Wings Nation First Round Targets: Miro Heiskanen
6 years ago
Miro Heiskanen is arguably the best defenseman available in this draft. Heiskanen played professional hockey in Finland this past season, showing he has the ability to excel against men. He may not have the elite skill of Cale Makar or Timothy Liljegren, but surpasses them in terms of intelligence. The Finnish born rearguard has an extremely high hockey IQ and excels in all three zones. Heiskanen stands roughly 6’ and 170 lbs, a size that makes him ideal for todays NHL. He can move the puck and defend using his skating. His vision is also elite, as he can usually pick out the correct pass to break the puck out of the zone or set up a teammate in the offensive zone.
Heiskanen projects as a possible first pairing defensemen and may not be available when the Wings select at 9th overall. If he is, Detroit would be smart to choose the smooth Finnish defenseman.
NHL CS Ranking
Ranked 4th among European prospects.
The Stats
Heiskanen put up 10 points in 37 games for HIFK of Finland’s top professional league. This is an impressive total for an underage defenseman, proving Heiskanen has strong offensive upside. He also put up 12 points in 7 games during the U18 World Junior Championships, leading all defensemen and ranking 2nd overall in tournament scoring. This tournament solidified Heiskanen’s position as top defenseman in this draft.
The Eye Test
Bob McKenzie of TSN had this to say about the blueliner:
Heiskanen is the only “new” member of TSN’s Top 5 compared to the mid-season rankings of late January. The Finnish blueliner has been rocketing up the scouting charts, moving from No. 13 on our list to No. 4, effectively replacing Swedish defenceman Timothy Liljegren, who went from No. 3 at mid-season to No. 12 on the draft lottery rankings list. Heiskanen is the consensus top defenceman available in this draft.
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Does He Fit In With The Red Wings
Heiskanen is a strong two-way defenseman and, if all goes well, he could be capable of anchoring a top pair in the future. His style of play reminds me of Duncan Keith as he is an excellent skater who has strong hockey sense. He can produce offensively and shut down the opposing team’s top players. The Red Wings currently lack exactly this type of defenseman.
Since Nick Lidstrom retired, the Wings have not had a true number one defenseman. Heiskanen could be this player. He will probably not be available at the 9th overall pick, but their have been rumors (see Elliotte Friedman’s latest 30 thoughts piece) that some teams, including the Wings, may be interested in moving up to Dallas’ 3rd overall pick to take the defenseman. It would depend what the price is, but Heiskanen is worth the risk in my opinion. He could anchor the Wings’ top pair for years to come.
