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Kasper Simontaival (born 11 January 2002) is a Finnish professional ice hockey player who is currently playing for Tappara in the Liiga. He was drafted 66th overall by the Los Angeles Kings in the 2020 NHL Entry Draft. Fantasy Summary Extremely talented offensive winger who has been dealing with lots of injuries. Top-line upside but there’s a lot of risk with him as well. More of a playmaker but also owns a great wrist shot. High-end vision and hockey sense. Great speed with the puck. Kasper Simontaival is an extremely intriguing prospect. On one hand, I think he could be one of the best offensive players in this draft class. On the other, he hasn’t really developed along as planned. That’s largely due to a large number of injuries that have slowed his development. He’s a true dual-threat winger with two-way upside, a sturdy frame, and the type of competitiveness necessary to hang in there as a vertically-challenged forward. The 5-foot-9 winger has a lethal release that can beat goalies from tough angles and long distances. He wields the best shot out of Finland in this year’s draft. -EliteProspects 2020 NHL Draft Guide Quotables “Simontaival has high-end vision and hockey sense which allow him to read and make plays at an elite level. He has great speed, and his hands are among the best in his draft class which allows him to make plays at top speed. He’s a great playmaker but also owns an excellent wrist shot which is both accurate and powerful. He isn’t afraid to battle for pucks despite his small frame… the one negative part about his game is that he sometimes cheats for offense but hopefully that improves when he gets more pro experience.” – Jokke Nevalainen, DobberProspects ” He makes a ton of plays on the flank, hanging onto the puck to allow the play to develop and then getting open as a shot threat… He’s also an effective off-puck player and does a great job providing support and forcing turnovers before making a play out of that change of possession… I truly believe he’s got what it takes to be a second-line creator as a playmaker and a shooter. He can protect the puck in traffic or use the inside lane to cut past a defender without getting bumped. If there’s a concern with his game, it’s that he’s not a speedster for his size, which requires to use his skill to play at a slower pace sometimes. He’s not slow, though, and if he can add an extra step he could have real value as another player who is likely available into the second round.” – Scott Wheeler, The Athletic (from: ” Wheeler: Midseason ranking for the 2020 NHL Draft’s top 62 prospects” – The Athletic – Feb. 19, 2020). “He may not be the biggest kid on the ice, but Simontaival plays with intensity and is always looking to ram his offensive prowess right down his opponents’ throats. He spends a lot of time hovering near his own line in search of passes to pick off and turn into instant odd-man rushes… Creating time and space is rarely a problem for someone with quick feet and advanced puck control like Simontaival, and his anticipation off the hop is quite high… From a skating standpoint, Simontaival maintains a slightly hunched posture but can drop a quick first step. Having a low center of gravity might make one think his stride is short or choppy, but Simontaival’s stride is long and clean, and he can outpace pressure even from an equal starting point. He’s nimble and agile in tight spaces, and Simontaival is consistent in his ability to fake or juke an opponent to lean the wrong way and beat them to a spot for a clean look.” – Steve Kournianos, The Draft Analyst
