At first glance, not seeing the name of Detroit Red Wings forward Jesse Kiiskinen ranked among the top 20 players performing in the Finnish Super League (also known as the SM-liiga) might seem to be cause for alarm.

The reality is that you shouldn’t read too much into that outcome.

Finnish website Ilta-Sanomat compiled a ranking of the best players currently playing in Finland’s top league. Kiiskinen didn’t make the cut.

On the surface, that’s certainly a surprising development. After all, the 20-year-old right-winger was the leading scorer for HPK Hameenlinna last season. He accumulated 44 points, despite being limited to 46 games due to injury and representing Finland in the IIHF World Junior Championship.

Jesse Kiiskinen GOAL🚨 he certainly has a blast on the power play. #LGRW #HPK pic.twitter.com/1oq2KOD2kf

— Red Wings Prospects (@LGRWProspects) September 2, 2025

Digging deeper, you quickly realize that seniority is playing a significant role in these rankings.

Several of the top-rated players are seasoned veterans of pro hockey. First up is veteran defenseman Sami Vatanen. The longtime NHLer is 34 years old.

Teemu Hartikainen (35), Jori Lehtera (37), and Antti Raanta (36) are also on the list.

Red Wings Invested In Kiiskinen

Detroit acquired Kiiskinen from the Nashville Predators in a trade for defensive prospect Andrew Gibson. Both were 2023 draft picks. The Red Wings signed Kiiskinen to an entry-level contract during the offseason. He’ll play one more season in Finland before coming to play in North America.

Jesse Kiiskinen one timer.. rebound put home for a late 4-3 lead. Kiiskinen with the primary assist 🍎 #LGRW #HPK pic.twitter.com/rNFySYFzPM

— Red Wings Prospects (@LGRWProspects) September 2, 2025

A couple of players with Red Wings connections did earn placement on the top-20 list. American center Patrick Curry of defending champions KalPa Kuopio was rated fifth. Last season, he was good for 29-31-60 totals in 60 games for the champions. From 2020-22, Curry played for the AHL Grand Rapids Griffins and ECHL Toledo Walleye.

Coming in at 20th was SaiPa Lappeenranta forward Otto Kivenmaki. Helping SaiPa to the Finnish league final last spring, Kivenmaki led the club in scoring with 50 points.

The Red Wings selected Kivenmaki 191st overall in the 2018 NHL entry draft. However, he was never offered a contract.