JANI NYMAN

2025-04-25

Scout: Grant Campbell

Skating:

Nyman is a big guy (6-4, 220lbs) and a bit lumbersome as a skater. He can get up to a decent speed but his first few strides are a struggle, especially at the NHL level. He will have issues getting separation with or without the puck.

Passing/Handling:

He has very good hands in tight and has a nice pass to open teammates, which he seems to find with little trouble. He's strong on the puck and protects it well.

Shooting:

Nyman is a shooter before passer and this is his forte. He can be a bit of a one-trick pony as most of his goals come off cross ice feeds for one-timers on the PP. He has a good but not great snap shot.

IQ (Vision, Anticipation, Panic/Poise):

He has good vision to find teammates and get into good shooting lanes, but can struggle to do this at even strength. He's not afraid to carry the puck into the middle of the ice and can be trusted with the puck in most areas.

Forechecking:

He can get in effectively on the forecheck, but is not a physical player by any means for a guy his size. He's strong on the puck, but won't hit someone to win possession.

Defense:

He gets lost defensively with his positioning at times in his own end, but is not afraid to block shots if needed.

Best Asset:

His shot and size is what will get him to the NHL and keep him there, but he will need to produce to stay. His defense won't make him an NHL regular on it's own.

Biggest Concern:

His skating and lack of physicality for a big forward. His struggles to produce any offense at even strength are an additional concern.

Top Tier/Role Potential:

Bottom-Six forward who gets some PP2 minutes and perhaps slides up to PP1 if he produces some goals.

Justification for Top Tier Assessment:

He has produced 54 goals in his past 106 AHL/SHL games. He played 12 games with the Kraken and had three goals. He has a bit of a track record for putting up goals.

50th Percentile Tier/Role:

Top-six forward in the AHL/SHL.

Justification for 50th Percentile Tier Assessment:

If he doesn't get PP time in the NHL, then he might be stuck in the AHL or SHL. He's not going to be handed NHL playing time.

Stylistic Comparable:

Yegor Sokolov is a former prospect of the Ottawa Senators and currently in the AHL with Utah's farm team. He is big bodied winger who skates similar to Nyman with similar skills. He had a few productive AHL campaigns with Ottawa and saw a few extended call ups to the NHL where he played 13 games over a two-year period with just two points. The difference between the two, is that Nyman had six points in his 13 games with Seattle and might have made the most of his opportunity.

Scouts Final Thoughts and Additional Stats/Info:

Nyman is just 20 years old and has done more than was expected in his first pro season in North America. The odds are against him being a regular in the NHL, but if he produces, he should stay.

Games Scouted:

04/02/25 vs Vancouver Canucks NHL; 02/01/25 vs Texas Stars AHL