Names like Kapanen, Armia, Lehkonen, Kiviranta and Haula are most assuredly not "fringe"
Kapanen is a top-9 player and he's locked, let's leave him out of this conversation. But Kiviranta is still a somewhat fringe as Lammiko/Luostarinen, Kiviranta is now, what Miettinen was back in 05/06. And i believe Haula and Armia are locked, Haula's hockey IQ, speed and Armia's size, reach, wingspan makes them perfect 4rth liners and 1st PK unit. Donskoi will be the 1st extra forward, a top-9 reserve player. So that leaves us with 2 open spots, 4rth line LW and 2nd extra forward.
Lundell, Lehkonen, Kotkaniemi, Kiviranta, Lammikko, Luostarinen, Kuokkanen are the candidates from NA for those 2 spots. 4 out of 7 has played under Jalonen, 3 out of 7 are somewhat fringe players, but all 3 has played under Jalonen. Lehkonen has played 5 EHT games back 15/16 season, Kotkaniemi & Kuokkanen haven't played a single men's national team game. So i would say this situation is more than interesting, i would pick Lundell and Kotkaniemi. And if Rasmus Ristolainen, our 2nd best defenseman and +540 NHL game veteran is in danger for being cut off from Olympic team. What chances these players have? What is Jalonen going to do? You said it best: "And coaches just do some peculiar selections sometimes, none of us should forget that."
Ossi Väänänen's career around 2010 was at a low point. His NHL career had ground to a halt and the 2009-10 season he played in Dinamo Minsk was by and far his worst. He bounced back after that season when he returned back home to Jokerit and became a staple in a number of WC teams and even made it to Sochi, but it was ultimately perfectly understandable why he didn't make it to Vancouver.
His NHL career was over, but career low point is pretty bold statement. Minsk was 3rd last in that year, so im pretty sure it was tough season for everyone in that team. Väänänen was having a very tough season with Jokerit too in 13/14. Väänänen was a proven national team veteran already back in 2010, he was in Salt Lake City and in World Cup '04 and was going to be in Turin too but he was injured before the games. 3 WC tournaments, 4 in total but he didn't play a single game in 2001.
Turin 2006 was not Hentunen's first foray into best-on-best. He proved his mettle among the best players in the world a year and a half earlier in the 2004 World Cup. He was very much a proven quantity when picked into the Turin squad.
This proves my point. Erkka knew what Hentunen brings to the table, just like Jalonen knows what Pakarinen, Pesonen, Sallinen, Tyrväinen, Björninen brings to the table. Hentunen was a extra forward and now a days coach can pick 2 extra forwards, this
could impact the choices what Jalonen is going to make. Granted right now we don't have player exactly like Hentunen, unless you want bring Pyörälä or Savinainen in to the mix.
Again, allow me to refresh your memory. Salminen was not among Westerlund's original selections - he was picked virtually at the eve of the puck drop as an emergency injury replacement.
I remember Sochi very well. M.Koivu and Filppula was injured already in January, and i remember it was quite clear that they were going to miss the olympics. And Saku declined, he sended a letter to Erkka which he read during the the press conference. But i didn't remember it wasn't until February, when they announced Immonen and Salminen was going to replace Mikko and Filppula. But i do remember that it was pretty clear already in January, that they are going to miss the olympics.
Bottom line, none of the examples you present create a historical precedent that supports your argument. If Jalonen picks someone like Sallinen or Tyrväinen into this team, he's making the selection over career NHLers like Haula, Lehkonen and Armia, all of whom have more than 300 games in the big league on their belts - and the number's still growing. I repeat, players like that are not "fringe". Could Jalonen do it anyway? Sure, like I said, anything's possible and nothing's stopping him. And coaches just do some peculiar selections sometimes, none of us should forget that. But the arguments you present for the case still don't make it appear any more likely.
Agreed.
Hentunen in 2006 & Salminen in 2014, supports my argument. Both were extra forwards, both of them was selected over fringe NHL players. But yes now we have more talent in NA, and this whole scenario might not even happen. This whole speculation has been under the impression, "if everyone is healthy".
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