Philadelphia Flyers Select Santeri Sulku 197th Overall
By Collin Coyne
With their seventh round selection of the 2022 NHL Entry Draft, the Philadelphia Flyers have selected left wing Santeri Sulku from Jokerit’s Under 20 team. Sulku is a very interesting prospect in that he seems to be a fascinating blend of size and skill to still be available this late in the draft.
The most noteworthy aspect of Sulku isn’t necessarily his play on the ice, but his physical size. Measuring in at 6’4”, Sulku is pretty massive for a winger, especially one that shies away from the more physical aspects of the game. The lack of a physical edge may be for the best for him though, as despite his large frame, he is incredibly light, weighing in at only 194 pounds.
When transitioning to higher levels, Sulku will need to put on more muscle, as he will be easily bullied off the puck and unable to make use of his greatest strengths. His strengths are less anything concrete and predominantly a mindset. Offensively Sulku is ready and willing to fire pucks on net from any angle, and more than often able to produce real offense.
Playing for multiple age ranges for Jokerit, Sulku has been able to score at roughly a point per game pace, scoring and assisting generally equally. His shot, skating, and hands are all solid, nothing otherworldly, but often enough for him to take advantage of his size and vision.
The biggest red flag with Sulku as a prospect seems to be his lack of intensity without the puck. He can have a tendency to wait for passes and remove himself from plays, something especially bad due to the fact that his size could prove incredibly valuable in these dirtier areas of the ice.
Similarly, there is also some concern regarding his future plans. With Jokerit announcing their decision to leave the KHL, Sulku has opted to move to the HockeyAllsvenskan, the second tier of the SHL, playing for MoDo Hockey’s Under 20 team. While still playing in a development league, the opponent quality will decline transitioning from the KHL to SHL and may affect his development.
Sulku is only 18, and has a lot of time to develop moving forward. If he can fill out some of his massive frame, and can be coached to be more involved in plays when the puck isn’t on his stick there is a lot to like, and he will be an interesting Flyers prospect to follow.