Team Finland 2023 U20 WJC roster talk

[king89]

That roster absolutely has some big weaknesses.

1 Center Depth and game
2 Physical toughness and overall grit and compete level
3 Goaltending.

Semifinals is this Team Finland's medal this year and that's a huge plus if it happens.
Finland needs to avoid Canada and Sweden in quarterfinal if we wanna have even small medal chance.

Nr 2 might be a big weakness for the defence but not for the forwards. We have Huuhtanen, Väisänen, Hämeenaho, Nyman who can hit, especially Huuhtanen. But yeah the defence is small, very small. Vilen and Salin
can manage, probably Heimosalmi too but the rest i'm worried about.

 

[Number 57]

None of these are key names except maybe Halttunen.

OK Leinonen is not a key name now?

 

[Erikfromfin]

Could have made competent top6 from guys missing

Viljami Marjala - Samu Salminen - Kasper Halttunen
Miko Matikka - Konsta Helenius - Samu Tuomaala

 

[FinPanda]

Could have made competent top6 from guys missing

Viljami Marjala - Samu Salminen - Kasper Halttunen
Miko Matikka - Konsta Helenius - Samu Tuomaala

Yeah good players were left out of the team. I was sad to not see Helenius make it.

 

[Jukurit]

OK Leinonen is not a key name now?

Correct. Bad stats in Liiga.

 

[SantosHalper]

Matikka - Miettinen - Lambert
Nyman - Lassila - Kemell
Koivunen - Kapanen - Hämeenaho
Väisänen - Päivärinta - Huuhtanen
Rönni, X*

X*= Knihti, Savolainen, Tuomaala, Ruusunen, Korhonen

Vilen - Heimosalmi
Malinen - Salin
Juusola - Ervasti
Kiviharju - Suomi

Koskenvuo
Lampinen
Leinonen

This what i would expect to see

21/25, Damn i gotta do the lottery this week

Wingers are good, centers and defense are weak, goalies are surprise ready. Lots of goal scoring potential but also lots of goals scored from front of our own net. But im happy to see that Lämsä selected 9 players who can return next year, good core for 2024.

Lines i would like to try, i would go with 13F & 7D:
Nyman - Rönni - Lambert
Koivunen - O.Kapanen - Kemell
Hämeenaho - Miettinen - Huuhtanen
Lassila - Päivärinta - Väisänen
Kaskimäki
+K.Kapanen

Vilen - Heimosalmi
Malinen - Salin
Kiviharju - Ervasti
Suomi
+Ruotsalainen

Koskenvuo
Lampinen
Kokko

 

[Jukurit]

Tuomaala played bad in both U20 tournaments this season. Also has mostly played bad in club play too past 2 seasons. Entirely logical that he didn't make the team.

 

[Scorevat53]

Do we know who the starter is forsure going to be?

 

[Lartsaman]

Do we know who the starter is forsure going to be?

Niklas Kokko most likely.

 

[illone84]

Could have made competent top6 from guys missing

Viljami Marjala - Samu Salminen - Kasper Halttunen
Miko Matikka - Konsta Helenius - Samu Tuomaala

Hopefully we see Halttunen and Helenius next year playing in the WJC hosted in Sweden.

 

[karhukissa]

4 years in a row we've been in top 4, don't see it changing this year. Typical doomsday predictions and overthinking occurs just before the tournament but each of these selected players are tactically more ready to play than anyone else.

That said, i think Canada's individual talent will be too much and Swedes will be tough this year. I'd say bronze is there for taking and if this team grows well together, final is a possibility.

 

[FinPanda]

Niklas Kokko most likely.

I'm not as sure about that.

 

[WeThreeKings]

I'm not as sure about that.

Who do you think?

 

[FinPanda]

Who do you think?

Koskenvuo or Lampinen. As an underager Kokko would be 3rd even though he is the best of the three.

 

[Statsy]

Who do you think?

Should've picked your goalie earlier, huh?

 

[ChicagoBullsFan]

Koskenvuo or Lampinen. As an underager Kokko would be 3rd even though he is the best of the three.

Hopefully this time Koskenvuo can catch pucks too.
2021 U18 WJC's Koskenvuo was total sieve who couldn't catch nothing.

Thank god Pekka Rinne is goalie coach in this U20 WJC team.
Rinne if any knows how goalie should play into north american ice.
So that clearly helps Finland's goaltending but how much.

 

[ChicagoBullsFan]

4 years in a row we've been in top 4, don't see it changing this year. Typical doomsday predictions and overthinking occurs just before the tournament but each of these selected players are tactically more ready to play than anyone else.

That said, i think Canada's individual talent will be too much and Swedes will be tough this year. I'd say bronze is there for taking and if this team grows well together, final is a possibility.

If Canada's goalies won't shit into bed they should win these U20 WJC's easily ( 7 games 7 wins)
Goaltending is Canada's biggest weakness.

I don't see Finland going further than quarterfinals.
That mickey-mouse cheese defence will cost some games and points too.
So if we wanna win something in these U20 WJC's we can't face Canada or Sweden in quarterfinals.

 

[WeThreeKings]

Should've picked your goalie earlier, huh?

I was going to, but they all went before me. At least I didn't take Milic. Cringe.

 

[FinPanda]

I was going to, but they all went before me. At least I didn't take Milic. Cringe.

Finns goalie situation is a mess. No one truly knows except Lämsä.

 

[Jukurit]

In the last U20 tournament in Czechia, Koskenvuo and Lampinen were the 2 goaltenders on the main team.
Koskenvuo played the game against Sweden. So I'm guessing Koskenvuo is the starter (for now).

 

[SantosHalper]

Thank god Pekka Rinne is goalie coach in this U20 WJC team.
Rinne if any knows how goalie should play into north american ice.
So that clearly helps Finland's goaltending but how much.

I read somewhere that Kari "bubble gum" Lehtonen is some sort of consultant or assistant goalie coach, he travels with the team to Canada.

 

[Statsy]

I was going to, but they all went before me. At least I didn't take Milic. Cringe.

I have Gaudreau in my other pool so this was a hedge of an earlier bet. Good chance Milic is the guy though.

With Finland, who knows?

 

[llwyd]

I don't see Finland going further than quarterfinals.

I think I have seen this prediction ever so often in various tournaments through the years... I guess we are again pretty weak? On paper.

 

[FinPanda]

I think I have seen this prediction ever so often in various tournaments through the years... I guess we are again pretty weak? On paper.

Its the same thing every year. See you in the final guys.

 

[Erikfromfin]

Anyone know if Usa pretournament game 20th broadcast/streamed anywhere... quick search didnt see NHL network, TSN or finnish channels broadcasting it.