Myllylä recorded a primary assist playing on HIFK’s first line in their 2-4 loss against Pelicans. He was also featured on the second power play unit, positioned as the shooter on the left side.

Myllylä’s strengths as a player are pretty evident at this point. His stride is not the most beautiful, but his speed is still very good. Myllylä has a very impressive motor which allows him to be very effective on the forecheck and to apply a ton of pressure. He is more of a goal-scorer than a playmaker and has especially good wrist shot, hitting the crossbar once on the power play.

While Myllylä’s production at the U20 level has been good and he was HIFK’s leading scorer through the first half of the season, the question with him is how much offensive upside he has. Even if he doesn’t become a dominant point producer at the next level, Myllylä’s motor and work ethic give me a reason to believe he could become a reliable two-way winger in the future.

The second line winger scored his eighth goal of the season against Ilves. Myllylä was eager to use his above average wrist shot and he recorded five shots during the game.

Myllylä has decent hands but he needs to improve his passing. He also lost quite a lot of board battles, but he is still really lightweight and he should improve in that area when he fills up his frame. The forward is relentless forechecker who caused a lot of problems for Ilves defenders with his speed and work ethic. However I am concerned about his hockey IQ. He works hard but he also went constantly out of position in all zones. He has more speed and smarts in his game. He also didn’t utilize his team mates as much as he could when he got the puck.

Despite the negatives, Myllylä’s goal showcased why he is an interesting prospect. He got the puck in the neutral zone and with the explosive first steps, he found himself in the breakaway. He didn’t do any fancy dekes on the breakaway, instead he relied on his excellent wrist shot and the goalie of Ilves did not have any chance to stop his accurate and quick shot. His excellent movement and deadly shot are assets which could make him an excellent player if he learns to use his strengths properly.

Myllylä played on HIFK’s third line in a close 3-4 defeat against Tappara. Myllylä showcased his best abilities on the play which led to his goal: relentless pressure on the forecheck and quick wrist shot. Myllylä is primarily a goal-scorer, who thrives by getting himself into scoring chances. He showed excellent work ethic and good skating. Myllylä also has decent puck skills. Unfortunately he did not receive any time on the power play.

Main thing that Myllylä needs to work on is his positioning in both zones. I would also like if he drove the play a bit more, since he is at his best when he has the puck.

Myllylä had a strong game for Sport U18. He made a terrific play to set up his team’s first goal, entering the offensive zone on the wing with speed and good puck control and making a pass to an open player near the crease. Myllylä showed powerful, fluid strides and he’s very agile for a 6’0 forward. He has a non-stop motor, relentless work ethic and he applied pressure on defensemen with his speed. His wrist shot is quick and accurate, plus he did a good job of creating shooting lanes. He made short passes to advance the play and didn’t get complicated with the puck.