Red Wings Pre-Draft Prospect Profile: Joakim Kemell Edition

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The Detroit Red Wings are ready to draft yet another star player this year. The name they have been tied to: Joakim Kemell.

The Detroit Red Wings are now drafting in the top 10 for their sixth consecutive year. Which means that they will more than likely be drafting at least one premier player if they draft correctly.

Knowing that when you draft inside the top 10, you’re going to get a premier player is always exciting. In fact, in my head as a person who loves the draft, I consider the top 10 my Christmas. It’s always so fun to see the next set of stars go off the board and seeing their dreams come true. But, that’s when reality kicks in.

In order to be in a position to get a premier player in the draft, you generally have to endure some gruesome losses and reflect on the season over and over again. But, what gives people hope is thinking about teams like Tampa Bay and Colorado who both at one point were no good, and now here they are competing in the Stanley cup. The Red Wings could be next especially because they are following in their footsteps.

The Red Wings are currently selecting eight overall in this years 2022 NHL entry draft and have had a lot of different names pop up in mock drafts. However, as the draft keeps approaching, their has been a name that has become more and more steady- Joakim Kemell.

So, let’s take a look at the film.

Joakim Kemell. (Photo by Matthias Hangst/Getty Images) /

Prospect Breakdown: Joakim Kemell, RW, JYP

Joakim Kemell is currently an 18 year old prospect who is eligible for the 2022 NHL Entry draft. Kemell is currently playing for JYP which is a Liiga team and has been for his entire career.

The Finland native has made a name for himself for his unique skill-set and standout talent on a sub-par JYP team. But, what does the film tell us? Well, we see a couple different things when analyzing his game, but before we get into that- as always, here is the professsional scout breakdown of Joakim Kemell.

Pro Scout Breakdown

Scott Wheeler of The Athletic:

“After exploding out of the gate to lead Liiga in scoring through the first third of the season, Kemell’s production hit a bit of a wall in the second half with JYP, a bottom-0f-the-table team. Some of that had to do with poor puck luck (his shot generation remained high), some of it was a reduction in his ice time, and some of it was just the reality that he wasn’t going to be a point-per-game producer in his draft year. He helped assuage some doubts with a six-goal, eight-point U18 worlds performance (though I thought he came and went in the middle of group play, he was excellent in the medal round). “Kemell remains one of the more gifted individual creators in this draft class. He’s a slick, play-creating winger who excels in possession, carves teams up through coverage to take the play from the flanks to the interior, and possesses quick, light hands. Those tools enable him to take advantage of his dangerous wrister, which he can get off quickly from a variety of stances and at a variety of tempos. “On the puck, he’s agile through cuts and changes of direction and plays an intentional, attacking style. Off of the puck, he also plays with a lot of energy and doesn’t shy away from the physical side of the game, which has endeared him to coaches despite his 5-foot-11 frame. I’d like to see him slow down and utilize his linemates a little better than he does as he’s actually a heady playmaker, but part of what makes him so exciting is his insistence on creating his own looks (even if that comes with some forcing it) with that shot of his. He really can sling it, with a wrister and one-timer that both pop.”

Corey Pronman of The Athletic:

“Kemell is a well-rounded winger who has almost every NHL attribute you want other than the size at 5-foot-11. He brings skill and speed to his shifts, showing the ability to carry the puck up ice and create chances for himself and his teammates. Kemell can pass the puck very well, but his shot is his main weapon. You can set him up from mid-range and he can finish. He lacks size, but he plays hard, showing no fear of engaging physically to win back pucks or to take a hit to make a play. He projects as a very good top-six winger who will score a lot of goals in the NHL.”

My Breakdown

Joakim Kemell is one of the more talented offensive players in this draft. But you wouldn’t know that by looking at his stats. I’ve always believed that stats lie, and that is proven with Kemell because rather or not he produced doesn’t matter. He’s a great player and a great prospect with a lot of upside.

Kemell has a skill-set that seems to be one of the more well-rounded in this draft class. However, with that being said, the one thing that really pops off the screen is his elite goal scoring ability. I mean, one person said in a breakdown that he feel’s that he can be a David Pastrnak type offensive player. With a shot that’s being compared to Pastrnak, that seems to me like a risk worth taking.

Kemell has a great shot- Yes. But, that’s not the only part of his game that stands out. He is a very aggressive player in the defensive zone and isn’t afraid of putting a body on the opposition. He goes at them with tenacity and doesn’t back down.

Additionally, he is a talented skater but I do consider that one of his lesser traits. Additionally, he is not a great puck handler. By that I don’t mean that he can’t handle the puck but more along the lines of when in transition.

When he is in transition, and he gets pressed at the blue line, he seems to get caught up in the moment and I saw him lose the puck multiple times. That does scare me, but it’s not overly frequent. Furthermore, it’s something that can be worked on and developed.

I expect him to be a top six forward for the Red Wings when he hits his prime. Additionally, he will more than likely play a sniper role on the wing, and penalty kill one or two depending on the talent on the team with him.

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