Welcome back to Top Shelf Prospects, the daily column that brings you the next crop of professional hockey players. Each day I will bring you a new player profile or topical article in the lead-up to the 2020 NHL Draft. Be sure to bookmark the site, follow me on Twitter, and spread the word for the site that will bring you analytical and critical profiles and scouting reports! Last Word On Hockey Prospects is your new headquarters for everything “NHL Draft”! We have a complete listing of our draft articles here. Today we look at Roby Jarventie.
Finnish winger Roby Jarventie graduated to the Finnish SM Liiga this year, playing five games and scoring one goal for Ilves. Needing a bit more development, he was loaned to KooVee Tampere in the Mestis, Finland’s second highest men’s division. He put up 23 goals and 38 points in 36 games. Jarventie was named to the Mestis second all-star team. He also played for Finland at the Hlinka-Gretzky Cup, scoring one goal in three games. Overall, Jarventie had four goals and three assists for seven points for Finland’s Under-18 team.
In 2018-19, Jarventie played nine games for Ilves in the Finnish Under-18 league and absolutely dominated. He put up 14 goals and 28 points, averaging over three points per game. He was quickly moved up to the Under-20 league putting up 14 goals and 31 points in 40 games. Jarventie also played for Finland at the 2018 Under-17 World Hockey Challenge. He helped the team to a silver medal, however, he scored just one goal in six games. Overall, Jarventie put up seven goals and 14 points in 27 games with the Under-17 National Team. He put up three points in three games and won bronze at the European Youth Olympics.
Roby Jarventie Scouting Report
Left Wing — shoots Left
Born August 8th, 2002 — Tampere, Finland
Height 6’2″ — Weight 184 lbs [188 cm/83 kg]
Skating
Jarventie is an excellent skater. He has a powerful stride and generates excellent speed. His first step is very quick and his acceleration is excellent. Jarventie uses his ability to change speeds as a weapon off the rush. He can take a defender wide and cut to the net. Jarventie also has outstanding edgework. His ability to change directions and make quick cuts makes him tough to defend both with and without the puck. He is also strong on his skates. He can fight through checks and take the puck to the net. Jarventie also has good balance. He can fight for the puck in the corners and in front of the net.
Offensive Game
Jarventie is a pure sniper. He has a very good arsenal of shots. His wrist shot is powerful and accurate and features an excellent release. He can create space with his skating to get it off. If defenders back off to protect against getting beat wide, he can use them as a screen and fire it on the net. Jarventie also has an excellent snapshot and one-timer. He can even score with his backhand. His quick hands allow him to make moves in tight to the net. Jarventie can also get to the front of the net where he can bang in a rebound or get a deflection. He is not afraid to play in the dirty areas of the ice.
Mainly known for his goal-scoring, Jarventie is also a talented playmaker. He sees the ice well and anticipates where his teammates and defenders will be. He has excellent hands and can control the puck while moving at top speed. This makes him dangerous off the rush. As defenders back off, it also creates passing lanes to get the puck to a teammate. Working in the offensive zone, he can create a lane with his quick hands and his lateral agility. Jarventie is also willing to battle along the boards and win pucks, before getting them to a teammate for a scoring chance.
Defensive Game
Jarventie needs to work on his defensive game and this is his biggest weakness right now. He often looks disinterested in his own end of the ice. He can get caught watching the puck and not moving his feet. This can allow his man to get open. Jarventie also has a tendency to leave the zone early, looking for a long breakout pass to create offence. When he does engage defensively, he reaches for pucks with his stick and doesn’t really engage physically. His positioning can also be an issue. With good coaching and some more maturity this can be improved, but right now is a question mark.
Projection and Comparison
Jarventie has the speed and skill to develop into a top-six winger at the NHL level if things go well. At 6-foot-2 he has a good frame but is a bit lanky right now. He needs to add more muscle to that frame. His defensive game is the biggest concern and pro coaches will need to see improvement or ice time could be hard to come by. Jarventie’s game is reminiscent of Phil Kessel at this time, but this is a stylistic comparison only and not one based on skill and ability.
Highlights
The following is a compilation of some of the highlight packages and features of Roby Jarventie that are available on youtube.
Check back tomorrow for the next prospect on our draft board.
Roby Jarventie Main Photo:
Roby Jarventie – 2020 NHL Draft Prospect Profile#THW #NHL
https://t.co/U136wxG8zy— The Hockey Writers (@TheHockeyWriter) April 19, 2020
Roby Jarventie has many of those intangible skills like speed, size, and scoring that NHL general managers look for on draft day. (Pasi Mennander / Finnish Ice Hockey Association)
