The Buffalo Sabres have selected center Konsta Helenius with the 14th-overall pick in the 2024 NHL Draft.
The 5-foot-11, 189-pound native of Ylojarvi, Finland recorded 36 points (14+22) in 51 games in Finland’s top professional league (Liiga) while on a loan to Mikkelin Jukurit. His 36 points were the fourth-most in a single season by an under-18 player in Liiga history behind current NHL forwards Aleksander Barkov (48), Mikael Granlund (40), and Kaapo Kakko (38). His 47 career points rank second all-time among Liiga players before the age of 18, trailing only Barkov.
Helenius also played for Finland at the IIHF World Championship in May – which began one day prior to his 18th birthday – posting one assist and a plus-2 rating in four games as the youngest player in the tournament.
NHL Central Scouting Services, which ranked Helenius third among international skaters in the draft, offered the following description of the forward: “Plays a mature game and does not shy away from the physical side of the game despite his size. A unique skater who always seems to be in the right spot at the right time. Excellent understanding of the game. His playmaking and passing game are outstanding. He is only 17 but is already a key player on his team playing professionally in Finland. Played first or second line center for Finland at the World Junior Championship showing his talent against 19-year-old opponents. Reliable, solid player with a great set of tools.”
NHL.com’s Mike Morreale had Helenius to Buffalo with the 11th-overall pick in a mock draft earlier this month.
“He’s quick, got a lot of skill,” Morreale told Sabres.com. “He’s real smart out there. What I like about him too is that, despite playing against older competition, I thought he showed a lot of poise with where he needed to go, what he needed to do in certain situations.”