Home Roster Depth The System Transactions Message Board History Contact Us Archive Training Camp RSS Feed

#11 Ville Leino Pos: Left Wing D.O.B.: 10/6/83 From: Savonlinna, Finland Height: 6' Weight: 182 Shoots: Left Drafted: Undrafted Acquired: Signed 1 yr contract with Detroit (NHL) 5/10/08 Personal: Plus: Exceptional Hockey sense... Great stickhandler... Good hands... A master at cycling the puck... Great 1-on-1 player... A potential game-breaker... Plays all three forward positions... Minus: Defensive game needs work.. Holds onto the puck to long... Work ethic questioned... Skating is suspect... Needs to bulk up... Organizational Comments: "We think he's a good hockey player. He wants to come over to North America. He's got good hockey sense. He's good down low. He's got skill, good hands. His goal is to play in the NHL. If he can't make our team, we can send him back to the Finish league." Red Wings GM Ken Holland What GRC says: 2008-09: A super first half earned Leino his first NHL recall, which the talented Finn used to showcase his stellar offensive skills. When he was returned to the AHL, his game changed again, but not necessarily for the better. He was still able to do incredible things with the puck, but his defensive game and level of effort fell off. He raised his game to a new level in the postseason, leading the league in scoring through two rounds by scoring 13 points in the first 6 games. Leino has stated he is done with the AHL, so it is the NHL or bust for the puck-handling wizard. Summer 2008: Leino, a late bloomer, is a low risk project that may pay huge dividends. The second leading scorer in the Finish league is an enticing talent with the puck, though it remains to be seen whether his incredible offensive skill set can overcome his skating or defensive acumen. Role: Playmaking forward Projection: NHL 2nd liner Statistics: Season Team Lge GP G A PTS PIM +/- GP G A PTS PIM +/- 2002-03 Ilves Tampere FNL 23 1 1 2 0 2003-04 Ilves Tampere FNL 54 9 15 24 26 7 1 1 2 4 2004-05 Ilves Tampere FNL 56 8 11 19 32 7 1 0 1 2 2005-06 HPK Hameenlinna FNL 56 12 31 43 65 13 3 9 12 4 2006-07 HPK Hameenlinna FNL 50 11 29 40 73 8 1 9 10 31 2007-08 Jokerit Helsinki FNL 55 28 49 77 18 2008-09 Grand Rapids Griffins AHL 57 15 31 46 18 2 10 3 10 13 10 0 Detroit Red Wings NHL 13 5 4 9 6 5 7 0 2 2 0 2 Griffins Totals 57 15 31 46 18 2 10 3 10 13 10 0 Transactions 5/10/08 Signed 1 yr contract with Detroit (NHL) 10/7/08 Assigned by Detroit (NHL) 1/29/09 Recalled by Detroit (NHL) 3/2/09 Assigned by Detroit (NHL) 4/14/09 Recalled by Detroit (NHL) 4/15/09 Assigned by Detroit (NHL) 5/8/09 Recalled by Detroit (NHL)