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WJC: 2017 Finland Roster Talk

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Vaakanainen could be left out and the team would still be highly competitive. I like the depth in forwards also, but not having Laine-Aho-Puljujärvi hurts a bit. Vesalainen and Tolvanen may have to fill the shoes of Pulju and Laine at least partly.
 
I doubt both of Niemeläinen and E. Räsänen make it over Vaakanainen. Just by looking at points Niemeläinen seems to be struggling big time. He's 6th in points among dmen on his team with 0+2 in 20gp. One guy I don't see discussed is Veeti Vainio. I think he might make it being a RHD.

Either way, this team's depth seems to be more than fine at D and F. Goaltending is the biggest question. Hopefully Luukkonen is the guy and ready to shut down that back end.
 
vaiski said:
I doubt both of Niemeläinen and E. Räsänen make it over Vaakanainen. Just by looking at points Niemeläinen seems to be struggling big time. He's 6th in points among dmen on his team with 0+2 in 20gp. One guy I don't see discussed is Veeti Vainio. I think he might make it being a RHD.

Either way, this team's depth seems to be more than fine at D and F. Goaltending is the biggest question. Hopefully Luukkonen is the guy and ready to shut down that back end.
Click to expand...

I do not think that Luukkonen is in the team in these world juniors.
Yes he was awesome in U18's in Grand Forks but still these world juniors come too soon for him.

Right now seems that goalies will be Vehviläinen and Ruusu and someone else on these two Christian Heljanko / Karolus Kaarlehto
If / when during the tournament Vehviläinen meltdown again then it's better to go with Ruusu and Heljanko / Kaarlehto

But if Luukkonen really is in the team that's fine to me
 
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GeorgeLeafer12 said:
My line up as of now would be something like:

1. Kuokkanen-Nättinen-Palmu
2. Tolvanen-ARäsänen-Tuulola
3. Vesalainen-Saarela-Koivula
4. Koppanen-Somppi-Heponiemi
13. Borgström

1. Juolevi-Saarijärvi
2. Heiskanen-Välimäki
3. Niemeläinen-ERäsänen
7. Salo

like that other winning team,this team has
everything size,talent,speed,...

Heres the 180cm+ players:

200cm/ 93kg Eemeli Räsänen
197cm/ 93kg Markus Niemeläinen
195cm/ 87kg Joona Koppanen
191cm/ 83kg Olli Juolevi
191cm/ 81kg Henrik Borgström
190cm/ 92kg Kristian Vesalainen
190cm/100kg Otto Koivula
190cm/102kg Eetu Tuulola
189cm/ 88kg Julius Nättinen
188cm/ 91kg Juuso Välimäki
186cm/ 86kg Janne Kuokkanen
184cm/ 84kg Robin Salo
184cm/ 80kg Miro Heiskanen
183cm/ 90kg Aapeli Räsänen
183cm/ 82kg Otto Somppi
180cm/ 91kg Aleksi Saarela

Heres the u 180cm players:

171cm/81kg Petrus Palmu
176cm/65kg Aleksi Heponiemi
178cm/75kg Vili Saarijärvi
178cm/81kg Eeli Tolvanen
Click to expand...

How likely you think that Aleksi Heponiemi and Eemeli Räsänen are involved in upcoming world juniors in Montreal?
 
vaiski said:
One guy I don't see discussed is Veeti Vainio. I think he might make it being a RHD.
Click to expand...
He struggled at the beginning of season and didn't get minutes even in weak defense of KooKoo. Then he got injured so no wonder that he is not really discussed about. Either way he should be able to produce offensively in order to be useful and his contribution just hasn't been enough. If we think about 6th or 7th D in the team, I would be much more comfortable with more defensively sound players, especially since there are more than enough good options.
 
Quethas said:
He struggled at the beginning of season and didn't get minutes even in weak defense of KooKoo. Then he got injured so no wonder that he is not really discussed about. Either way he should be able to produce offensively in order to be useful and his contribution just hasn't been enough. If we think about 6th or 7th D in the team, I would be much more comfortable with more defensively sound players, especially since there are more than enough good options.
Click to expand...

I'll admit I'm not knowledgeable enough to accurately talk about the abilities of many of the conteding defensemen. The top 4 (Juolevi-Saarijärvi-Välimäki-Heiskanen) should be a done deal, but the three last spots are up for grabs IMO.

My starting point looks something like this:

Tolvanen-Kuokkanen-Vesalainen
Saarela-Nättinen-Koivula
Palmu-Borgström-Luoto
Björkqvist-Räsänen-Tuulola
Tammela/Koppanen

Juolevi-Saarijärvi
Välimäki-Heiskanen
Vaakanainen-Vainio
Salo/Niemeläinen

Ruusu/Heljanko/Vehviläinen/Luukkonen
 
Karjala takaisin said:
Saarela-Nättinen-Puljujärvi
Vesalainen-Borgström-Tolvanen

Decent top 6
Click to expand...

I may see a team like this

Palmu Nättinen Puljujärvi
Juolevi Saarijärvi

Vesalainen Saarela Tolvanen
Vaakanainen Heiskanen

Kuokkanen Borgström Koivula
Välimäki Salo

Björkqvist Koppanen Tuulola
13th Forward Jonne Tammela
7th Defenceman Markus Niemeläinen / Eemeli Räsänen

Goalies
Vehviläinen
Ruusu
Heljanko

Captains

C Olli Juolevi
A Vili Saarijärvi
A Jesse Puljujärvi
 
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Nattinen as a top line center seems a bit weak unless he has progressed a lot since last season. Haven't seen him this season.
 
BusQuets said:
Nattinen as a top line center seems a bit weak unless he has progressed a lot since last season. Haven't seen him this season.
Click to expand...

That's why my lineup is only speculation because one-else than Jukka Rautakorpi does not know how the final team seems to.
 
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FinnHockeyFan said:
Captains

C Olli Juolevi
A Vili Saarijärvi
A Jesse Puljujärvi
Click to expand...
Snubbing Björkqvist and Saarela from having a letter, riiiiight.

Barring a major surprise of Aho being loaned, one of those two will wear the C, mark my words.
 
kunekune said:
Would instantly turn Finland into the biggest favorites.
Click to expand...

No, it wouldn't.

It would help. He might be the best player at the tournament, but a player who can't stick in the NHL currently will not make Finland the favorite.

Had that player been Laine, then maybe you can say one player makes them the favorite, but players like Laine, McDavid, Werenski who are playing very well in the NHL are not going to be released for this tournament.
 
I'm looking forward to seeing Tolvanen. He might be the draft eligible player at this tournament, considering there's a chance Patrick and Liljegren both won't be there, Vilardi won't be there and neither will Kostin.
 
Pavel Buchnevich said:
Had that player been Laine, then maybe you can say one player makes them the favorite, but players like Laine, McDavid, Werenski who are playing very well in the NHL are not going to be released for this tournament.
Click to expand...
It would be a pretty boring tournament if Laine somehow made it. He's already just toying with some NHL netminders at times, so he would eat any U20 goalie alive.
 
Pavel Buchnevich said:
No, it wouldn't.

It would help. He might be the best player at the tournament, but a player who can't stick in the NHL currently will not make Finland the favorite.

Had that player been Laine, then maybe you can say one player makes them the favorite, but players like Laine, McDavid, Werenski who are playing very well in the NHL are not going to be released for this tournament.
Click to expand...

Yes, that's why Laine was named tournament MVP at the last WJC. Oh, wait...... that was Puljujarvi. :sarcasm:
 
Pavel Buchnevich said:
No, it wouldn't.

It would help. He might be the best player at the tournament, but a player who can't stick in the NHL currently will not make Finland the favorite.

Had that player been Laine, then maybe you can say one player makes them the favorite, but players like Laine, McDavid, Werenski who are playing very well in the NHL are not going to be released for this tournament.
Click to expand...

Yeah he would. Pulju would be by far away the best player in the tournament. He already toyed with teams last year. Imagine him this year.
 
Statsy said:
Yes, that's why Laine was named tournament MVP at the last WJC. Oh, wait...... that was Puljujarvi. :sarcasm:
Click to expand...

Laine had the better tournament, despite having less points.

BusQuets said:
Yeah he would. Pulju would be by far away the best player in the tournament. He already toyed with teams last year. Imagine him this year.
Click to expand...

If he was far and away the best player in contention to play at the tournament, he wouldn't be in contention to play at the tournament, if that makes any sense to anyone. At the NHL level for a playoff level team, he's finding it hard to stay in the lineup. There are players in this age group like Laine, McDavid, Werenski, Marner, Matthews, Aho, Hanifin, Provorov who are good or in a few cases very good NHL players, even if you discount their age. Puljujarvi is kind of in that tier with Strome, Barzal, Sergachyov, Eriksson Ek, maybe Chychrun, and a few others who didn't even get any NHL games this season like Juolevi, Kaprizov, Nylander, where they could all take some NHL shifts at their current levels of play, but over a full season, they probably are not NHL players yet.

Don't get me wrong, he had a very good WJC last year, but that was also on a line with two other NHL players, one of which leads the NHL in goals. I think he would be one of the best players at the tournament, but comparatively to last year, he's pretty much on his own. He's not going to be playing with anyone close to as good as Laine or Aho. I think using last year as an example why he'd be far and away the best player this year isn't a good idea because there are variables compared to last year.
 
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