It’s that time of the year for The Win Column’s NHL Draft Rankings and Draft Profiles! Earlier on, we released the TWC consolidated 2026 NHL Draft rankings. The 2026 NHL Draft will take place on June 26 and 27 in Buffalo.
Ranked 22nd on our consolidated rankings is Finnish defenceman Juho Piiparinen, who’s been praised for his strong defensive IQ and maturity. He is described as a potential underrated defensive prospect in this year’s draft class and could very well blossom into a strong top-four defenceman at the NHL level.
Who is Juho Piiparinen?
| Player | Position | Shoots | Height | Weight | Born | Nationality | 2026 Draft Ranking |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Juho Piiparinen | Defence | Right | 6’3″ 190 cm | 203 lbs/ 92 kg | August, 10, 2008 | Finland | TWC rank #22 | CS rank #18 Intl |
Piiparinen is a Finnish blueliner who came through Finland’s junior development pathway, progressing through club systems before earning time in the U20 SM-sarja and international competition. Like many Finnish defence prospects, he has been developed in a system that emphasizes structure, defensive awareness, and puck movement. His steady progression has put him on the radar as a draft-eligible defenceman with projectable tools.
Piiparinen’s on-ice production
| Year | Draft Rel. | League | Team | GP | G | A | P | P/GP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| [2022-23] | D-2 | U16 SM-sarja | Pelicans U16 | 27 | 8 | 16 | 24 | 0.9 |
| [2023-24] | D-1 | U18 SM-sarja | Pelicans U18 | 26 | 2 | 14 | 16 | 0.61 |
| [2024-25] | D+0 | U20 SM-sarja | Tappara U20 | 40 | 2 | 14 | 16 | 0.4 |
| 2025-26 | Draft yr | Liiga | Tappara | 29 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 0.1 |
| Tournament | Year | Team | GP | G | A | P | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hlinka Gretzky Cup | 2025 | Finland | 5 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 4th place |
Piiparinen’s production has been steady but not eye-catching. Throughout his time in junior hockey, Piiparinen’s production has been consistent for his role, but there is room for growth. As he adjusts to professional hockey in the Liiga, his offence has room to improve substantially, assuming his skillset grows to compensate for that.
Piiparinen’s strengths
Defensive awareness and positioning
Piiparinen plays a composed defensive game built on positioning and awareness. He keeps himself between the puck and the net, maintains proper spacing, and uses his stick effectively to disrupt passing lanes. He is particularly strong in transition defence. Piiparinen reads rushes early, adjusts his gap accordingly, and uses his skating to stay in control of the situation. Rather than relying on physicality, he defends through angles and stick placement. This style gives him a relatively high floor because it translates well to higher levels where structure and positioning are critical.
He also relies heavily on his stick as a defensive tool, and he uses it with precision. He keeps an active stick in passing lanes, often angling it to take away the most dangerous option rather than simply chasing the puck. This forces opponents into secondary plays or delays, which gives his teammates time to recover structure. In one-on-one situations, he uses his reach to steer attackers rather than trying to separate them physically right away. He keeps his stick inside the opponent’s hands, limiting shooting and passing angles, and only commits when the opportunity is clear. This makes him difficult to beat cleanly and reduces the number of high-danger chances against.
Skating and mobility
One of Piiparinen’s strongest attributes is his skating, specifically mobility. At the blue line and through the neutral zone, he can shift side-to-side quickly to mirror puck carriers and cut off lanes. This is what allows him to defend entries effectively. Instead of backing in and reacting, he holds his line and adjusts laterally, forcing attackers to the outside. His edge work is clean, and he transitions from forward to backward skating without losing speed, which helps him stay in front of plays. His backward skating is particularly effective in rush defence. He maintains a steady gap while keeping his hips square longer than most young defencemen, which prevents attackers from easily beating him with cutbacks. When he does open up, he accelerates smoothly, allowing him to stay connected to the play rather than getting separated.
Piiparinen’s areas of improvement
Offensive assertiveness and involvement
For an area of improvement, Piiparinen’s offensive limitation isn’t a lack of skill; it’s how selectively he chooses to use it. He consistently defaults to the safe option, especially on breakouts and in transition. When he retrieves pucks under pressure, his first instinct is often a quick rim or short outlet rather than holding onto the puck for an extra stride to create a better exit. While this keeps his game clean, it also limits his ability to drive play and generate controlled breakouts himself.
This same tendency shows up in the neutral zone. When lanes are available to carry the puck with speed, he will often defer to a forward instead of pushing the play himself. He has the skating to transport pucks and create entries, but he does not consistently take those opportunities. As a result, his transition impact can be more passive than it needs to be, even though the tools are there for him to be more involved
Piiparinen’s comparables
| Scenario | NHL Comparable | Position | Why |
|---|---|---|---|
| Best case | Brock Faber | Defence | Mobile high IQ defenceman who shuts down plays and utilizes efficient puck movement |
| Likely outcome | Chris Tanev | Defence | Defensive-first blueliner who heavily involves positioning and stick detail |
For a strong best-case comparable for Piiparinen, Brock Faber is a player who fits the mold, because of how both players defend with their feet and brains rather than relying on physical dominance. Piiparinen, like Faber, maintains tight gaps through the neutral zone, stays square to attackers, and uses quick lateral adjustments to deny clean entries. Both are highly efficient puck movers who make fast, controlled decisions under pressure instead of forcing plays. The comparison is also driven by composure. Faber rarely looks rushed, and Piiparinen shows similar poise when retrieving pucks and resetting play. If Piiparinen becomes more assertive with the puck and adds strength, he could grow into a minutes-eating, all-situations defenceman.
Tanev is another comparable because it reflects Piiparinen’s current identity as a defence-first player who wins through positioning, stick work, and decision-making. Like Tanev, Piiparinen excels at reading plays early, breaking up rushes with subtle stick details, and keeping his game simple and controlled under pressure. Both players prioritize defending the middle of the ice, taking away high-danger areas rather than chasing the puck. Piiparinen also shows the same tendency to move pucks quickly and safely rather than trying to create offence, which aligns with Tanev’s style.
Fit with the Flames
| Organizational need addressed | Top-4 RHD |
| Realistic pick range | 18-25 |
| NHL timeline | 3 seasons (possibly AHL first) |
| Flames fit verdict | Unlikely fit |
Drafting Piiparinen wouldn’t exactly address a dire organizational need for the Calgary Flames, as they’re pretty much set on the right side. With the likes of Zayne Parekh and Hunter Brzustewicz, Piiparinen is unlikely to be ahead of both of those players. The right side of the blueline is simply a need the Flames don’t need to address right now.
I think the Flames opt to go forward heavy in this draft. In the first round, the team will likely take the approach of selecting the best player available, and I’m not sure if Piiparinen will be that player. If the Flames want to draft defencemen in the later rounds, then it’s okay; in the first round, selecting forwards may meet their needs better.
Summary
Overall, Piiparinen would be a safe pick for the team if they wanted a defenceman who has all the tools to become a top-four option in the NHL. However, if he builds on other aspects of his game, such as offence, then his game will only elevate him further. For now, Piiparinen is a strong, defensive-minded player whose game can translate well at the professional level.