Talk about making a great first impression.
Nashville Predators prospect Eeli Tolvanen became the youngest KHL player to score a hat trick while adding an assist in his debut for Jokerit against Dinamo Minsk.
Tolvanen turned 18 in April. It’s ludicrously early, but with a night like this, people are already wondering if the forward was a steal; the Predators nabbed him with the 30th pick of the 2017 NHL Draft.
Here’s some footage of his performance:
Nothing but net for #Preds prospect Eeli Tolvanen tonight. Here is his hat-trick for Jokerit against Dinamo Minsk... pic.twitter.com/UhPWhKiJ8u
— Alex Nunn (@aj_ranger) August 23, 2017
If that Jokerit debut is any indication, he could have a special season, especially for an 18-year-old in the KHL.
A scouting report from Pension Plan Puppets touted Tolvanen’s shot as the best in the 2017 draft, and they believed he could be one of the big steals. And that was if he ended up landing in the teens, let alone No. 30.
BREAKING: Predators GM David Poile and his staff know what they’re doing.