Jarventie only has to look to his brother to see the progression of a pro career worthy of following
A first professional season for former fifth round pick Isaac Belliveau sees him spend most of his time in Wheeling but the opportunity for a promotion in 2024-25 exists and the Penguins are counting on him to take the next step in his development.
Graduates and departed players from last year’s list
The best of the rest
#25: Raivis Ansons
#24: Kirill Tankov
#23: Isaac Belliveau
#22: Taylor Gauthier
#21: Chase Pietila
#20: Emil Jarventie, W
2023 Ranking: 18th
Age: 19 (Apr 4, 2005)
Acquired Via: 2023 NHL Draft (Round 7 – No. 213 overall)
Height/Weight: 5’10”, 168 pounds
A young player moving up the ranks, Jarventie is looking to stick in Finland’s top league next season at the tender age of 19. From 2022-23 (seven points in 19 games) he took a step forward with 21 points in 41 games in Mestis, the second-level league in Finland. This summer he moved from the llves organization over to Tappara which should see the opportunity for a larger role in 2024-25.
Trib Live got some quotes at development camp last month.
“I think it’s going to be a great summer for me,” Jarventie said. “My next step is going to be playing a full season in Liiga. That’s my goal and I’m working on that the last two-three months. I’m going to work at that day after day and when I go back to Finland, I’m going to train more. That’s my goal.
A veteran of Finland’s U-18 teams, Jarventie is looking to increase his stature and make it to the U-20 World Juniors team this winter as well. He was on the fringe of the team last year and is in the thick of a bigger role there.
“We have competition in the team in Finland and that’s great for me. There’s young players, too, and we are battling for who is going to play there. That’s really fun. Nothing is free there.”
The Penguins get to see Jarventie in the summer, and like what they see so far. His speed and hands in a 3v3 situation showcased some of his best points last summer.
Emil Jarventie…goal! – DP pic.twitter.com/PUEQGyQxGS
— SportsNet Pittsburgh (@SNPittsburgh) July 3, 2023
“He’s got a nice skill set and he’s got some speed where it just darts out of spaces and can attack areas and take pucks to the net,” director of player development Tom Kostopoulos said. “Similar, he’s got to find some consistency in it. I think there’s some things he can do off the ice to keep building his body to be able to play that way more consistently. His agility and his speed are real assets for him.
“The more he can use them, the better, and then he’s got the quick hands, nice shot, has got real offensive ability. It’ll be important for him to have a big year, finish this summer, put some work in in the weight room and then have a big season.”
Some draft observers had Jarventie with a third round grade, but the Pens were able to take a flyer on him in the seventh round. Emil won’t have to look far for a success story on how to advance is career to the next steps, his brother Roby, 22, (who we borrowed in the picture for this article, for full disclosure) was a second round pick of Ottawa and become one of the better players in the AHL over the last couple of seasons, even appearing in seven NHL games last year. Roby was traded to Edmonton and is on the precipice of competing for a full-time NHL job himself moving forward.
Though Roby was a bit more advanced at the same age (he’s 6’2” to Emil’s 5’10 and was a full time Liiga player at 18, signed and in the AHL by 19-years old), Emil can emulate that type of progression on a gradual timeline. Should Emil achieve success in the Liiga this season and show well at the WJC’s, the Pens might consider signing him and bringing him over to their minor league system as early as 2025-26. If not, Pittsburgh will have his NHL rights until 2027 to see how the younger Jarventie develops as a player over the next few years to determine if they see a professional future for him within the organization.