Helander was playing left wing on JYP’s top line in their dominant 8-1 win over KalPa in the U18 pre-season. Helander was the star of the game, scoring two nice goals and adding two beautiful assists. He got some shifts on the power play, although it seemed like JYP was running at least three different units in this game.

Helander is a tiny forward and while he is a good skater, he could add another gear to become even more dangerous. At this point, Helander excels by making creative moves and being confident in his skills. He is at his best in the offensive zone, making passing plays with his linemates and setting them up for scoring chances. He is surprisingly effective in the cycle game and doesn’t hesitate to go to the dirty areas either. He could be more consistent in his dekes, but he also usually pulls you out of your seat at least once or twice a game.

Helander was one of the top scorers in the U16 league last season, and he very well could replicate that success at the U18 level. Last season, he was playing a lot with two very talented forwards in Joakim Kemell and Jere Lassila, but at least in this game, he was able to produce and have success without them.

Helander scored a goal and added an assist in JYP’s decisive 5-2 win over Tappara in the Finnish U16 league. Helander was playing as a left winger in JYP’s top line and also received ice time on the power play.

At a generous 5’7”, Helander is a tiny forward with excellent playmaking and puck skills. He used impressive dekes to make space for himself in the offensive zone and created two amazing chances for his linemates by making a couple of moves and passing to the back post. He could have easily ended the game with four or more points. The Finn is also a very agile skater with very good edgework and enough speed to cause trouble to the opposing defenders.

In my viewings, Helander’s lack of size and physicality has prevented him from producing at the U18 level, but at the U16 level, he looks dominant. His impressive vision and overall talent level make him an interesting player to keep an eye on.