Born: 2002-01-10
Team: Kärpät U20
Position: Defenseman
Shoots: Left
Height / Weight: 5-9 / 154
REPORT: HERMES @ KIEKKO-POJAT (MESTIS), FEBRUARY 13, 2021
Paaso played in his second Mestis game and was paired with fellow 2002 born defenseman Hannes Häkkilä, who was also loaned to Hermes from Kärpät U20. Paaso was calm with the puck, showed nice vision of the game and a high-panic threshold. Despite turning the puck over a couple of times, he did not make any glaring mistakes. In the third period, he made a crisp long pass to Henri Limma, who was at the offensive blueline and made a nice move before beating the Kiekko-Pojat goalie on the blocker side. Moreover, Paaso tied the game at 2-2 with a cannon of a slap shot. Häkkilä made a crafty backhand pass from below the goal line to Paaso, who had time to wind up and got significant power behind the shot. He does not have the physical attributes to outmuscle opponents, but he knows how to defend with positioning and his stick.
REPORT: KÄRPÄT @ ROKI U20, JANUARY 6, 2021
Paaso logged 21:09 of ice-time on Kärpät’s first pairing, the second most on his team. He was steady and dependable on the back end for Kärpät. He had a quick stick and he was effective at breaking up plays. He took smart angles. He is a smooth and economical skater and has the footwork to pressure opponents quickly. On his goal he had room in the middle and picked his spot well with a quick wrist shot on high glove side. He took good care of the puck, showing poise and making a firm first pass out of the defensive zone.
REPORT: KÄRPÄT @ HIFK U18, JANUARY 6, 2019
Paaso had an impressive game as Kärpät U18 edged HIFK 9-0, making an impact at both ends of the ice. The smart puck mover is an agile skater with quick feet and pretty good top-end speed, enabling to win races for pucks. He was able to move the puck quickly – even under forecheck pressure – and he passed the puck into good spots. Defensively, he used a quick, timely stick to take away time and space from the opposing forwards. His stick positioning was excellent. Paaso was constantly alert without the puck and even though he lacked physicality, his overall defensive game was strong.