Buffalo, N.Y. (WGR Sports Radio 550) - In the days leading up to the 2026 NHL Draft in Buffalo, WGR will provide profiles on some players that could be available for the Sabres with the 27th overall pick in the first round.
Despite being one of the youngest players in this 2026 draft class - not turning 18-years-old until Aug. 10 - one word that can describe Juho Piiparinen as a defensive prospect is maturity. By no means is Piiparinen an explosive player or someone that is going to set the world on fire from the back end, but he can just be a solid, reliable piece to play top minutes and all situations for a team.
At the junior level in Finland with Tappara's U20 team, Piiparinen was stellar as a top-end defenseman with a goal and 12 assists for 13 points in 15 games played. In 14 playoff games with Tappara's program, he produced a pair of assists in 14 games.
Because of his dominance at the junior level, Tappara was comfortable enough calling up Piiparinen for a good chunk of the season to the parent club in the Finnish Liiga, where he played 29 games and put up three assists. While Piiparinen may not have played as key of a role as he did with the junior team, for him to get decent playing time and minutes in one of the more physical professional leagues in the game at age 17 does speak volumes.
In addition, Piiparinen was called upon by the Finnish national team to take part in the 2026 IIHF World Junior Championship in Minnesota. While he played in four games and averaged 13:27 of ice-time per-game, Piiparinen was as solid as can be, and was actually a plus-6 in the tournament.
Then at the 2026 IIHF U18 World Championship in Slovakia, Piiparinen was relied upon to be a top defender for the Finns, averaging 21:02 of ice-time in five games played, but was a minus-5.
There's really nothing sexy about Piiparinen's defensive style, as he's a reliable, smart two-way defenseman that plays a pretty simple game.
In his own zone, Piiparinen is positionally sound and defends well by being a body in front of passing and shooting lanes. He's also very smart with his stick work, using it well to check and further take away any lanes for a quality chance against.
Physically, Piiparinen is mature beyond his years, coming in at 6-foot-3 and 203 pounds as a 17-year-old. While he's not running opposing players through the boards or overpowering them with his size, he's got a solid foundation that keeps him upright and in good position to win puck and positional battles in front. However, when he is presented the chance to lay a hit on an opposing defender, he certainly doesn't shy away from the opportunity.
Piiparinen is a strong skater, and can move around well in all three zones. His transition game is good with his speed and footwork, but it's his ability to move East-to-West really well can help him with gap control, take away lanes to the net and drive opposing players to the outside.
Of course what makes Piiparinen a bit more attractive from the back end is he's a right-shot defenseman, but by no means is he going to blow anyone away with his shot or the offensive side of his play. While Piiparinen does play some power play time and can fire pucks to the net, he is definitely more so the quarterback on the back end, directing play and seeing what works best for the unit.
Another area of his game that will need some grooming is his decision making process. While Piiparinen is often a reliable presence on the back end that won't get himself into too much trouble, he does like to be a defender that can jump up on the play and try to showcase his offensive capabilities. Even though it's not a bad thing, it's when he gets caught up ice and play breaks down the other way, sometimes he's got himself caught too far up ice that puts his team in a predicament.
It will certainly be interesting to see which way teams lean on Piiparinen, whether they value his more defensive and reliable style, or they are looking for something more attractive from the right side of the ice. However, the fact he's already played a substantial role from the blue line at such a young age should make him a first-round pick and a player coveted by many.
