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“He’s very poised with the puck, which is a great asset for a defenceman,” said the 42-year-old Salo. “When he tries to break out, he doesn’t get rattled because he skates well and sees the ice well.

“But he’s still a young kid and there’s lots of work ahead to be put in to make the jump to the NHL.”

And that would be quite the leap this fall.

Juolevi, 19, is too young to be assigned to the American Hockey League and has little to prove by returning to the London Knights of the Ontario Hockey League for a third season. And Salo, who also coaches pro in Finland, suggested that playing in a men’s league in Europe might be an option if Juolevi doesn’t crack a Canucks’ back end that is now 10 deep following free agency.

“Of course I’m going to be disappointed if I don’t make the Canucks team — I was disappointed last year,” said Juolevi, who appeared in two NHL pre-season games last fall. “You have to try and be confident. If you’re not, you can’t do what you need to do to show your best.

“I like to be with the puck and if you have no confidence, it looks pretty bad. Sometimes stuff happens, but I need to be ready from Day 1 (main camp). That’s the plan. You have to be ready to beat guys and take their spots.

“I see myself mostly as an all-round defenceman in the NHL. At my best, I can play PP (power play) and PK (penalty kill) and I don’t just want to be an offensive guy. I want to take care of my team and help it.”