Sharks prospect Kasper Halttunen has been on an absolute tear for the London Knights in the OHL finals. Halttunen has back-to-back hat tricks for the Knights, who lead the Oshawa Generals 3-1 in the series—bringing his total to 13 goals and 19 points in 16 playoff games.
Halltunen also took the number 1 spot on SportsCenter play of the day after putting home a rocket of a one-timer after a fantastic effort from teammate Easton Cowen.
Halttunen has been making a name for himself as a playoff performer in the OHL during his time with the powerhouse London Knights. In addition to his play this season, he also put up 17 goals in 18 games last year in the postseason, bringing his total to 30 goals in 34 OHL playoff games, flirting with a goal per game. Another incredible stat is his 4 hat tricks in 8 OHL final games over the last 2 seasons, this is an absurd stat even at the OHL level, and shows his ability to raise his game in a high pressure environment.
The Sharks have to be happy with the uptick in the 2023 2nd rounders' play over the last few weeks. It's been an inconsistent season for the young Finn, who has dealt with injury after starting the season in the AHL. While his 41 points and 21 goals in 38 games during the regular season were solid, it was a slight downtick from his 61 points and 32 goals in 57 games the year before.
Halttunen will most likely be playing full time for the Barracuda next season, it will be a good test for him as he continues to develop his game. While his shot is elite, and he could score on NHL goalies with ease, the rest of his game needs a lot of work, and he is far from NHL-ready, in my opinion. However, with some time to develop physically and learn a pro-style game in the AHL, it could give the Sharks a really interesting weapon in their top 9 in a couple of years. And if his playoff performance carries over to the pro game, he could be a key piece for the Sharks as they build their core for future playoff runs.