Henri Jokiharju

Henri Jokiharju

25-Year-Old DefensemanD
Buffalo Sabres
2024 Fantasy Outlook
Jokiharju's usage dipped a season ago. He averaged just 18:59 worth of playing time per night, down from the 21-plus minutes he averaged the prior two years. That said, he finished with a career-high 20 points. Oddly enough, Jokiharju has tallied exactly three goals each of the past four seasons. Set to play the entirety of this upcoming year at age 25, Jokiharju has youth on his side, but nothing he's displayed thus far over the course of six NHL seasons suggests any sort of breakout is forthcoming in 2024-25. Read Past Outlooks
$Signed a one-year, $3.1 million contract with the Sabres in July of 2024.
Starting to lose time
DBuffalo Sabres
December 21, 2024
Jokiharju was scratched for the second time in four games when he sat out Friday's 6-3 loss to the Maple Leafs.
ANALYSIS
Jokiharju sat out six straight games in November, but he was right back in the lineup when injuries impacted the Sabres' blue line. Now, he appears in danger of losing his place to Connor Clifton or Dennis Gilbert, though the team's recent slump could cause frequent rotation on defense. Jokiharju is stuck in a 19-game point drought and has just three points with 34 shots on net, 26 blocked shots, 23 hits and a plus-2 rating over 25 appearances this season.
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NHL Stats
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2023
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2021
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2018
2024 NHL Game Log
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2023 NHL Game Log
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2022 NHL Game Log
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2021 NHL Game Log
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2024–25 Time On Ice Stats
  • Average Time On Ice:
    17:55
  • Average Power Play TOI:
    0:08
  • Average Short-Handed TOI:
    1:05
 
Ice Time
Power Play
Short-Handed
2022–23
21:01
0:14
1:54
2023–24
18:59
0:17
0:55
2024–25
17:55
0:08
1:05
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Sabres Power Play Depth Chart
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Past Fantasy Outlooks
2023
2022
2021
2020
2019
2018
Although Jokiharju was an offensive force in the WHL, the 24-year-old has assumed a shutdown role in the NHL. He's averaged 21:28 of ice time over the last two campaigns, but despite his heavy use, he's yet to surpass the 20-point milestone in a single season and finished 2022-23 with just three goals and 13 points in 60 outings with the Sabres. It doesn't help that the presence of blueliners Rasmus Dahlin and Owen Power on Buffalo's roster means Jokiharju doesn't have a clear path to any meaningful power-play minutes. Unlike other defensive defenseman, Jokiharju isn't a great source of hits or blocks, having recorded just 63 and 58, respectively, last year. All that combines to make him a poor fantasy option who shouldn't be drafted outside of the deepest of leagues.
Jokiharju quietly had a nice season for the Sabres in 2021-22. A first-round pick (29th overall) of the Blackhawks in 2017, Jokiharju managed 19 points in 60 games last year while averaging nearly 22 minutes (21:55) of ice time per game. Jokiharju's upside is quite limited, especially with Owen Power now in the fold, but Joki spent a good chunk of last season playing alongside Rasmus Dahlin and it wouldn't be surprising to see Buffalo go back to that pairing considering it worked well. Jokiharju has far more value to the Sabres than in fantasy circles.
This will be Jokiharju's fourth NHL season and he'll play the entire year at age 22. There's still some upside here, but the early returns haven't been positive. Playing on a poor, rebuilding team hasn't helped matters. Jokiharju managed just three goals and eight points in 46 games a year ago. He also finished with a minus-11 rating, which considering how bad Buffalo was, isn't all that terrible. The Sabres thought enough of Jokiharju's progression to sign him to a three-year, $7.5 million contract prior to the start of training camp. The deal locks the Finn into a prominent role on the Buffalo blue line for years to come, but that's not a role that will produce much fantasy value.
Jokiharju was a full-time player for the Sabres last season, picking up 15 points while posting a minus-6 rating and averaging 17:13 of ice time in 69 contests as a bottom-pairing option. The 21-year-old Finn will continue to be a regular in Buffalo's lineup in 2020-21, but his limited even-strength role and complete lack of power-play usage will keep him off the radar in all but the deepest of fantasy formats.
Jokiharju had a promising start to his rookie campaign in 2018-19, notching 12 assists while averaging 18:59 of ice time in 38 appearances with the Blackhawks, but the organization ultimately felt that it would be in his best interest to continue to develop in the AHL for the remainder of the season. He proceeded to show why Chicago was willing to spend a first-round pick on him in 2017 during his time in the minors, posting a respectable two goals and 17 points while registering a plus-7 rating in 30 contests. However, the Finnish blueliner was drafted when coach Joel Quenneville was still at the helm, and simply didn't fit new head coach Jeremy Colliton's system, so the Blackhawks decided to cut ties with the 20-year-old in July, trading him to the Sabres in exchange for Alexander Nylander. Jokiharju has top-pairing potential, but it wouldn't be surprising to see him start the 2019-20 campaign with Buffalo's AHL affiliate. He's definitely worth a stash in dynasty formats, but the 6-foot defender is probably still at least a year away from fantasy relevancy, so there's no reason for owners in re-draft leagues to spend a pick on him this season.
Jokiharju is a Finnish blue-line prospect binded by a three-year, entry-level contract with the Blackhawks. The mobile skater crafted 21 goals and 98 helpers for the WHL's Portland Winterhawks between 2016-18, but his sublime offensive skils could help him secure a spot on Chicago's Opening Night roster to start the 2018-19 campaign. With the Blackhawks sending 2018 eigth overall pick Adam Boqvist back to junior, that's even more evidence that Jokiharju could skip the AHL entirely and contribute to the parent club right away. It's clear that Jokiharju is worth more than a dynasty stash.
More Fantasy News
Checks back in after scratches
DBuffalo Sabres
November 20, 2024
Jokiharju logged 18:42 of ice time, earning two blocked shots, two shots on goal and two PIM in Wednesday's 1-0 win over the Kings.
ANALYSIS
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Scores game-winner Saturday
DBuffalo Sabres
October 13, 2024
Jokiharju scored a goal and went plus-2 in Saturday's 5-2 win over the Panthers.
ANALYSIS
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Re-signs Friday
DBuffalo Sabres
July 5, 2024
Jokiharju signed a one-year, $3.1 million contract with the Sabres on Friday.
ANALYSIS
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Chips in with helper
DBuffalo Sabres
March 29, 2024
Jokiharju notched an assist, two shots on goal, two blocked shots and a plus-2 rating in Friday's 5-2 win over the Devils.
ANALYSIS
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Big night breaks long slumps
DBuffalo Sabres
February 17, 2024
Jokiharju scored a goal and added an assist in a 3-2 overtime win over Minnesota on Saturday.
ANALYSIS
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Latest Fantasy Rumors
Might be shopped
DBuffalo Sabres
July 21, 2023
Jokiharju, who sustained a lower-body injury during the season finale, might be traded by Buffalo over the summer, according to Matthew Fairburn of The Athletic.
ANALYSIS
Jokiharju had three goals, 13 points, 30 PIM, 63 hits and 58 blocks in 60 contests while averaging 21:01 of ice time with the Sabres in 2022-23. Although Buffalo leaned on him heavily last season, the 24-year-old defenseman might be expendable after the Sabres signed fellow right-handed blueliners Erik Johnson and Connor Clifton over the summer. Jokiharju is entering the final season of his three-year, $7.5 million contract and is eligible to become a restricted free agent with arbitration rights after that, so moving him would provide the Sabres with some valuable cap flexibility while also sorting out the team's defensive logjam.
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