Ylönen wasn’t particularly noticeable in the WJC quarterfinal game against Canada. Ylönen’s 3rd line lost offensive power when Aarne Talvitie was promoted to the 1st line. The Finn played the game with Santeri Virtanen (C) and Valtteri Puustinen (LW) and had only 11:19 minutes of ice time.

Ylönen didn’t get scoring chances and played mostly without the puck in the offensive zone. The Finn had a couple of failed passes in the neutral zone and he was once caught off guard in the defensive zone. The 3rd line didn’t have the best game in terms of transition play, which also reflected in Ylönen’s game.

However, he was constantly on his toes looking for a quick launch from Finland’s own end to the neutral zone. Ylönen positions himself to gain an possible advantage over the opponent’s defensemen when receiving the puck. He was active while back-checking and used his stick to close passing lanes.

Ylönen played just short of 16 minutes in Pelicans’ 2-1 loss against JYP in Liiga. He was playing in the third line and in the first power play unit. Especially in the first half of the game, Ylönen was playing mostly without the puck. His high-end skating was on display, as he spent the majority of the game actively forechecking and defending. In the third period, Ylönen’s line managed to get some offense going and he ended up recording two shots on goal. I liked Ylönen’s work ethic, but he was pretty unnoticeable for large parts of the game.

Ylönen got his 14th goal of the season against Peliitat with a quick and precise shot that went through the five-hole. He is now the leading goal scorer in his team alongside with Aleksi Järvinen.

Ylönen is bit better player everytime I see him. He is now stronger than before and he has become a lot better in board battles.  The forward has high hockey IQ and he already reads the pro game well. For the most part he is inside the game and he makes smart decisions constantly.

Skating is the most intriguing part of his game. The forward has above average top speed but his ability to accelerate quickly, change the direction and at the same keeping the puck with him is an excellent asset. With his skill set, Ylönen could very well be selected in the first round in the forthcoming NHL Draft.

Ylönen got an assist against Hermes and he is now fourth in points at his team with 13 points in 22 games.

Forward has adjusted well into the pro game. He makes constantly smart decisions and he shows high hockey IQ for a player of his age. He has developed physically and he doesn’t seem as lightweight as he was one year ago. However defensively he hasn’t improved as much as I would have liked.

His passing is also something he could improve. He usually had the right idea but there were some problems with accuracy. Otherwise his skill level was convincing and he was able to keep the puck even at tight spaces. Ylönen is also above average skater with good top speed, great ability to change direction and excellent acceleration. Overall he plays better hockey at the moment than the statistics are suggesting.

Ylönen made a great play on Finland’s third goal, using his quickness and elusiveness along the boards before setting up patiently Miro Heiskanen for a goal. Ylönen has really good hands and first step quickness, allowing him to gain separation from opponents and handle the puck at varying speeds and in tight spaces. His edge work is impressive. Passing accuracy could be somewhat better at times, but Ylönen is a very talented, skilled forward with plenty of finesse and speed in his game.

Going forward he will need to add muscle to be more efficient in battles. However, with his natural skating ability and exciting offensive skill set, I would consider Ylönen one of the top Finns for next year’s NHL Draft.

Jesse Ylönen made Mestis debut against Hokki and played on the first line as well as power play on a first unit. As expected, his incomplete physical development showed in a pro game and he lost most of his puck battles. Despite this he didn’t stay on the perimeter and went to the dirty areas and he had couple of scoring chances in front of the net.

His most interesting asset is his skating. His excellent skating abilities stood out immediately as he is both fast and agile. Especially his acceleration is already excellent and more than ready for the pro game. Ylönen also showed good vision with the puck and forward made multiple good and smart passes during the game.

Ylönen is an offensive-minded forward who likes to have the puck on his stick. He had quick hands in traffic areas and the ability to handle the puck at varying speeds. He set up Blues’ second goal on the power play in the third period. He was an agile, smooth skater with solid first two step acceleration. He was patient with the puck, allowing to find openings and create space before distributing the puck. The winger had a few shots in the game and showed a fairly tricky, quick release on his wrist shot.

However, I thought he played a little bit too much on the perimeter at times. Ylönen will also need to get stronger and add more muscle to his frame, since he wasn’t particularly strong in battles along the boards.