Aaltonen was featured on Finland’s second line and he also played on both special units regularly throughout the game. He didn’t record any points, but was one of the most active shooters on the team, even though only one of them was a high-danger scoring chance.

Aaltonen’s most noticeable quality in his skating. He is very active on his feet, has excellent acceleration and can burn opponents with high-end speed. Skating makes Aaltonen very good at creating zone entries for his team. He also has a lot of pace to his game beyond his obvious foot speed. Aaltonen is good at making effective passes in the neutral zone, but he hasn’t been a reliable playmaker in the offensive zone at this level. He is very eager at finding shooting lanes and utilizing his wrist shot, but most of his shots have not caused any problems for the opposing goaltenders. His stickhandling is good, but not anything special.

Aaltonen doesn’t have a long stick or big frame, but he is still a good penalty-killer due to his activeness and skating. I could see him end up as a middle or bottom six forward at the NHL level due to those capabilities, but I’m not sure if he has the skills or the vision to be an high-impact player.

Aaltonen played left wing on the second line, and he was also responsible for running KalPa’s top power play unit from the right half-wall. He didn’t get any points in the game but was constantly dangerous offensively and did score in the shootout with a really nice wrist shot.

Aaltonen is capable of stick-handling through traffic, and he’s a very talented skater with great speed. He showed great vision by finding open players all the time, and he also made great passes to those players. He made clean offensive zone entries frequently in the game. He was asked to carry the puck and create something offensively, and he delivered on that. He also created one good scoring chance with strong forechecking.

Aaltonen’s defensive commitment was lacking a bit, though. He was a bit lazy skating back to his own zone and didn’t backcheck as well as I had hoped. He also didn’t give full effort in defensive zone puck-battles. The coach tried to get him more engaged defensively by putting him on the PK. He did look at bit better during that time but that didn’t seem to carry to even-strength game.

Aaltonen scored twice on the power play and added one secondary assist on even-strength in KalPa’s 0-3 win over JYP. Playing on the second line and on the first power play unit, he was one of the best players on the ice, constantly creating offense for him and his teammates. He scored both of his goals with an accurate wrist shot.

Aaltonen has many tools you would want from a prospect. He is a very good skater with quick feet and excellent agility. Aaltonen has very good vision and playmaking skills and he can also stickhandle well in tight spaces. He is excellent in transitions due to his elusiveness and puck-handling skills. He is also relentless on the forecheck and works hard.

The fact that Aaltonen is very small doesn’t worry me as much because of his great skating. It will likely take many years for him to reach the NHL, but I like him as a long-term prospect due to his speed and skill.

Aaltonen was the most dangerous player on ice against Switzerland. He was able to make two goals during the first period and on top of that, he was probably the most dynamic Finnish forward in this game.

Aaltonen seemed to fly today. His skating is top notch, he was maybe the quickest player on ice and with his great acceleration and agility makes him excellent skater overall. He is also a very skilled player with really good hands. He really got things happening combining his speed and skill making many efficient dekes during the game. However alongside with his small size, I think the biggest problem in his game is that he tries to make things happen too much by himself. He carried the puck bit too much trying to create scoring chance for himself and he did not use his line mates properly. This was especially evident at the end of the game when he really tried to make that third goal.

However I think his work ethic is really good, he wants to help defence and he uses his speed well in checking game. He is a above average player at the own zone for a winger of his age. His play off the puck was also pretty good and he really made himself playable. Overall, Aaltonen really impressed in this game and the performances like this definitely doesn’t hurt his draft stock.

Aaltonen played his second pro league game on the third line. He had a rather sheltered role in which he didn’t get the puck as much as he would have liked. During the game he flashed his strong puck control and ability to make key passes during high-speed plays.

The Finn wasn’t afraid to carry the puck in the neutral zone while being pressured. In the first period, Aaltonen fired a quick backhand shot after a strong carry from the boards showing his eagerness to scoring chances.

He is learning the pro game, which was visible during defensive plays. Aaltonen was relatively passive when he didn’t have the puck and his forechecking has a lot of room for improvement in the defensive zone. Aaltonen could carry more momentum and lateral movement while pressuring opponents. On the positive side, the 17-year-old was aware of his surroundings and didn’t let himself to be surprised.

Aaltonen got a goal against Kärpät when he foisted puck to the net after finding open space between the goalie and the goal post. He also hit the post during the game. He got just over 11 minutes of ice time but he had a chance to play in power play.

Aaltonen is a flashy player. His speed is evident and his skating is excellent all-round. On top of that he has excellent puck handling skills and he has ability to make some very efficient dekes. However as expected, he still plays like an youngster. He does’t utilize his line mates properly and he tries to make things happen too much all by himself. He also needs more time to adjust to the tempo of Finnish U20 league and his decision-making was too slow occasionally.

The forward needs to improve his defensive and checking game because he made too many wrong decisions in the situations. However even though Aaltonen is a smallish player, he battled hard and he wasn’t afraid of physical play and his skating definitely helps in one-on-ones. Aaltonen has very good passing abilities and together with other offensive qualities, his offensive potential is undeniable.

While KalPa U18 lost 6-0 to HIFK, Aaltonen was once again able to show his high end skating ability. His acceleration, speed and overall mobility are what make him such an excellent skater. He has good hands, on-ice vision and delivers smarts passes for his linemates. Wouldn’t consider him a defensive specialist at this point in time. However, Aaltonen is one of the top forwards in the 2001 age-group and has considerable offensive potential.

Aaltonen is an excellent skater with impressive acceleration and first-step quickness. Probably the fastest player in this contest, he can fly on the ice and create separation from opponents. He showcased strong playmaking skill and offensive instincts, making smart passes in the final third. Had strong chemistry with Henri Nikkanen and Patrik Puistola. Even though he’s on the smaller side and not a physical force, he battled hard off the puck. Had some scoring chances himself but wasn’t able to find the back of the net this time.

Aaltonen was definitely the best player of the game when Finnish U16 national team faced their German counterparts. Aaltonen recorded four assists when Finland won 5-3.

The winger stands out especially because of his skating. He is both very fast and very agile, and has very explosive first strides. He can blow past defenders with ease even in international games. Aaltonen also has a very high hockey IQ, and he excels especially on the power play. He is still a bit smallish, but he can avoid getting into battles with his fantastic speed.