The Vancouver Canucks and Florida Panthers have made a trade today. The Canucks will receive defenceman Noah Juulsen along with forward Juho Lammikko in exchange for defenceman Olli Juolevi.
Juolevi, 23, struggled to live up to his draft status (fifth overall in 2016) with the Canucks, failing to play in a single NHL game until the 2020-21 season, where he suited up in just 23. He has battled injuries early on that have seriously hampered his development. The Panthers are hoping that a change of scenery will allow to him blossom and become the player so many envisioned years ago.
Juulsen, 24, is another defenceman taken in the first round (26 overall in 2015) who has failed to live up to expectations. Much like Juolevi, he has also dealt with numerous injuries which have slowed down his development. He has appeared in just 48 NHL games throughout his career, scoring two goals and eight points.
Lammikko, 25, appeared in 44 games with the Panthers this past season, scoring four goals and five points. He has suited up for a total of 84 games in his NHL career, scoring just four goals and 11 points. He has proven in past years overseas that he has plenty of skill, but he has yet to show much of it at the NHL level. It will be interesting to see whether or not he will be on the Canucks roster for their season opener.
This is a trade where both teams are hoping changes of scenery will benefit their newly acquired players. None of them have had the careers they were hoping for to this point, but still have a ton of potential. We will likely have to wait some time to see who comes out on top of this one, though given Juolevi’s age and his potential the Panthers seem to be the team who made out better here.
It is unknown at this point what either team has planned for these players for the 2021-22 season. They will likely get a chance with their respective NHL club, but could very well see some time in the American Hockey League depending on the first impressions they make.
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