LATEST | Canucks unsigned prospect will not be coming over to North America

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Felip Gosselin
April 25, 2023 (8:05 PM)

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The Canucks selected a big-format defender with a lot of untapped potentials in the 2020's draft 3rd Round.

A 6'04'' and 200 pounds giant out of Espoo, Finland, Joni Jurmo, just turned 21. The Finnish has announced his colors and per Rick Dhaliwal, he'll remain in Finland for the upcoming season. While we've already seen Filip Johansson make his way across the ocean, Jurmo, who's still unsigned, is not be hopping on a plane anytime soon.

The versatile defenceman played in Finland's top pro league (Liiga) where he collected 13 points in 52 games with Jukurit, while he may not have been as offensively dominant as expected, it's common knowledge that big-sized defenceman develop their offensive game later as they age.

Up to this day, the scouting reports are still very promising:

''Jurmo's projectable 6-foot-4 frame and smooth skating lend itself to covering large swaths of ice and carrying the puck from one zone to the next sometimes effortlessly. His speed makes him one of the best puck-rushers in the Finnish U20 league. He accelerates well when he's already in motion and is a deceptive skater in the neutral zone with crossovers and changes of pace''

- EliteProspect NHL Draft Guide

It'll surely be intriguing to see how he develops as the Canucks' left side is only getting smaller. Going from Quinn Hughes to Akito Hirose, to Jack Rathbone or Christian Wolanin, adding a 6'04'' defenseman to that core would definitely be going a long way toward building a good group of Blueliners.

He's big, fast, and skilled, could he be OEL's replacement?