After completing the 2024-2025 Liiga season with eight goals and 20 assists, and contributing two goals and two assists in five playoff games, Salin flew across the pond and joined the Ontario Reign of the AHL. Fresh off the heels of signing his ELC, joining the Reign is a good sign for King’s fans and fantasy managers alike. He managed an assist in three regular season AHL games and played a single playoff tilt, but the fact he is North American is the key piece. Salin has never been a hefty point producer, but his numbers increased, as did his ice-time in his final Liiga season. He won’t usurp Brandt Clarke as the heir apparent for prime blue-line deployment on offense, but Salin could be a cheap, bottom four defenseman who can compliment the offense. He’s not worth investing too heavily in at this point, but could be a smart stash as we see how he acclimates to North American hockey.

Salin signed a three-year entry-level contract with the Los Angeles Kings.

The Los Angeles Kings have selected Salin in the fifth round of the 2022 NHL Draft.

Salin has quietly had a great campaign in Finland, where he figured among only three draft-eligible defensemen to play pro this season. He played six games for HIFK, earning an assist and two penalty minutes. He averaged just over 10 minutes of play at the pro level, whereas he’s had games for HIFK’s U20 squad in which he’s played up to 27 minutes. At the junior level, Salin earned 12 points in 11 games, outpacing all but three forwards on the squad for points per game.

Vision, puck skills, and mobility are the name of Salin’s game. His crossover use, his cutbacks, and his forwards, as well as his backward skating, all look very solid. He covers lots of ground and doesn’t waste energy, being selective in his rushes. When he joins the offense, whether in transition or the offensive zone, he takes calculated risks and has the vision to identify the right time and place for his incursions. However, his manipulation of lanes could use some work. When he finds himself in positive ice, he has the hands, the passing ability, and the shot to convert on his chances. The issues with Salin are on the defensive side, for the most part — he can struggle to stifle opponents off the rush and get confused when the cycle requires a change of assignment. Overall, the offensive promise with Salin is a shot in the third round, especially if he can be brought over to North America soon to learn from the tightness of the pro game on this side of the pond to grow his defensive game the right way.