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WJC: 2016 — Finland Roster Talk

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Yesss :yo:
Now as long as no-one gets injured, we have a positive winger problem.
 
About Puljujarvi and Laine.

I'd say Laine will be drafted higher - tough to say in December, WJC and Liiga Playoffs will decide a lot. Puljujarvi seems more and more to be dominant, compared to others in his age, mostly because of his will and drive to go and score. And obviously he's naturally good skating ability. His skating is just amazing but his hands and shot doesn't seem to be that good. Yes, he can develop those pretty easily and definitely have huge potential. But all in all his attitude and skating is the thing that makes him so good.

Laine has more that scoring potential. The wrist shot is amazing and he is selfish and ambitious in right way. There's been a lot of talk about his past but I don't see it as a problem anymore. It's just past. Laine is also good skater, Pulju is more talented as skater but Laine is still good. Both are big players and goal-scorers. It's tough to say about draft, but I'd go with Laine. WJC and Liiga Playoffs will be interesting to follow.

Can't wait 22nd of Dec. Fin-Usa playing exhibition game in Lahti. And then only 4 days to WJC in Helsinki. Big chance for Team Finland. The coach is good, the roster gonna be good. They have a chance to do something big.

Seems like Sweden is gonna be tough. Canada is always and Usa. Looks like Russia ain't that good on paper but they got what it takes to win.
 
Great to see Kapanen and Rantanen will be joining the team, hopefully Kapanen actually shows up to play this year. There is no reason that the Finns shouldn't win Group B

I'm giving Kapanen one more chance to prove that he isn't a bust.
 
As a Stars fan, I'm really excited to watch Hintz this year.

Being from the US, I don't get to watch any games from the Finnish leagues, but is there ANY chance Miro Karjalainen (another Stars draftee) gets a look? I've heard he's looked pretty decent this year for HIFK U20.
 
Buchenevich19 said:
Great to see Kapanen and Rantanen will be joining the team, hopefully Kapanen actually shows up to play this year. There is no reason that the Finns shouldn't win Group B

I'm giving Kapanen one more chance to prove that he isn't a bust.
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I agree with you, for me Kapanen has been huge disappointment.
Not only last years U20 WJC's, but also in U18 WJC'S's 2014 in Lappeenranta.

In that tournament Finland lost quarterfinal game 0-10 for Sweden, and Kapanen was Finland's captain there and his effort was very negative.
Sometimes seems that, Kapanen tries to do everything by himself and he tries to be hero.

This U20 WJC tournament, is so important for Kasperi Kapanen.
So let's see, how he doing in Helsinki.

Of course he's good addition for Finland's roster, but now he must show everyone which wood he's made for.
 
Morry83 said:
As a Stars fan, I'm really excited to watch Hintz this year.

Being from the US, I don't get to watch any games from the Finnish leagues, but is there ANY chance Miro Karjalainen (another Stars draftee) gets a look? I've heard he's looked pretty decent this year for HIFK U20.
Click to expand...

Hintz has been very good in HIFK, he missed all HIFK's preseason games and 17 regular season games in FEL, because of back injury.
Now he's been one the best HIFK players, and he's scored 6 points ( 1 goal 5 assists) in 13 FEL games his +- reading is 0.

Here's Hintz's game by game stats in HIFK..
http://liiga.fi/pelaajat/27820360/hintz-roope/ottelu-ottelulta

Miro Karjalainen played his debut games, in HIFK's FEL team past weekend.
He was HIFK's 7th defenseman in 2 FEL games, ( home game against HPK and visitor game against Kärpät Oulu).
He logged ice time, in 6,16 minutes per game.

Also Karjalainen participated Finland's U20 team, in August's four nation tournament in Russia and he scored 1 goal there.
I don't know what are his chances to made, Finland's team in world juniors.

Finland's first world junior evaluation camp roster, will released tomorrow ( Monday 7th December.)
 
llwyd said:
Yeah, looks awfully good. So, as a true Finn I obviously will desperately try to find some negatives here... Like for example it's a home tournament broadcast by the YLE with one of the strongest teams ever - so, surely that's not good with Finland: we love to outperform meagre expectations but if we are one of the biggest favourites, we'll surely freeze at some critical stage of the tournament etc. etc.
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I don't know. Finland is one of the teams whose games in Canada I always try to attend because I'm confident they'll bring it. No team has a perfect track record of course but Finland is as good a bet as any.
 
Buchenevich19 said:
Now Hintz is on the team, good that we're getting all the talent we can get unlike some years.
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Yep, he's been fit and a lock for the past month and a half or so.

And yeah, with everyone healthy and Rantanen and Kapanen coming, we'll have one heckuva team. Likely the most talented we've ever iced.
 
Camp roster

Kaapo Kähkönen, Blues
Emil Larmi, Peliitat
Veini Vehviläinen, JYP

Olli Juolevi, London Knights
Miro Keskitalo, TPS
Jesper Mattila, Ilves
Niko Mikkola, KalPa
Sami Niku, JYP
Vili Saarijärvi, Flint Firebirds
Robin Salo, Sport
Eetu Sopanen, Peliitat
Joni Tuulola, HPK
Urho Vaakanainen, Blues

Sebastian Aho, Kärpät
Kasper Björkqvist, Blues
Roope Hintz, HIFK
Antti Kalapudas, Kärpät
Kasperi Kapanen, Toronto Marlies
Patrik Laine, Tappara
Juho Lammikko, Kingston Frontenacs
Miro Mäkinen, Jukurit
Julius Nättinen, Barrie Colts
Jesse Puljujärvi, Kärpät
Sebastian Repo, Pelicans
Aleksi Saarela, Ässät
Miska Siikonen, Pelicans
Jonne Tammela, KalPa
Patrik Virta, TPS

Mikko Rantanen will join the final team.


Guess the goalies are set already.

On defense, dotty speculations about Niemeläinen, Moberg and Välimäki can be cut now. Niemeläinen and Välimäki are great prospects, but their time will come later. Curious to see Vaakanainen on the list as -99 born (albeit barely), though I suppose his chances of making the final group are slim. And yes, I know he's been with Blues liiga team lately, and has not been bad at all.

Forward group has Joel Kiviranta as notable omission. No reason to cry after a 4th line winger, but a bit surprised to see him gone already regardless.
 
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Buchenevich19 said:
Now Hintz is on the team, good that we're getting all the talent we can get unlike some years.

Just please stay healthy
Click to expand...

Only question is when Antti Törmänen starts to ***** about the time Hintz is away from HIFK because of the camp?
 
Hockeyfrilla said:
Any suprises?
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Like I said above, Vaakanainen on the side of additions (though I fully expect him to be cut), Kiviranta as an omission (but hardly anything scandalous).

Other than them, it's pretty much the group most in the know had penned at this point.
 
thomast said:
Really suprised to see Vaakanainen out there and no Välimäki.
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I'm guessing Jalonen only invited the surefire cases from overseas. We have equally good bodies on this side of the pond, so testing guys like Välimäki and Niemeläinen for small margins was felt being more of a hassle than having them fly over to be potentially cut.

One should never say never of course, but I'd be damn surprised to see Vaakanainen slink into the final open spot. He's most likely there for future XP. As is Salo, probably. I fully expect that spot to be a two-way battle between Keskitalo and Mattila.


My current prediction for final the final squad:

Kähkönen
Vehviläinen
Larmi

Juolevi - Tuulola
Mikkola - Saarijärvi
Niku - Sopanen
Keskitalo

Rantanen - Hintz - Kapanen
Laine - Nättinen - Repo
Aho - Saarela - Puljujärvi
Lammikko - Siikonen - Björkqvist
Tammela

Yeah. Pretty much the same I've called for a while now. Only change is Kiviranta <-> Björkqvist.
 
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FiLe said:
I'm guessing Jalonen only invited the surefire cases from overseas. We have equally good bodies on this side of the pond, so testing guys like Välimäki and Niemeläinen for small margins was felt being more of a hassle than having them fly over to be potentially cut.

One should never say never of course, but I'd be damn surprised to see Vaakanainen slink into the final open spot. He's most likely there for future XP. As is Salo, probably. I fully expect that spot to be a two-way battle between Keskitalo and Mattila.


My current prediction for final the final squad:

Kähkönen
Vehviläinen
Larmi

Juolevi - Tuulola
Mikkola - Saarijärvi
Niku - Sopanen
Keskitalo

Rantanen - Hintz - Kapanen
Laine - Nättinen - Repo
Aho - Saarela - Puljujärvi
Lammikko - Siikonen - Björkqvist
Tammela

Yeah. Pretty much the same I've called for a while now. Only change is Kiviranta <-> Björkqvist.
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If Nättinen can lay some good plays then i can surely say that Repo and Laine will score a nice amount of goals :)
 
Looks good, im only missing one player :Henrik Borgström. 31 points in 20 games for HIFK A:juniors.
 
matzz said:
Looks good, im only missing one player :Henrik Borgström. 31 points in 20 games for HIFK A:juniors.
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There's no room for him, too many great forward options in the pros and CHL. Next year will be his turn probably.
 
dino200022 said:
That looks like quite the potent lineup coming from a Canadian fan...Don't think the Finns should have trouble scoring this tournament, but not to sure about their backend?
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The defense is decent enough. Also, one should not underestimate the effect of coaching in setting up an effective game plan even supposedly "lesser" players can execute. 2014 is a pretty solid example.

And this year, the guy running the bench is perhaps the best possible for the job. It's a big reason to why I'm feeling confident even if the names on paper may not relay said feeling.

rduck1 said:
There's no room for him, too many great forward options in the pros and CHL. Next year will be his turn probably.
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It's far too early of course, but *if* all eligible players are available (mainly, Laine and Pulju), we'll have a pretty nice group next year too...


Vehviläinen (Viksten)

Juolevi - Saarijärvi
Niemeläinen - Vainio
Välimäki - Salo
Vaakanainen

Aho - Saarela - Puljujärvi
Palmu - Nättinen - Laine
Tammela - Somppi - E.Tuulola
Piipponen - Borgström - Björkqvist
Ruotsalainen
 
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