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WC: Team Finland 2019 men's World Championships roster talk

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From a country this small like Finland is, this recent success in drafts is nearly remarkable, if u compare to other bigger countries (Canada, USA, Russia f.ex) theres a lot more of that quantity to choose and they have more busts than what we have in the first rounds even if the percentage wuld be near the same (comparing to quantities).

Comparing to Sweden I think atleast a few years ago we had about the same amount of registered players, but the quality was (and why not still is) better than what we had. And even they have busts. Competition is just so fierce that busts happens for every country. U cant also expect every draft year being as good as f.ex 2015, which I consider being the deepest draft in this decade and 8th overall pick in many other year culd be like 2nd or 3rd overall etc.. and still do quite well, or then not.

Its very hard to predict anybodys future, but ofc the game's evolution and some rule changes nowadays favors more of those speedy skaters, and skilled guys, who are not necessarily the biggest guys, but busts into the seams and takes a face of the league like McDavid has done (tho he has size aswell) and what Jack Hughes is expected to take in the future.
 
Finnish roster looks so bad that its not funny anymore ☹ Might be the worst roster in a long time if not ever in ”Skoda cup”? Team Finland is not a B-squad and not even a C-squad. This years Team Finland is D-squad. Players in first line would have hard time to play in B-squad!
I dont know what is happening behind the scenes but something must be wrong if ~60 players who are better than most of current the national team has declined to join the team? Even a fringe NHL, AHL and KHL players have declined? Finland could get a decent team from KHL but for some reason even they wont come ☹
 
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Snaibberi said:
Finnish roster looks so bad that its not funny anymore ☹ Might be the worst roster in a long time if not ever in ”Skoda cup”? Team Finland is not a B-squad and not even a C-squad. This years Team Finland is D-squad. Players in first line would have hard time to play in B-squad!
I dont know what is happening behind the scenes but something must be wrong if ~60 players who are better than most of current the national team has declined to join the team? Even a fringe NHL, AHL and KHL players have declined? Finland could get a decent team from KHL but for some reason even they wont come ☹
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Almost all NHL players have expiring contract, if you didn't know. But the KHL players declining is a bit weird.

As many have said, its not weird that the situation looks like this. Next year we will have a better team. Just like we had last year. It's just one of those years.
 
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Todays lineup against Czech.

25 Toni Rajala - 15 Arttu Ilomäki - 19 Veli-Matti Savinainen
4 Mikko Lehtonen - 55 Miika Koivisto

82 Harri Pesonen - 65 Sakari Manninen - 23 Joonas Nättinen
6 Tony Sund - 28 Henri Jokiharju

41 Joel Kiviranta - 27 Eetu Luostarinen - 20 Niko Ojamäki
70 Niko Mikkola - 7 Oliwer Kaski

76 Jere Sallinen - 91 Juho Lammikko - 12 Marko Anttila
40 Petteri Lindbohm - 52 Otto Leskinen

Goalkeeper: 35 Jussi Olkinuora (for Kevin Lankinen)
 
king89 said:
Almost all NHL players have expiring contract, if you didn't know. But the KHL players declining is a bit weird.

As many have said, its not weird that the situation looks like this. Next year we will have a better team. Just like we had last year. It's just one of those years.
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That is true, but there is still an alarming amount of both nhl and khl players that have declined for vague reasons. Imo a turning point for this was when Jalonen left Jussi Jokinen (who was the second most scoring finn in the nhl in that point) out of the line-up in the 2010 Olympics. Rubbed some people the wrong way (although not Jokinen apparently since he played for Jalonen plenty of times since).

Basically Jalonen doesn't care if you're a ppg player in the nhl, everyone starts the training camp at zero and has to fight for a spot in the team. Nhl players think that their resume should be enough to get them in the team without having to go through proving themselves during a 5 week training-camp after an already exhausting season. Khl players have started to feel the same way.

I think it's time to do some serious rebuilding in the organization
 
ovythegiraffe said:
Rubbed some people the wrong way
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How many of those people are still playing? Heckuva thing, that Jokisgate, if it somehow managed to tick off a crop of players who back then were still in elementary school.

Now, if there's something about Jalonen's methods of tournament preparation our modern-day NHLers find disagreeable, I'm not saying those concerns should be dismissed out of hand. But if you're laying the groundwork by dragging out a decade-old thing that should have no bearing on the present-day generation, it's difficult to pay much merit even to the rest of the argument. Especially since a large chunk of the current crop doesn't have to rely on age-old second-hand information, when they have a first-hand positive experience - the 2016 WJC.
 
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Nate070 said:
He´s resting tonight. Don´t know the reason though.
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Probably something as simple as just letting him rest a little. He's been playing in every game from the beginning of the camp. And given the way this squad is shaping, he'll get to play quite a bit soon enough.

Also, there's an unprecedented amount of question marks with the offense, especially for a stage this late. So sometimes you're going to sit one of your surest picks to see what the rest of them have to offer.
 
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I can bet my cd collection (8) that Finland get one more NHL player, that Kakko will be good and that one of the LIiga players complement in a good way. Also that team play will be great as goaltending. And that at least halfway through the quarterfinals there will be hope of medals. It's Finland for god sake. Jokiharju is in a perfect position to become an all star team player here.
 
Im glad that Kakko had to rest this game if the plan was to rest him for 1/3 of this week's EHT games. Rather see some Kakko vs Ovi and Kakko vs Pettersson.
 
FiLe said:
Are you thinking about a specific player?
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Hope both Landeskog (Swe) and Rantanen could be available. Maybe Filppula could work with Rantanen? If it is only for two weeks more players could join.
 
jfc64 said:
Hope both Landeskog (Swe) and Rantanen could be available. Maybe Filppula could work with Rantanen?
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Both Rantanen and Filppula are out of contract. Although, Flip's in the twilight of his career, practically living year by year anyway...
 
FiLe said:
Both Rantanen and Filppula are out of contract. Although, Flip's in the twilight of his career, practically living year by year anyway...
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Yeah i think there is a chance that Filppula might join, he is very much needed. Didn't think i would say that again :DD:sarcasm:
 
I see that Manninen has put up good numbers in KHL this season, is it because he is a fast skater in a slower league or has he become better overall?

Anyway, i was impressed by how well he played as a center today. He and Pesonen created some good chances. Pesonen-Manninen-Kakko would be a interesting line.
 
FiLe said:
Probably something as simple as just letting him rest a little. He's been playing in every game from the beginning of the camp. And given the way this squad is shaping, he'll get to play quite a bit soon enough.

Also, there's an unprecedented amount of question marks with the offense, especially for a stage this late. So sometimes you're going to sit one of your surest picks to see what the rest of them have to offer.
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yeah, i think and hope that´s the reason. I will barely watch this years tournament if Kakko is not playing..
 
king89 said:
I see that Manninen has put up good numbers in KHL this season, is it because he is a fast skater in a slower league or has he become better overall?

Anyway, i was impressed by how well he played as a center today. He and Pesonen created some good chances. Pesonen-Manninen-Kakko would be a interesting line.
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Looks like the KHL playstyle suits Manninen. However, to me, Ilomäki is the most likely centre to play in one of the top lines. Kakko was sitting today, but Rajala-Ilomäki-Kakko have been an unit for the past two weeks, and something tells me Jalonen wants to keep them together.

Now, unless we get that much-needed addition from overseas, it does look like the other top-six C is going to be either Manninen or Ruotsalainen. Both have been quite good, there's just one qualm I have about them, especially as the opposition gets tougher - both are so damn small. Manninen is 5'7", Ruotsalainen 5'8". At least their lines should be complemented by a solid power forward.

When we consider top-six wingers, it's easy to focus on Kakko, but let's not forget that we still have Leskinen and Turunen in the Liiga finals.

Then there's Tolvanen. The usual question we need answered of course is if he's healthy and willing. And on top of that, are they even interested in him? He hasn't had the most impressive of seasons. Right now, he feels like a player who would definitely make the team look better, but would he really make it better?
 
king89 said:
Almost all NHL players have expiring contract, if you didn't know. But the KHL players declining is a bit weird.

As many have said, its not weird that the situation looks like this. Next year we will have a better team. Just like we had last year. It's just one of those years.
Click to expand...

Well KHL players start their season when NHL players are still playing golf and some of them need to prolong their seasan by almost three months to participate WHC. And they usually play with shorter contracts. And even if there is less games there is lot of travelling too. If we give these reasons (or excuses) to NHL players why not KHL players.

I mean yeah there is lot of contract issues and possible injuries. But still Jalonen and crew hasn´t done good job selling this project to players.
 
Do you guys think Turunen will get an invite? Those that are actual from the SM liiga final won't play any more EHT games. So those that join should be no brainers. Like Leskinen for example. Don't know if Turunen fits into that category. We already have Rajala.
 
king89 said:
Do you guys think Turunen will get an invite? Those that are actual from the SM liiga final won't play any more EHT games. So those that join should be no brainers. Like Leskinen for example. Don't know if Turunen fits into that category. We already have Rajala.
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Turunen and Leskinen will probaly make it, probaly also Vehvilänien, Hakanpää, Kivihalme, Ohtmataa.

If we look at stanley cup.... Nutivaara, Komarov, Teuvo, Heiskanen, Hintz, Gibson, Rinne, Rask all have contracts. Hopefully for Finland all these players become free and will join. But i would be shocked if Rinne and Rask came.

Gibson
Lankinen
Vehviläinen

Heiskanen - Nutivaara
Kivihalme - Jokiharju
Lehtonen - Koivisto
Ohtamaa - Hakanpää

Manninen - Teuvo - Savinanien
Tolvanen - Hintz - Kakko
Turunen - Komarov - Leskinen (I think Komarov can play C?)
Pesonen - Lammikko - Anttila
Ilomäki, Ruotsalainen
 
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