The Penguins' final selection of the 2019 draft was Finnish defenseman Santeri Airola, after the Penguins made a trade with the Sharks to acquire the seventh-round pick.
What kind of a player did the Penguins get in Airola? Let’s take a look.
Airola, 19, is a 5-foot-11, 165-pound right-handed defenseman. He spent last season in the Finnish SaiPa organization. He played 10 games for SaiPa's Junior B U18 team, recording four goals and 11 assists. He spent most of the season with SaiPa's Junior A U20 team, scoring four goals and 27 assists in 41 games. He made his professional debut with the main SaiPa team in Liiga, the top Finnish men's league. He was scoreless and recorded a minus-1 rating in three Liiga games.
"Airola was a guy that our European scouts were excited he was still available in the seventh round," said Penguins director of amateur scouting Patrik Allvin. "He's a late-bloomer. Skilled defenseman, a real good skater. That was a good flip to get him in the seventh."
Airola is an agile, puck-moving defenseman who is especially strong at zone exits. In this clip, he used his speed to move the puck up ice and pick up an assist:
In this clip, he capitalizes on a turnover, moves the puck up ice and scores:
Airola is able to chip in offensively. He has a strong shot and doesn't shy away from moving forward to make a play, and many of his goals come from down low:
Airola is under contract with Kettera of the second-tier Mestis league next season. The move to Mestis will allow Airola to take on a larger role than he would have had with SaiPa, and still allow him to play against grown men. Kettera is the reigning Mestis champion, so he'll be playing for a competitive team.
This summer, Airola was invited to the training camp for the Finnish World Junior team. As strong as the Finnish defensive corps is, it's a good testament to Airola's abilities that he was invited.
Because Airola was drafted at age 18, the Penguins retain his exclusive signing rights until June 2023. He'll continue to develop in Finland for a few years before moving to North America.
