow into an even more effective player.
The downside to this would be that Hameenaho might not have the foot speed to keep up with Hughes and Bratt. Then again Toffoli is an incredibly slow skater, but he played the game fast thanks to his strong hockey IQ, a trait he shares with Hameenaho. The other negative to this would be that on the road, the Hughes line will usually be targeted by the opposition’s shutdown unit, which Hameenaho might not be ready for.
Playing with Nico Hischier: The other top six option would be to play alongside Nico Hischier. This might work too, considering Hischier and (presumably) Timo Meier are two players who are strong in puck possession and defensively responsible, especially Hischier. They might be able to insulate Hameenaho better than Hughes and Bratt. With Hischier serving as the defensive conscience and facilitator on the line, Meier serving as the bulldozer and volume shooter, and Hameenaho serving as the winger who can help with puck possession while finishing off a Hischier pass or a Meier rebound, this line has the potential to be one of the most well-balanced scoring lines in the league.
The obvious drawback to playing Hameenaho here, of course, is that the Hischier line always gets the toughest assignments every night, especially at home. I’m not so sure Hameenaho has what it takes to play heavy matchup minutes right out of the gate.
Playing in the bottom six: On paper, this would be the more conventional approach to integrating Hameenaho into the lineup. Lining up in the bottom six would take pressure off of him to be a main contributor right away, plus it would theoretically mean he gets softer competition to play against. If he lines up with players like Cody Glass, Connor Brown, or Arseni Gritsyuk, they would bring varying levels of speed and skill that could compliment Hameenaho’s offensive game nicely. If he finds himself on the fourth line with players like Luke Glendening, Paul Cotter, or Juho Lammikko, then Hameenaho might be the offensive force that the unit desperately needs to drag them out of black hole territory. In addition, adding Hameenaho to the bottom six, rather than the top six, might make more sense when factoring in the Devils’ well-documented depth scoring issues. Playing Hameenaho up the lineup doesn’t do much to jump start the bottom six, other than maybe bumping a player like Dadonov or Mercer down, but I feel as though players like them have already proven they can’t help a bottom six that much anyway. It’s probably better to let a hotshot youngster try and inject some life into the bottom of the forward corps.
The downside here is not giving Hameenaho a real chance to shine or putting him in a position to succeed. If you’re only going to give him something like 7-10 minutes a night, and mostly in a grinder role, is that really the best use of a player like that? Additionally, while I can see him meshing reasonably well on a third line with Glass, Brown, and/or Gritsyuk, he absolutely should not be used on the fourth line. I don’t care how well he’s been playing lately, he will undoubtedly be dragged down by Glendening. I’ve already said my piece about how terrible Glendening has been this season, so I won’t dive deep here. Just know that Glendening has been one of the worst Devils I have seen in a long, long time, and if you ask me if Hameenaho would pull Glendening up or if Glendening would drag Hameenaho down, I am taking Glendening – the Michael Jordan of dragging teammates down – over Hameenaho every time. Keep Hameenaho far, far away from Glendening and the fourth line.
Final Thoughts And Your Take
It’s still unclear when we might see Hameenaho play, and how long he might be in the lineup once he makes his debut. Remember, Shane Lachance, another one of New Jersey’s top forward prospects, made his debut earlier this season. But Lachance only got into one game before getting sent back down to Utica. So it’s possible we see Hameenaho follow a similar path, meaning his call-up and potential debut might be a bit anticlimactic. But if Hameenaho actually gets a little runway at the NHL level, I would be excited to watch him play.
If you asked me what I would personally do with Hameenaho, I lean toward having him play with either Hughes or Glass. I don’t think the Hischier line with their brutal deployment would be a good fit for him, and I already told you what I think of him potentially playing with Glendening. If he plays with Hughes and Bratt, I think they might be a terrific fit for Hameenaho and his ability to lose himself in the dangerous areas of the offensive zone and set himself up for grade-A chances. He could be Toffoli-lite with those two players. And then Glass and some combination or Brown or Gritsyuk could be a good combo as well. A third line like that could play a solid puck possession game against other teams’ depth while adding an element of speed and skill.
In the end, I don’t expect Hameenaho to be the savoir of this offense. But I am excited to see what he can do at the NHL level.
What do you think of Hameenaho’s impending debut? Where would you deploy him? How long of a leash do you this Keefe gives him? As always, thanks for reading!
