from Terry Koshan of the Toronto Sun,

Olli Juolevi was interviewed by 23 teams during the National Hockey League scouting combine.

We can assume the London Knights defenceman told each management group the same thing.

The 18-year-old Helsinki native expects to be the first defenceman selected in the 2016 NHL draft later this month here at the First Niagara Center.

“Yeah, I (think I will be) the first defenceman,” Juolevi said to reporters on Saturday as the combine concluded.

“I think my hockey IQ (is what separates him). It’s pretty hard to teach. I can always go to the gym to get more muscles or practise my shooting and stuff like that, but (smarts) is hard to teach.

“I trust myself. I think I am the best defenceman, so I don’t think about anybody else.”

Let’s hear it for Juolevi’s honesty. It’s refreshing.

With less than three weeks remaining for NHL clubs to put their final draft preparation in place, three defencemen — Juolevi, Mikhail Sergachev of the Windsor Spitfires and Jakob Chychrun of the Sarnia Sting — apparently have broken away from the pack.

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