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Avalanche sign Finnish winger Jere Innala
The Colorado Avalanche have signed Finnish left winger Jere Innala to a one-year, entry-level contract. The 26-year-old has spent his entire career in Europe this past season. He played for Frölunda HC of the SHL and had 28 points in 42 games. The playoffs are where he really shined, leading all players with 15 points in 14 games.
What Innala brings to the team
The winger will provide a powerful one-timer in the bottom-six for the Avalanche. Innala loves to set himself up in the faceoff circle for the shot. He offers quickness for centers and defensemen getting out of the defensive zone. Judging from some videos that I have seen, he is great at reading zone exits.
It is likely that Innala will start his North American career in Loveland with the Colorado Eagles. He will need some time to adjust to the NHL sized ice and the speed of the game. The AHL will give Innala to get through that adjustment period.
Innala has had a very successful past. In 2021 Innala would help secure the silver medal for Finland in the World Championships. In 2022, he won the Gold Medal playing in the World Championships with Finland. He tallied one goal in four games, but the next year had more of an impact where he had five points in eight games. In 2018–19, Innala won the championship with HPK in the Liiga. The following season, he would lead the league with the most game-winning goals (8).
Conclusion
Innala is just the start of the off season for the Avalanche and the Eagles. Innala will provide a hard slap shot and a quick snapshot for the bottom-six for the Avalanche or top-six for the Eagles. Jason Polin and Ondřej Palát will have their speed complemented by him for the Eagles, making them a scoring threat on one line together. His shot will be useful in the power play where the Eagles struggled the most. His champion pedigree should be fun to watch.
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