Welcome to NHL.com, the official site of the National Hockey League
Bienvenue à LNH.com , le site officiel de la Ligue nationale de hockey
Tervetuloa NHL:n viralliselle nettisivustolle NHL.comiin
Välkommen till NHL.com, NHL:s officiella web-sida
Vítejte na NHL.com, oficiálních stránkách National Hockey League
Vitajte na NHL.com, oficiálnych stránkach National Hockey League
Willkommen auf NHL.com, der offiziellen Seite der National Hockey League
Bienvenido a NHL.com, el sitio oficial de la National Hockey League
NASHVILLE — Joakim Kemell was available when it came time for the Nashville Predators to make the No. 17 pick in the 2022 NHL Draft, and it took the Predators completely by surprise.
The proof was in the handful of namebars Nashville had ready to put on the back of its potential first-round pick’s jersey.
Kemell’s name was not among them.
“We didn’t even have a namebar for him because we didn’t think he’d come to us,” said Scott Nichol, the Predators assistant general manager and director of player development. “That’s how highly ranked we had him on our list. For him to come to 17 … We were squeezing the table and waiting, hoping no one was going to take him. So we were super excited.”
Nashville’s hope now is that the 18-year-old forward prospect makes a name for himself with his play.
Kemell did that in 2021-22, his first full season with JYP of Liiga, the top professional league in Finland, with 23 points (15 goals, eight assists) in 39 games. Among Liiga rookies, he was first in goals and tied for second in points, and he was tied for second overall in goals for JYP.
Kemell was the fourth forward chosen by the Predators in the first round in the past four NHL Drafts, joining Philip Tomasino (No. 24 in 2019), Fedor Svechkov (No. 19 in 2021) and Zachary L’Heureux (No. 27 in 2021).
That led some to believe Nashville might choose a defenseman in the first round this year, but the Predators didn’t want to pass on Kemell’s goal-scoring ability. Before turning pro, he led JYP’s under-20 team in goals (22) and points (36) in 38 games in 2020-21.
“He scores, he’s dynamic and he’s built really well (5-foot-11, 182 pounds) for a young kid,” Nichol said. “We need some scoring. It’s tough to teach goal-scoring, and he can score. He’s got an NHL release and shot, and they find ways of going in.”
With Kemell’s frame and skill set, he has drawn comparisons to Los Angeles Kings forward Viktor Arvidsson and Boston Bruins forward David Pastrnak. Arvidsson (5-10, 185 pounds), a former Predator, has scored 147 goals in his eight-season NHL career, and Pastrnak (6-0, 195) has scored 240 goals in eight NHL seasons.
“I guess, yeah, Pastrnak,” Kemell said during Predators development camp this month regarding the comparisons. “He has a good shot and he has really good hockey vision. He knows how to read the game and how to make the play to other players.”
Nichol said of Kemell, “I think he’s got a good motor on him like [Arvidsson]. He has a knack to score like Pastrnak. He finds areas. He knows where to go to score goals.”
Kemell is likely to play in Finland again this season and is hoping to build up his strength and work on his defensive game.
He said the perceived drop to the No. 17 pick will serve as motivation.
“I just want to show everyone,” Kemell said, “how I can play and who I am.”
NHL.com is the official web site of the National Hockey League. NHL, the NHL Shield, the word mark and image of the Stanley Cup, Center Ice name and logo, NHL Conference logos, NHL Winter Classic name, and The Biggest Assist Happens Off The Ice are registered trademarks and the Stanley Cup Playoffs logo, Stanley Cup Final logo, Stanley Cup Qualifiers name and logo, NHL.TV, Vintage Hockey word mark and logo, The Game Lives Where You Do, NHL Winter Classic logo, NHL Heritage Classic name and logo, NHL Stadium Series name and logo, NHL All-Star logo, NHL Face-Off name and logo, NHL Premium, NHL After Dark, NHL GameCenter, NHL GameCenter LIVE, NHL Network name and logo, NHL Tonight name and logo, On The Fly, NHL Network Showdown name and logo, NHL Awards name and logo, NHL Draft name and logo, NHL Mascots, Hockey Fights Cancer, Because It’s The Cup, NHL Green name and logo, NHL Vault, Hockey Is For Everyone, NHL Thanksgiving Showdown name and logo, NHL Centennial Classic name and logo, NHL Centennial Season logo, NHL100 Classic name and logo, NHL Global Series name and logo, NHL China Games name and logo, NHL Power Players name and logo, NHL Outdoors at Lake Tahoe name and logo, NHL Street name and logo, and Don’t Miss A Moment are trademarks of the National Hockey League. All NHL logos and marks and NHL team logos and marks depicted herein are the property of the NHL and the respective teams and may not be reproduced without the prior written consent of NHL Enterprises, L.P. © NHL 2022. All Rights Reserved. All NHL team jerseys customized with NHL players’ names and numbers are officially licensed by the NHL and the NHLPA. The Zamboni word mark and configuration of the Zamboni ice resurfacing machine are registered trademarks of Frank J. Zamboni & Co., Inc.© Frank J. Zamboni & Co., Inc. 2022. All Rights Reserved. Any other third party trademarks or copyrights are the property of their respective owners. All rights reserved.
