Joni Pitkanen: This Summer's Biggest Acquisition

I raved about him all of 2005-2006. I had confidence in him all of 2006-2007. And when last year's disaster season came to a close, I was praying that Lowe would take a look at him. Joni Pitkanen, ladies and gentlemen, is the real deal.

The quiet Finn's arrival in Edmonton was barely noticed; not a surprise when you had the departure of the captain, and the signings of Souray and Penner stealing all the big headlines. But this may have been the most fundamental move made in the off-season. Let's start off with a little history, why don't we.

Joni was born in the small northern Finnish town of Oulu, and was a natural skater from birth. Raised on the outdoor rinks, he developed into an agile, quick, and elusive skater. This went hand-in-hand with hockey. As he continued to grow in both height and strength, yet maintain his skating ability, it became clear that Joni was going to become something special.

At 15, he was taken in by Kärpät of the SM-liiga, the Finnish equivalent of the Russian Super League and the Swedish Elite League. There, he played on their junior team, thriving as he developed into one of the greatest prospects Finland had to offer. He quickly became recognized for his effective skating, offensive prowess, and defensive toughness; some even said he had a mean streak! When he finally debuted on the pro team, he became the best defenseman in the league. Leading up to the 2002 draft, Pitkanen was rated as the #1 prospect out of Europe, and the future looked up for the budding star.

When Bobby Clarke dealt Ruslan Fedotenko and 2 second-round picks to Tampa for the 4th overall pick, it became clear that they were trying to grab one of the studs available. With Rick Nash, Kari Lehtonen, and Jay Bouwmeester already taken, the Flyers drafted Joni Pitkanen. Although labelled NHL-ready, Joni selected to remain with Kärpät for one more season, where he starred as one of the premier players in European hockey.

The WJHC in 2003 was an eye-opener of sorts for Pitkanen's doubters. Some had labelled him soft, defensively irresponsible, and incapable of handling #1 defenseman minutes. Joni proved them wrong, manning the blueline for Finland with ease. He was a workhorse, playing upwards of 35 minutes a night, and was a key cog in Finland's bronze-medal winning performance at the tournament. It became clear to the Flyers that the time was right to bring Joni over to North America.

Pitkanen debuted for the Flyers in the 2003-04 season, making an immediate impact. He became a fixture on the team's top power-play unit, proving that his offensive skills could translate into NHL success. He eventually finished 2nd in team defensemen scoring to Kim Johnsson, scoring 27 points in 71 games. Although inconsistent with this defensive coverage during the early part of the season, Joni was able to adjust himself to the NHL game and as the season came to a close, became a bright spot on the team's back end. He was heavily relied upon during the Flyers' playoff run, playing top-2 minutes on a team laden with the likes of Johnsson, Desjardins, and Malakhov.

Some may argue that the lockout may have stifled Joni's development. He stayed in North America during the 2004-05 campaign, opting to play for the Flyers' farm team (the Phantoms) instead of going back to Finland to play for Oulu. However, Joni was able to further adjust to the North American game, leading the Phantoms in minutes while putting up 41 points in 72 games.

2005-06 was a breakout season for Pitkanen, as the Flyers re-tooled for the new NHL, acquiring the likes of Forsberg, Hatcher, and Rathje to fuel a powerhouse team. Joni starred alongside Eric Desjardins on the Flyers' top defensive pairing. He was a force on both sides of the ice, leading the rush on offense while working the body defensively. The Flyers powerplay became a force with him and Forsberg wheeling and dealing on the ice. As the season progressed, he was seen as not only of the best young defensemen in the NHL, but one of the best defensemen PERIOD.

However, Joni took a hit when he suffered a sports hernia halfway through the season. At that point, he was among the top-5 in league defensive scoring. Even when he returned, it was clear things had changed in Joni. He seemed to have lost a step, and was more hesitant to lay the body on defense. Although he was still able to produce offensively, he wasn't scoring at the same pace as he was before. Regardless, Pitkanen scored 46 points in only 58 games, good enough for 4th in team scoring, while putting up a +22 ranking, a testament to his defensive efficiency. The Flyers' early exit from the playoffs was a disappointment, but Joni seemed to regain his form as he powered the Flyers' backend attack.

With the departure of Johnsson in the offseason, fans in Philadelphia looked to Pitkanen to lead the blueline in the 2006-2007 season. However, things had changed for the Flyers. The team that had dominated the NHL one year earlier was suddenly at the bottom of the league. As the Flyers continued to lose, the blame was put upon Joni for his inability to lead the Flyers. Truth was, the retirement of Desjardins during the offseason had left a spot hole open on the roster. Joni just couldn't gel without a solid defensive presence in Desjardins to cover for him while he led the rush. Regardless of the Flyers' struggles, Joni still put up points in spades, eventually finishing the season with 43 points in 77 games, finishing third in the team in points.

However, Pitkanen had become the scapegoat for the Flyers' season. Fans hated, the media hated, and apparently, his teammates hated. In one practise, Todd Fedoruk actually punched Joni in the face. Things went from bad to worse, as the Flyers ended the season in last place, and fans were asking for Joni's head. When new GM Holmgren acquired both Hartnell and Kimo Timonen before the draft, it became clear that Joni's days in Philadelphia were numbered.

Lowe had apparently always had interest in acquiring Pitkanen. Before the Flyers, he was the one engrossed in discussion with Feaster and Tampa, trying to move up to grab him. I, personally, had been begging for Lowe to make a move all of last season, when the number one priority was getting an offensive defenseman. When that deal it went down, I was kind of shocked at what we gave up, but happy to have Joni.

I'm kind of irked at how he gets no attention here from the fans or the media, while Penner, Souray, and the youngsters get all the talk. I guess that's good for Joni, he's a quiet guy that goes about doing his business. I guarantee by the end of the season we'll be singing the praises of this guy. He's going to become a 25+ minute/night guy, and could put up 30-40 points before this season is over; but best of all, he's going to be a legitimate number 1 defenseman for a team that's been needing one since Pronger left.