Olympics: Team Finland 2026

[Erikfromfin]

So couldn't find a thread. Pennanen has contract and most the team should be same players.

My guesstimate

Mikael Granlund - Aleksander Barkov - Mikko Rantanen
Artturi Lehkonen - Sebastian Aho - Patrik Laine
Eeli Tolvanen - Roope Hintz - Kaapo Kakko
Eetu Luostarinen - Anton Lundell - Joel Kiviranta
Erik Haula

Esa Lindell - Miro Heiskanen
Niko Mikkola - Rasmus Ristolainen
Olli Määttä - Jani Hakanpää
Urho Vaakanainen

Juuse Saros
Joonas Korpisalo
Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen

Click to read more...

 

[SantosHalper]

Olympic team is shaping up nicely. I assume it's 25-men roster.

Kaapo Kakko - Aleksander Barkov(C) - Mikko Rantanen(A)
Mikael Granlund(A) - Sebastian Aho - Patrik Laine
Teuvo Teräväinen - Roope Hintz - Eeli Tolvanen
Eetu Luostarinen - Anton Lundell - Artturi Lehkonen
X, X

Miro Heiskanen - Rasmus Ristolainen
Esa Lindell - Henri Jokiharju
Mikko Lehtonen - Niko Mikkola
Olli Määttä - Nikolas Matinpalo

Juuse Saros
Kevin Lankinen
Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen

- IMO Kakko-Barkov-Rantanen was the best working 1st in 4Nations. And it looks like Kakko has found another gear in Seattle, good off-season training next summer and we could see even better Kakko next year. Barkov-Rantanen started to work better when 4Nations went on.

- Lion king Granlund will take Finland to the medal round alone. And when Aho bounces back to his level, him and Granlund will be able to rip everything from Laine, that shot is still a threat. 3L-line worked well but if we want the best Laine, he needs to be playing with real line drivers. In the final minutes of the Canada game, Granlund and Laine started to show chemistry.

- Hintz was a big disappointment in 4Nations, perhaps the biggest. But it was a 1st men's tournament, maybe that effected his play some way. So start him in a smaller role and with easiest matchups in the 3rd, secondary scoring line. Teräväinen wasn't used properly in the 4Nations, big minus for Pennanen but after he analyzes that tournament, he should realize that there is a better role for him. TT is still one of our top playmakers and this team needs more scoring threat and that's why Tolvanen is there next to Teuvo. Hintz handles the defensive responsibilities, TT drives the line and makes the plays, Eeli finishes them and Hintz drives to the net.

- 4th is the shutdown line, Luostarinen-Lundell also the 1st PK unit. As much as Lehkonen and Rantanen has chemistry and the 1st line needs a forechecker, in the 4Nations i didn't see Lehkonen fitting in that big of a role in best-on-best tournament. I think we will get more out of him in 4th, next to L&L. The way Kakko is trending now, i think he will do better job than Lehkonen in the 1st and make the 1st more dangerous.

- 13F & 14F spots open. Maybe top-6 reserve player and bottom-6 reserve player.

- We desperately need Heiskanen, no question about it. Our D did worked better than expected in the 4Nations but we need our leading D, Lindell and Mikkola in other pairs improves makes our defense much better. TOI evens out more and less fatigue on everyone. RR55 can handle his role next to Heiskanen and lefty & righty matches well.

- Lindell played well in the 4Nations and that's why i'd split him and Heiskanen, 2nd pair becomes much stronger and naturally adds much needed depth. Jokiharju in the other hand was one of the biggest surprises in the 4Nations, moved well and was confident with the puck. Hopefully gets out of Buffalo and moves somewhere where gets more minutes and that built up that confidence.

- Lehtonen is our 2nd best PMD and that back end surely needs another one addition to Heiskanen. So far Heinola hasn't done anything to get in this team and Välimäki didn't get to play in 4Nations at all. And Välimäki doesn't get much PP minutes in the NHL either. So im starting to feel that Lehtonen has been pencilled in as PP2 QB. Mikkola will be a big help for Lehtonen in defensive zone.

- Traditional shutdown pair, Määttä always delivers, factory guarantee. If there was any doubt, there ain't any doubt left any more. Matinpalo impressed the heck out of me in the 4Nations, he just didn't show up to watch, he came to play. Was physical and wasn't afraid the play with the puck either, used his shot very well. I think he stole the final spot. His handness fits better with Määttä than Välimäki would and Hakanpää is damaged goods. Vaakanainen looked slow in the 4Nations, no need to make the team any slower than it already is. Matinpalo looked way more mobile than Vaakanainen.

- Goalies, hopefully Saros finds that 2014 WJC groove or Lankinen the 2019 nevö föge-form. Or that Luukkonen becomes a new Niittymäki.

 

[Sanf]

Yeah it wasn´t bad. I thought I would not watch the 4 nations games, but those games came in such good viewing time so I ended up watching. Tournament is what it is, but nevertheless it was good entertainment.

Defence did surprisingly well I agree. In a bigger picture that is our defence at the moment and it was good test for olympics. I would have preferred to see Välimäki atleast in one game. Heiskanen ofcourse was huge loss and makes our d better, but I think people slightly exaggerated our injuries. We were basically missing two players from our roster and you have to have good luck to not have few injuries. Hakanpää is as close to retirement as it can be. Sure maybe Mikko Lehtonen. Vatanen? But it was really close to our best D core.

I don´t know what other thinks, but was not fan of that 5 forward PP.

Laine is that neverending dilemma. How to make him net positive. I mean in this tournament he was fine. Some good plays that helped us get goals, but again some mistakes that were part to cost us goals against. I like the suggestion of Granlund on his line. Granlund is the player that can make Laine look good. But defensively to this level Granlund is very meh. He can´t babysit Laine on 5 vs. 5.

I totally agree about Teräväinen. Should have had different role. He kind of got that partial Jussi Jokinen treatment. Pennanen seemed to look at him as not good enough for top lines, no use in bottom 6.

This season has been a down year for many of our players. Hopefully many of them can bounce back and it is not their career direction.

 

[Sasha Orlov]

I don’t think Laine will be there tbh

 

[Noldo]

I don´t know what other thinks, but was not fan of that 5 forward PP.

I was a bit surprised how much the five forward unit struggled with zone entries. That killed their chances. Once in the zone they were not bad (as seen against Canada).

Would prefer not to see the experiment again, even if Heiskanen would not be on the team.

Laine is that neverending dilemma. How to make him net positive. I mean in this tournament he was fine. Some good plays that helped us get goals, but again some mistakes that were part to cost us goals against. I like the suggestion of Granlund on his line. Granlund is the player that can make Laine look good. But defensively to this level Granlund is very meh. He can´t babysit Laine on 5 vs. 5.

Granlund and Laine would need a center who could shoulder the defensive responsibilities. I wonder if Finland would have one available.


Hintz wasn’t a fit on a wing. It is a dilemma for the coaching stuff that either Aho or Hintz has to play wing (or Lundel is pushed to the fourth line). I would have thought that as more brainy player Aho would have better chance to adjust to wing.

 

[SantosHalper]

Granlund is the player that can make Laine look good. But defensively to this level Granlund is very meh. He can´t babysit Laine on 5 vs. 5.

Granlund and Laine would need a center who could shoulder the defensive responsibilities. I wonder if Finland would have one available.

Granlund doesn't cheat defense and neither does Aho but you can put Hintz between Granlund and Laine as well. Then it would be Teräväinen-Aho-Tolvanen in the 3rd, not a bad combo either.