Niemelainen logged almost 20 minutes of ice-time per game this past season and was a stable, dependable presence on the Ässät blueline. At one point, it seemed that his development had stagnated, but the move to Ässät has done wonders to his overall game. He is tougher to play against in the sense that he has started to play more physically and use his size as an asset. He can lay clean, heavy checks without getting into penalty trouble. He moves well in all directions, can pivot well and uses a strong, long stride to reach good top speed. Niemeläinen won’t wow you with his puck handling or shooting ability. Admittedly, his ceiling isn’t very high due to a lack of offence, but given his recent development, I think he has the potential to eventually develop into a third-pairing NHL defenseman.