The Nashville Predators have signed Joakim Kemell to a three-year entry-level contract. Nashville drafted the Finnish forward with the 17th overall pick in this year’s NHL Draft.
The #Preds have signed forward Joakim Kemell to a three-year, entry-level contract:https://t.co/q7fnLmyWYo
— Nashville Predators PR (@PredsPR) July 15, 2022
Predators Sign First Round Pick Joakim Kemell
Another first-round pick has been locked up, as Nashville has signed their newly drafted prospect to a three-year, entry-level contract after a strong showing at Nashville’s 2022 Rookie Development Camp.
Kemell spent the majority of this season with JYP of the top Finnish league, Liiga. With JYP, he racked up 23 points in 39 games in his first professional season. He racked up 15 points in 12 games with Finland’s U-18 team and scored 6 points in 3 games with the Under-20 squad. He earned a bronze medal with the U-18 team in the IIHF U18 World Championships and won Liiga’s Rookie of the year.
What This Means
This is good for the Predators to lock Kemell up on a rookie three-year deal. He has impressed a lot of people at the development camp and should make an impact with the Predators. Although it is unclear whether he will play with Nashville to start out the season, or if he will start with Milwaukee to start the season off, or return to Finland for another season.
Nashville is in an interesting spot, as they are starting to be competitive again after spending the last few years near the bottom of the standings. However, they got swept by the eventual Stanley Cup champion Colorado Avalanche in an unconvincing fashion, getting practically destroyed in all four games.
Like the majority of the European prospects that enter the NHL, it will take a bit of adjusting to the North American style of hockey, but he shouldn’t take too long. As mentioned earlier, he seems to be impressing the team a ton with how well he has performed at the camp, so he should make some impact out of the gate.
Scouting Report
Ben Kerr of LWOS says the following on Kemell as part of his scouting report:
“Kemell is a pure sniper. He has an outstanding arsenal of shots. His one-timers are absolutely lethal. Kemell is able to get it off even if the pass is a little off. He also has an outstanding wrist shot. It is both powerful and accurate. Kemell also shows a quick and deceptive release. He is able to toe-drag the puck and let it go, fooling goaltenders. Kemell is also able to score in tight to the net. His quick hands are able to deflect pucks and pounce on rebounds. Kemell can deke a goalie in tight and beat him in close.
Kemell is also skilled as a playmaker. He has good hands and is able to make quick moves to open up passing and shooting lanes. He is also accurate with his passes and has shown the ability to make tape-to-tape passes through tight areas. However, he needs to read the play better. He does not always take the best pass that is available, keeping the puck on the outside, instead of setting up a scoring chance. Kemell is willing to play physical on the forecheck and in battles for pucks on the boards. This aspect of his game will become more effective as he gets stronger.”
