Atte Joki – 2025 NHL Draft Prospect Profile

His ceiling is no where close to players higher up in the draft and if he’s going to take his game to the next level, Joki will have to hone in on what is going to make him successful and focus on developing those areas of his game. His skating is average. He lacks the overall explosiveness off the first step and because of that it leaves more to be desired from his game. He does struggle in creating opportunities with the puck, but it might be his willingness to fish out pucks along the boards and in the tough areas that makes him desirable for teams.

His transition game is not particularly strong and he struggles to evade opposing players. That said, he has a physical aspect to his game that allows him to make an impact and he takes pride in that. Positionally, he understands his role in the offensive zone – to win puck battles and be a net-front presence. But he also isn’t afraid to get into the grimy areas and get pucks or use his size and strength to free up the puck. He has an active stick on the defensive side and it proves to be beneficial for him.

While there are still major areas for him to clean up his game and develop to push it to being NHL ready, Joki is a player that could interest teams later in the draft if they are looking for a good-sized centre who can play in the bottom six.

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Atte Joki – NHL Draft Projection

Still a player that might be looked at as more of a role player for teams he plays for, Joki will likely fall to a fourth-round selection. His upside is still a question mark and while he can have offensive bursts, he’s still a player that teams can likely sit back and wait on if they are truly intrigued. As a high-end possibility, he could see himself go in the final few spots of the third round, but that’s best case scenario. The likelihood is that he’s a player that we could see taken in the mid-fourth or early-fifth round.

Quotables

“Joki’s skating lacks the explosiveness and agility that NHL teams drool over nowadays. His strides are somewhat laboured, and his top-end speed is not particularly impressive. This limitation affects his ability to create by himself in transition and he can struggle with zone entries because of it.” – Steven Graves, McKeen’s Hockey

“Joki is a big-bodied centre who does a good job controlling the middle of the ice, but doesn’t stand out in any way outside of his size. He uses his size effectively when engaged in net-front and puck battles and can separate opposing players form the puck with effective checks. He doesn’t carry the puck all that much, but when he does, he can shield it well using his frame.” – Jacob Roth, Future Considerations

Strengths

Under Construction – Improvements to Make

NHL Potential

As we mentioned, there’s a lot more to be desired about Joki’s game and far too many questions around his overall ceiling. As of now, with the tools he brings to the table, he’s a capable centre that could crack an NHL roster at some point. That said, I wouldn’t hold your breath that it happens anytime soon. When he does, look for him to crack a roster as a bottom six player who could bounce around a lineup a little bit as a fill-in.

Risk-Reward Analysis

Risk – 4/5, Reward – 2.5/5

Fantasy Hockey Potential

Offence – 6/10, Defence – 5/10

Interviews/Links

Atte Joki Stats

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