Not unlike most pop-culture related topics, hockey fans are constantly striving to discover the latest and greatest attraction.

More often than not, the search boils down to rookies and prospects; the young players believed to have the brightest and most sustainable future. Hence, the allure of the annual World Junior Championships each holiday season. With the tournament now played out and the spotlight shining on a newly-minted group of blue-chip young guns, the level of anticipation continues to build.

Somewhat overlooked in the fray are highly-ranked youngsters who have only recently made their NHL debuts. They don’t bask in the glamour of a renowned tournament, and they have not had an opportunity to shine at the NHL level – like Filip Forsberg, Michael Hutchinson, Johnny Gaudreau, or Aaron Ekblad – since opening night.  Yet they often emerge as an integral part of hockey’s new guard.

Buffalo Sabres prospect Joel Armia is a case in point.

A native of Finland, Armia was Buffalo’s first-round draft selection (16^th overall) in the 2011 NHL Entry Draft. And while being a first-round selection does initially come with substantial attention and more than a few perks, time has a way of dulling that initial luster. The road traveled to NHL greatness is often fraught with potholes and detours.

So you can forgive less-than-ardent fans for asking, “Who?” when the Sabres recalled Armia from their AHL affiliate in Rochester just before Christmas. Whether or not he eventually sticks with the big club remains to be seen but chances are fans will eventually replace “Who?” with “Wow” before long.

“He’s probably one of the more skilled players I’ve played with in my pro career,” says Rochester Americans teammate and team captain Drew Bagnall. “His talent level and his vision on the ice are unbelievable. He does things in practice that leave you in awe.  And as a defender, you respect him because you’re in there trying to win the battle and somehow he comes out and the puck just sticks to him.”

The 2014-15 campaign marks Armia’s second in North America. Prior to that, he polished his skills for three seasons in the Finnish Elite League where he was literally a boy among men. He was only 17 in his rookie campaign when he fired 18 goals in 48 games for his hometown Assat Pori.  A quick study, Armia steadily improved his game and by his third season with the club, he helped lead his mates to a league championship.

Not unlike many European players, Armia’s first season in North America with Rochester in 2013-14 was filled with challenges and adjustments. He missed the first 19 games of the year with a knee injury and needed time to adjust to the smaller ice surface and more physical style of play.

“We might have overwhelmed him with all the information we gave him,” admits Bagnall. “It takes a while for everything to sink in and for the details of the game to kind of come through. Every day he gets better and he works at it. He’s out there early and he’s down in the gym and he takes care of himself. He’s very dedicated to being a professional hockey player.”

By the end of the year, though, Armia was making headway and showed flashes of brilliance in the playoffs where he tallied six points in five games before his team was eliminated. This season, Armia appears to have shifted into a higher gear right from the get go.

“His work ethic is great,” observes Bagnall. “When he came in, I don’t think he really knew what the North American style of game was really like. His puck control and the way he sees plays develop is something to watch.”

Bagnall says he saw obvious evidence of Armia’s skills in last season’s Spengler Cup tourney in Europe during the holidays. You may recall the Rochester Americans headed overseas as a team to participate, a rare opportunity for an entire regular-season club to remain intact.

“When he came back, I thought he played a lot better for us on the smaller ice surface. He can use his skill, especially down low in the zone because he’s a big body. He’s going to be a heck of a player and he has come a long way in the last couple of years. I can absolutely see the progress.”

Amerks head coach Chad Cassidy agrees that Armia has upped his game to a new level.

“I think he’s moving his feet a lot more without the puck,” he says. “His habit last year was to get the puck and he was standing still a lot. Now he’s moving his feet and attacking. He’s light years ahead of last year when he was coming off the knee injury and muddling through the league a little bit. Now, in terms of the young prospects in this league, he’s got to be in the top two or three. I haven’t seen many that are much better.”

That amounts to high praise from the bench boss, but on the other hand, Cassidy has witnessed first hand what a difference Armia makes to his overall team offense so far in 2014-15. When the youngster missed a number of games prior to the holidays due to injury, Rochester’s firepower slipped noticeably. The Amerks averaged 3.21 goals per game before Armia was hurt, and only 1.89 goals per game without him in the lineup. Not coincidentally, the team lost seven of those nine games.

“He brings an awful lot to our offense,” says Cassidy. “He creates a ton of scoring chances and for us to not have him for those nine games, our offense was pretty much non-existent.”

Through it all, Armia remains focused on the task at hand. Soft spoken, and still becoming acquainted with the English language, he nevertheless appears more than familiar with what to say and how to say it in order to make a positive impression.

“The last two games were pretty hard and I didn’t think I played the best games,” he observed after returning to the Americans lineup from his injury. “We have to be better at having the killer instinct and putting the puck in the net. I feel there is a lot of my game that needs improving. I just try to work hard every night.”

Perhaps Armia is a bit harsh with his self analysis, or maybe he is simply trying to put his best foot forward with the media. It’s not as though he lacks in self-confidence. He carries himself with enough swagger on the ice, but at the same time, one gets a sense that he knows exactly what he must do to get to the next level, namely the NHL. Listening and learning are big parts of the equation and Armia has welcomed the advice and constructive criticism offered by teammates and the coaching staff.

“What he has to work on,” suggests Bagnall, “is finding the right time to use his skill. Sometimes, even though he is very gifted, he has to give a little more respect to defenders in the sense that you can’t always beat guys one on one. These are very good players. The problem is sometimes he does but there are times he doesn’t and then you create those turnovers. That’s the balance he has to find.”

In other words, knowing when to get greasy without being slick. That can be a fine line but few people doubt Armia will eventually make that adjustment. With eight goals and 18 points in his first 23 games this season, he appears to be a quick study.

“To get to the next level,” says Cassidy, “he’s just got to keep doing what he’s doing. He’s obviously played well enough to be there (Buffalo). We want to get him in the best shape possible and get him ready for when it does happen because it’s probably going to happen sooner than later the way he’s playing.”

Cassidy’s words proved prophetic. Within days, Armia got the NHL call and made his big-league debut for Buffalo in Detroit on December 23^rd. The youngster took a regular shift, registered four hits, and saw nearly 15 minutes of playing time in a 6-3 loss before being reassigned back to the AHL. Though his first NHL stint was brief, it undoubtedly provided a boost in confidence. Bagnall believes that remains one of the final pieces of the puzzle for his young teammate.

“So much of it with the younger guys is confidence and feeling comfortable within the team,” he says, “and I think he’s there now for us. He’s really comfortable and we just have to make sure we can keep him healthy so he can contribute. It’s just a matter of time.”

Armia acknowledges he is happy with his progress and that his experience in North America as well as the support of his teammates is paying dividends. He understands that patience and dedication will eventually pay dividends.

“I’m a lot more comfortable,” he says. “I think the second year has been better than last year, both on the ice and outside the rink. I know much more about what to do. We have a great team here and if I have any problems with anything, almost everybody has helped me. It’s been a good thing.”

As the 2014-15 campaign continues to unfold, it appears Armia’s largest obstacle to NHL success is the injury bug. Not long after his return to Rochester, he incurred what the team described as a nagging lower-body injury and was sidelined on a day-to-day basis. No doubt, the experience has been frustrating at a time when he can smell another NHL opportunity. In this case, patience is certainly a virtue.

Not to be deterred, perhaps Bagnall sums up Armia’s vast potential best.

“He wants to be a part of the solution. He wants to be a part of the team. He wants to be the guy who makes the right play. He wants to endear himself to his teammates. He’s a guy I think that anyone would be fortunate to have on his team. I think he’ll be a stud for Buffalo in the near future.”