Chicago Blackhawks fans may indeed become witness to the next Patrick Kane as Teuvo Teravainen is now up with the parent club. However, it’s going to take awhile to get there. He got called up on January 2nd, but he hasn’t scored a goal or an assist yet.
The #18 overall pick in the 2012 NHL Draft was second on the Rockford Icehogs (the Blackhawks American Hockey League affiliate) with 23 points (six goals, 17 assists) and 92 shots on goal in 33 games before arriving in Chicago.
The NHL on NBC’s lead announce team of Pierre McGuire and Eddie Olczyk, discussed how the Helsinki born blue-chip prospect got to where he is now. I wrote this up for RedEye.
You can see what they had to say at this link.
At the World Junior levels, there have been some similarities to the career arc of Patrick Kane. Only time will tell if Teuvo Teravainen can get it done on the professional level like Kaner has. That’s an ASTRONOMICAL standard to live up to, of course.
The 20-year-old Finnish forward plays a different position than Patrick Kane, but the comparisons come from elements of their game; such as stick handling abilities. Through his first four games, Teravainen has recorded eight shots on goal and a -2 +/-
He’s currently occupying the roster spot of forward Kris Versteeg, who suffered a hand injury against the Washington Capitals in the Winter Classic on New Year’s Day at Nationals Park. Versteeg is expected to return in 2-3 weeks.
In order to stay at this level long term, Teravainen will need to develop his body and adjust his game.
Paul M. Banks owns, operates and writes The Sports Bank.net, which is partnered with Fox Sports, Yardbarker Network, eBay, Google News and CBS Interactive Inc.
You can read Banks’ feature stories in the Chicago Tribune RedEye edition and listen to him on KOZN 1620 The Zone. Follow him on Twitter (@paulmbanks)