Looking and Playing the Part

Possessing a modern-day prototypical goalie frame of 6-foot-4 and 187 pounds, Kim Saarinen certainly looks the part of an NHL goalie prospect. He is turning heads and winning games during his season for his hometown club, HPK Hameenlinna, in Finland’s top pro league. What’s not per usual is Saarinen making a significant difference in his team’s fortunes as an 18-year-old who won’t turn 19 until late July.

“Kim’s mental makeup is quite strong,” said Andrew Allen, the Kraken goalie scout who was instrumental in Seattle selecting Joey Daccord in the 2021 NHL Expansion Draft and part of drafting every goaltending prospect since. “He's learned a lot this year playing at the highest level in Finland. He really kind of took the ball after the World Juniors [early January] and started to win games for his club, which got the team out of the relegation bracket and then into the mix for playoffs.”

In a similar concept as European soccer leagues, the 16-team Liiga promotes the top two teams from Finland’s second-tier league while demoting or relegating two teams that finish lowest in the standings. Saarinen’s work over the last two months, highlighted by a five-game win streak right after his return from World Juniors, is much appreciated in Hameenlinna, where the teen goalie started as a tiny-guy forward in youth hockey then switched to the net after a couple of seasons because he found it “nice to block shots and make great saves.” Currently, HPK is in 10^th place, eight standings points greater than the cut line for 12 teams qualifying for the postseason. To Allen’s point, HPK is 12 points above the relegation line.

Saarinen Likes the State of His Game

For his part, Saarinen is happy with his progress from the season's start to the current playoff chase after posting a 14-5-0 record with a .917 save percentage for the HPK U20 squad last season. He’s 10-10-5 with a .911 save percentage to date.

“It’s been a big step for me from last season,” said Saarinen recently. “I feel I am getting better and better each game. Now I am playing good; the start [of the year] was difficult. It’s a men’s game at this level.”

Saarinen elaborated on the challenge facing Liiga veteran players: “The shots are harder. For example, those shots are coming with more traffic in front of the net when you need to find the puck. It’s all faster, and the players’ shots are more accurate.”

‘Natural in the Net’

The aforementioned Allen said Saarinen’s formidable size definitely is part of the 2024 third-rounder (No. 88 overall), making it harder on shooters too. What attracted the Kraken brain trust to not pass on Saarinen when still available?

“What we liked about Kim was how natural he was in the net,” said Allen via a phone conversation. “He has size, a big frame, but he's not a robotic goalie. “Very similar to [2022 second-round pick Nikke] Kokko from that aspect is that there's a lot of natural, puck-stopping ability, a lot of natural reaction speed. With Kim, he’s a big goalie who always seemed to put himself in the right spot to make saves, and then ... We got a feel from Kim the pace of play in the pro game wasn't going to be a problem.”

Allen is equally enthused about Saarinen’s highly competitive streak even if he seems “laid back”: “He’s not overly intense, even his body language is relaxed, which makes his natural style of play. He’s not stiff. But he’s also got strong competitiveness.”

Making an On-Ice Statement After World Junior

Allen provided a telling example of the 18-year-old’s inner fire. Saarinen didn’t get any game time for Team Finland at World Juniors, which Saarinen clearly filed away. As it turned out, when the Kraken prospect returned to Liiga play, his first start was against a team with the Finnish goaltender “who played ahead of him and Kim shut him out 3-0.” It was Saarinen’s second shutout of the Liiga season, and he notched his third shutout in HPK’s next game.”

Even with his formidable measure of confidence, Saarinen said he was “literally surprised” when he went 88th overall, noting he was between “100 and 200” in pre-draft rankings. That confidence is reinforced by Saarinen’s choice to work with a sports psychology coach with whom he “talks about everything” and “keeps my mind strong.” The young goalie said, among other benefits, it helps him bounce right back after allowing goals.

Power Moves On the Training Docket

Allen said Saarinen is also greatly benefiting from a “great collaboration” of the Kraken player development group, Seattle strength and conditioning head coach Nate Brookreson and assistant strength coach Jake Jensen, Kraken sports performance consultant Gary Roberts, plus the HPK training staff in Finland. The goal is to build more strength and power in the goaltender’s core and legs. When asked about what he needs to work on, Saarinen’s answer was, “I need to work on the little things and be more consistent, but I would say first to get stronger and faster.”

“Kim is a little thicker now [in a good way],” said Allen. “He’s gained strength. He was quite a wiry, skinny goalie in his draft year. Even from when I was in Finland in November, then seeing and talking to him in Ottawa [World Juniors], he’s put on a little bit of mass.”

The strength program started when Saarinen attended development camp last summer, flying soon after he was drafted to join on-ice drills and scrimmages but, just as importantly, huddling with Brookreson and Jensen.

“For a goalie, the upper body is not something that you build a ton of mass on because the goal is to be free-flowing,” said Allen. “It’s more about core stability and adding power in your legs. As young goalies get older, they have the ability to build leg strength. It’s very important when transitioning to pro hockey and then for Kim to move to North American pro to progress to the NHL, we all hope. Adding that power allows him to handle the speed of the pro game, getting Kim get in the right spots so he can react naturally, which is what he's so good at.”