WJC: Team Finland 2018 U20 WJC Roster Talk

[Statsy]

Forwards and defensemen depth are the best I've seen ever for us.

Even more mind boggling......... Laine and Puljujarvi are still eligible.

 

[TonyStrecher]

What are the chances that Aarne Talvitie makes the team? I know he played great at the Summer Showcase, but it's hard to judge how good he actually is playing in a U20 league

 

[FinPanda]

Even more mind boggling......... Laine and Puljujarvi are still eligible.

Yeah, crazy.

 

[JJTT]

What are the chances that Aarne Talvitie makes the team? I know he played great at the Summer Showcase, but it's hard to judge how good he actually is playing in a U20 league

Should be a lock for the team since he can play anywhere on the lineup, winger, center, top6, 4th line PP, PK..

 

[DoingItCoolKiwi]

Should be a lock for the team since he can play anywhere on the lineup, winger, center, top6, 4th line PP, PK..

He has a chance but is in no way a lock. There is just so many ways they can go with the forward group

 

[Opak]

Vesalainen - Kuokkanen - Koivula
Tolvanen - Heponiemi - Turkulainen
Kupari - A. Räsänen - Kotkaniemi
Nyman - Somppi - Nurmi
Ikonen

Juolevi - Heiskanen
Välimäki - Jokiharju
Vaakanainen - Salo
E. Räsänen

Luukkonen
Lehtinen

Eemeli Rasanen? He's excelling on NA ice.

The only roster spot on defense I see being available is the #7, Finland's coaching staff/hockey federation would be braindead if they went with anything other than the obvious candidates (Heiskanen, Juolevi, Välimäki, Jokiharju, Salo, Vaakanainen). I believe that #7 spot is wide open though, but it most likely comes down to which player the coaching staff ends up liking.

I will say that Räsänen has size, handedness and that NA background going for him. Wouldn't be upset if they ended up choosing him.

 

[ChicagoBullsFan]

Vesalainen - Kuokkanen - Koivula
Tolvanen - Heponiemi - Turkulainen
Kupari - A. Räsänen - Kotkaniemi
Nyman - Somppi - Nurmi
Ikonen

Juolevi - Heiskanen
Välimäki - Jokiharju
Vaakanainen - Salo
E. Räsänen

Luukkonen
Lehtinen




The only roster spot on defense I see being available is the #7, Finland's coaching staff/hockey federation would be braindead if they went with anything other than the obvious candidates (Heiskanen, Juolevi, Välimäki, Jokiharju, Salo, Vaakanainen). I believe that #7 spot is wide open though, but it most likely comes down to which player the coaching staff ends up liking.

I will say that Räsänen has size, handedness and that NA background going for him. Wouldn't be upset if they ended up choosing him.

Also Markus Niemeläinen and Kasper Kotkansalo has experience on North American ice surface.
So Eemeli Räsänen isn't only candidate to 7th defenceman's role.

 

[HockeyHistorian]

Personally I'd go with Räsänen as the 7th D. I like his two-way game. He is good in front of his own net and on the opposing blue line. The neutral zone is his enemy

 

[FiLe]

The only roster spot on defense I see being available is the #7, Finland's coaching staff/hockey federation would be braindead if they went with anything other than the obvious candidates (Heiskanen, Juolevi, Välimäki, Jokiharju, Salo, Vaakanainen).

Yeah, these six are locks if healthy - though I suppose if one wanted to dissent for dissent's sake, an argument against Salo could be made. I won't be the one to make it though.

But the real meat here is that under these six, there are another six or so quality guys who might be shoo-ins to almost any other WJC squad... and this year they're battling for the leftover spot.

 

[Statsy]

I'm going to have to stick up for Robin Salo here because in everybody's mind, it's five first rounders.... and Salo. But the reality is that he was picked a mere 15 places out of the first round. Not to mention the fact that he's a WJC returnee and has been playing quite solidly in all the games I've watched the past couple years. I only mention this because we all tend to fall in love with that "first round pick" tag, but it isn't quite what everyone always makes it out to be.

 

[FinPanda]

We'll know the camp roster tomorrow. Nice.

Leijonat.fi - Leijonat-Live tarjoaa: Maajoukkueiden tiedotustilaisuus 4.12. klo 12 alkaen

 

[Jason MacIsaac]

I can't see Talvitie not making the team after the summer camp, he was one of the top players on Finland.

 

[kelsier]

Kakko hasn't even played a u18 game yet. No way they'll put him straight to the biggest jr tournament of the year. That being said we'll probably get to see him at u18 world championships this Spring

International you mean?

I almost wished they'd take a chance on the kid. He seems physically ahead of his peers at the same age (listed 6"1/181 lbs in EP, which I'm not sure how accurate), so size shouldn't be an issue. Such a shame TPS for once is so stacked he hasn't had the slightest chance of breaking through to make a showcase, not to mention missing out on Hlinka due to injury I believe. He could be the next best thing coming out of the country.

Not a chance he misses out on U18s though.

 

[JJTT]

Leijonat.fi - Leijonat-Live tarjoaa: Maajoukkueiden tiedotustilaisuus 4.12. klo 12 alkaen

Stream for the roster reveal.

 

[JJTT]

Camp roster:

Goalies(3):

Luukkonen
Lehtinen
Halonen

Defense(9):

Heiskanen
Jokiharju
Juolevi
Kotkansalo
Laavainen
Räsänen
Salo
Vaakanainen
Välimäki

Forwards(16)

Heponiemi
Ikonen
Innala
Jääskä
Koivula
Koppanen
Kuokkanen
Kupari
Luostarinen
Moilanen
Nurmi
Räsänen
Tolvanen
Turkulainen
Tuulola
Vesalainen

No Talvitie or Kotkaniemi.

 

[JabbaJabba]

Can't wait to see Tolvanen and Heiskanen against kids, if they can almost dominate against men already, what can they do against boys?

 

[kunekune]

Anything else but gold is a huge huge disappointment.

 

[DoingItCoolKiwi]

No Somppi or Nyman? Thought both deserved a shot more than Innala or Jääskä.

Oh and no Kotkaniemi either? That's pretty shocking

 

[kelsier]

No Talvitie or Kotkaniemi.

Unbelievable. Was almost certain Jesperi would make the cut at ease. Disappointing, truly. I was far less sure about Kupari, but at least it's good that we got one of them.
Could just be the only time in history there's logjams all around. Still, while Kotkanemi doesn't play C in the FEL, that is his natural position and at the same time probably our weakest link. So with all the more reason it is strange they would not pick him. Kuokkanen is almost guaranteed 1st line C, who else do you see there? Heponiemi?

Anything else but gold is a huge huge disappointment.

Absolutely. The first time ever you could say it out loud pretty much. This has to be the best roster on paper as well, without even having to look what the other teams look like.

 

[Conspiracy Theorist]

(Wrong thread)

 

[HockeyHistorian]

My team:

C:
Heponiemi (C/W)
Kuokkanen (C/W)
Räsänen
Koppanen
Luostarinen (13th)

LW:
Vesalainen
Koivula
Moilanen
Jääskä

RW:
Tolvanen
Turkulainen
Ikonen (C/W)
Tuulola

D:
Heiskanen
Jokiharju
Juolevi
Räsänen (7th)
Salo
Vaakanainen
Välimäki

Interchangeable:
Tuulola to Nurmi, Jääskä to Innala and Luostarinen to Kupari.

 

[DDRhockey]

Anything else but gold is a huge huge disappointment.

well you stole our gold in 2014. payback,

 

[illone84]

well you stole our gold in 2014. payback,

2014 was payback for 2012, where our goalie choked hard and Sweden robbed Finland of a ticket to the gold game.

That being said, would love to see a Finland vs Sweden gold medal game this time around.
Fin vs Swe for gold, Usa vs Can for bronze

 

[JJTT]

Unbelievable. Was almost certain Jesperi would make the cut at ease. Disappointing, truly. I was far less sure about Kupari, but at least it's good that we got one of them.
Could just be the only time in history there's logjams all around. Still, while Kotkanemi doesn't play C in the FEL, that is his natural position and at the same time probably our weakest link. So with all the more reason it is strange they would not pick him. Kuokkanen is almost guaranteed 1st line C, who else do you see there? Heponiemi?

Räsänen and Koppanen have been the 3rd and 4th line centers for this age group since the U16's. Both are fine players for their roles.

Only questionmark is who plays centers the other scoring line besides Kuokkanen, Ikonen should be the obvious choice, given his success with Tolvanen and Vesalainen in the past. If not Ikonen then Heponiemi or as a darkhorse, Luostarinen.

Vesalainen-Ikonen-Tolvanen
Heponiemi-Kuokkanen-Tuulola/Kupari
Koivula-Räsänen-Turkulainen
Moilanen-Koppanen-Kupari/Tuulola/Nurmi

Heiskanen-Vaakanainen
Välimäki-Jokiharju
Juolevi-Salo
Kotkansalo

Luukkonen
Lehtinen

 

[DDRhockey]

2014 was payback for 2012, where our goalie choked hard and Sweden robbed Finland of a ticket to the gold game.

That being said, would love to see a Finland vs Sweden gold medal game this time around.
Fin vs Swe for gold, Usa vs Can for bronze

wasnt it granlund who whiffed on the puck?

But yeah how did we lose in 2014. Crazy pressure but couldnt score.