We’re kicking off our Top 25 Under 25 in a very puzzling way.. Vili Saarijarvi at no. 25? Really? Seems strange.
Real talk, though, Saarijarvi is still a very intriguing prospect, but he’s fallen in the ranking due to the surge of other young defensemen who have jumped over him (Hicketts, Hronek, Cholowski, etc.). That being said, I still see Saarijarvi as a potential NHL defenseman. Let’s break it down.
Strengths
Vili is a supreme skater. If you’ve ever seen him play with the Griffins, or even in the OHL, you know this. He’s quick, he sees the ice well, and he has creativity.