Florida Panthers: What to expect from Henrik Haapala this season
With Jussi Jokinen gone and playing in Edmonton, the Florida Panthers will be counting on Henrik Haapala to fill his shoes.
On June 1st, the Florida Panthers signed forward Henrik Haapala to a two-year entry-level contract. Haapala has spent his entire career in the Finnish Elite League (liiga), representing Tappara (Finland). The 23-year-old recorded 15G, 45A and 60 points in 51 games played last season.
The Finnish native is also good friends with Aleksander Barkov, who both spent some time playing for Tappara together. Now the two will be reunited once again, but this time in Sunrise, Florida. Even though Barkov is one year younger than Henrik, he has promised that he will take care of his fellow Finn and will help him adapt in his new surroundings.
Heading into his rookie season this year, it’s difficult to predict where Henrik will end up production wise. He will likely be placed on the second line with Trocheck and Vrbata. Haapala will replace Jussi on the left side, while Vrbata replaces Smith on the right side. The 5’9 forward will have big shoes to fill, despite his lack of NHL experience.
A fair prediction for Haapala’s slash line this season would have to be 10G, 25A and 35 points all together. When judging his stat line and play last year, it’s fair to say that Henrik is more of a playmaker, rather than a goal scorer. Henrik’s bread and butter is naturally his speed and playmaking skill.
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Having two finishers in Trocheck and Vrbata, Henrik’s playmaking abilities will compliment the two very well. Being able to set up a guy like Trocheck (especially) should easily increase Vinnie’s production, which the Cats desperately need. Haapala will likely produce little in the goals department, but could very well make up for it in the assist column.
While a 35 point prediction may seem low for Henrik, it’s only fair to give such a low figure to an unexperienced young winger. We shouldn’t overestimate what Henrik is capable of, especially when he hasn’t stepped foot in an NHL game yet. For the fan base, we’ll have to wait and see how Henrik Haapala turns out. Ultimately, Haapala should turn out fairly well considering who he’s likely to be paired with.
Next: Florida Panthers: Review of the past two playoff appearances
Overall, it’ll be all assumptions with Henrik Haapala until the season get’s under way. The young fin has a lot to prove and even bigger shoes to fill. Don’t expect much out of him in his first year, especially in the goals department. I stand by my prediction of 10G, 25A and 35 points all together in 82 games.