WC: General Talk '14 — Finland

[hyperion]

Okay, let's start throwing out our projections too.

Because it's so hard to know what is the interest of the NHL guys who were once in the Leijona-jersey this year already to join the WC team, I started my speculations from a team of purely, 100% European roster. As a baseline, or something. There have been from time to time some refusals to join by European players too (Immonen, Vehanen come to mind) so that's not impossible either, but it's quite rare and most of the time has something to do with family things.

Okay, so our 100% European roster could look something like this:

Juha-Matti Aaltonen - Petri Kontiola - Leo Komarov
Niklas Hagman - Jori Lehterä - Jonas Enlund
Oskar Osala - Jarkko Immonen - Sakari Salminen
Teemu Hartikainen - Petteri Wirtanen - Antti Pihlström

Juuso Hietanen - Sami Lepistö
Topi Jaakola - Anssi Salmela
Ossi Väänänen - Lasse Kukkonen
Tuukka Mäntylä - Teemu Laakso

Niko Hovinen
Mikko Koskinen
Ari Ahonen

So most of the guys are from KHL, 3 from Liiga and 1 from NLA (Hagman). And one SEL guy too, Salmela.

I guess the "European long list" contains at least the following guys (some comments in parentheses):

F:
- Janne Pesonen
- Teemu Laine (Right now I see Osala and Hartikainen > Pesonen and Laine)
- Niko Kapanen (Injured?)
- Veli-Matti Savinainen (Bad season in KHL)
- Jarno Koskiranta (Bad season in KHL)
- Olli Palola (Young enough to warrant it, and is the best goal scorer in Liiga)
- Pekka Jormakka (Great EHT in Sochi too, also almost made it last year)
- Teuvo Teräväinen (He's not really an European guy, he's only on loan from Chicago so most likely he's not available)

D:
- Janne Jalasvaara (originally I had in my roster but I replaced him with Anssi Salmela who had great EHT in Sochi, great game style, shown some Lion heart before and game seems to be flowing well in Sweden)
- Janne Niskala
- Ilari Melart
- Jere Karalahti (I personally hope not)

But of course we will not enter the tournament with 100% European roster. That will be beefed up by some NHL'ers and/or AHL'ers. If we imagine Regular Season ended today, following guys would be available:

Jesse Joensuu (Edmonton)
Olli Jokinen (Winnipeg)
Lauri Korpikoski (Phoenix)
Rasmus Ristolainen (Buffalo)
Sean Bergenheim (Florida)
Alexander Barkov (Florida)
Tuomo Ruutu (Carolina)
Pekka Rinne (Nashville)
Karri Rämö (Calgary)
Ville Leino (Buffalo)

Definitely more guys in AHL too. One goalie would be great. Rämö or Rinne. Florida's guys are on the hope-list, and Jokinen also gave pretty mystic interviews after the bronze medal game. Leino and Joensuu are borderline if they would fit the team. Others would be welcome, if intererested. Also this is most likely not the situation when Regular Season really ends, so...

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[Systemfel]

What's your view on Rajala?

 

[rduck1]

What's your view on Rajala?

He was given a chance on one EHT and didn't really show anything. We have a lot of great forwards in the KHL along with a couple of younger Liiga players that have been impressive in NT games, so it would take a big showing from him to make it. I wouldn't be against giving him another chance though.

 

[hyperion]

What's your view on Rajala?

Well, it's pretty certain he'll get a spot in the pre-tournament camp, and will play EHC and EHT games so he'll have a chance of redeeming a spot in the final team. Currently, if we just objectively compare players, I'd say he wouldn't make the team (especially with 0+0, 0 in the Sochi EHT) because we just have so many KHL forwards. But then there is always the fact that sometimes WC's can be used as an arena to grow some younger players into something better, and Rajala is young enough for that kind of treatment. I wouldn't mind seeing another Tampere-grown player in the team, my list included plenty already.

 

[Gaps]

You should also keep in mind that the 1st round of the NHL playoffs ends before the tournament unlike last spring. If someone is interested in joining the team they can be there before a single game has been played. So the players from teams left outside the playoffs will not be the only ones available (in theory). Whether they want to come is of course impossible to tell at this point.

 

[FiLe]

Teuvo Teräväinen (He's not really an European guy, he's only on loan from Chicago so most likely he's not available)

This is a bit of an off view, IMO. Yes, some youngsters have taken off to play in the AHL once their regular club season has ended, but this is ONLY in the case when they have no tough games left in Europe (ie. no chance to break a WHC roster). Ask any GM worth his salt whether he'd like to see their prospect in the World Championships or the AHL playoffs, and the answer should be overwhelmingly clear. A case in point: Mikael Granlund in 2012. HIFK bowed out early in Liiga playoffs and MiG could technically have been available to help the Aeros, but his participation in the WHC was never in question.

It's of course a different deal if a player matters enough to be a depth option for the big club, but I doubt Teuvo is that close of a slot with Chicago. Otherwise he wouldn't be with Jokerit in the first place.

 

[Jussi]

Jonas Enlund will never play at the Worlds. He's absolutely useless in the national team.

 

[QnebO]

If Teräväinen keeps it up, he seems like almost a lock. Erkka said, that young guys will get chances if they deserve it.

 

[Nixa]

I'd say there will 2-3 or free guys form the WJC team. This depends if Ristolainen is free to participate and Teräväinen won't go to Chicago after Finnish League ends. I think that M.Koivu, Filppula, Barkov and Rinne are very interested to compete if their teams don't make playoffs or drops from the first round cause they couldn't perform in the Olympics how they wanted.

 

[Johno]

Yeah, if you start throwing around names like Enlund, Laine, Pesonen and Savinainen then Michael Keränen should definitely be in the close discussion! He is the best forward in FEL right now.

 

[FiLe]

Yeah, if you start throwing around names like Enlund, Laine, Pesonen and Savinainen then Michael Keränen should definitely be in the close discussion! He is the best forward in FEL right now.

Keränen is a centre, and we have good depth on them even without the NHL guys. Those other guys are wingers.

Not saying I wouldn't mind seeing what Keränen can do on camp/EHT, for starters.

 

[Gaps]

Regarding Ville Leino: if he still refuses to come to camp and fight for a spot, forget about him. He hasn't done anything to earn a guaranteed roster spot (just like he hadn't in 2012 either) and if he can't understand that, he should stay out.

Jonas Enlund will never play at the Worlds. He's absolutely useless in the national team.

Agreed.

 

[rduck1]

A list of all our EHT players thus far this season according to eliteprospects.com:

Forwards ( GP - G - A - P )
Jori Lehterä - 6 - 3 - 3 - 6
Pekka Jormakka - 6 - 4 - 1 - 5
Sakari Salminen - 6 - 3 - 2 - 5
Oskar Osala - 6 - 3 - 0 - 3
Olli Palola - 3 - 2 - 1 - 3
Teemu Hartikainen - 6 - 2 - 1 - 3
Leo Komarov - 6 - 2 - 0 - 2
Petri Kontiola - 3 - 1 - 1 - 2
Ville Koho - 3 - 0 - 2 - 2
Teemu Ramstedt - 3 - 0 - 2 - 2
Juha-Pekka Hytönen - 3 - 1 - 0 - 1
Mika Pyörälä - 3 - 1 - 0 - 1
Niklas Hagman - 3 - 1 - 0 - 1
Jere Sallinen - 6 - 1 - 0 - 1
Veli-Matti Savinainen - 3 - 0 - 1 - 1
Antti Pihlström - 3 - 0 - 1 - 1
Jarkko Immonen - 3 - 0 - 1 - 1
Toni Koivisto - 3 - 0 - 1 - 1
Juhamatti Aaltonen - 3 - 0 - 1 - 1
Joonas Kemppainen - 3 - 0 - 1 - 1
Jonas Enlund - 3 - 0 - 1 - 1
Tommi Huhtala - 3 - 0 - 1 - 1
Janne Pesonen - 3 - 0 - 1 - 1
Jarno Koskiranta - 5 - 0 - 1 - 1
Joonas Donskoi - 3 - 0 - 0 - 0
Jesse Mankinen - 3 - 0 - 0 - 0
Iiro Pakarinen - 3 - 0 - 0 - 0
Toni Rajala - 3 - 0 - 0 - 0
Juuso Puustinen - 3 - 0 - 0 - 0
Tomi Sallinen - 3 - 0 - 0 - 0
Petteri Wirtanen - 5 - 0 - 0 - 0

Defensemen ( GP - G - A - P )
Sami Lepistö - 6 - 0 - 4 - 4
Jere Karalahti - 6 - 1 - 2 - 3
Mikko Mäenpää - 3 - 0 - 2 - 2
Juuso Hietanen - 6 - 1 - 0 - 1
Teemu Laakso - 1 - 0 - 1 - 1
Mikko Kousa - 3 - 0 - 1 - 1
Anssi Salmela - 3 - 0 - 1 - 1
Janne Jalasvaara - 3 - 0 - 1 - 1
Tuukka Mäntylä - 6 - 0 - 1 - 1
Topi Jaakola - 6 - 0 - 1 - 1
Petteri Nummelin - 2 - 0 - 0 - 0
Oskari Korpikari - 3 - 0 - 0 - 0
Jyri Marttinen - 3 - 0 - 0 - 0
Ville Lajunen - 3 - 0 - 0 - 0
Ossi Väänänen - 3 - 0 - 0 - 0
Lasse Kukkonen - 3 - 0 - 0 - 0
Atte Ohtamaa - 6 - 0 - 0 - 0

Goaltenders ( GP - GAA - SV% )
Atte Engren - 3 - 1.00 - .970 -
Mikko Koskinen - 3 - 1.01 - .959 -
Niko Hovinen - 2 - 2.46 - .898 -
Jussi Rynnäs - 1 - 3.00 - .870 -

 

[loudis]

Players i'd like to see:

Offense: TT, Barkov,S.Koivu, Markus Granlund, Pulkkinen, Rajala, Lehterä, Kontiola, Aaltonen, Komarov, Salminen, Palola, Jormakka

Defense: Ristolainen, Pokka, Karalahti, Nummelin, Mäntylä, Salmela, Lepistö, Melart

G: Rämö, Rinne, Raanta, Ortio, Engren.

 

[Harvest]

Granlund-Barkov-Granlund would be awesome line!

 

[JJTT]

Keränen is a centre, and we have good depth on them even without the NHL guys. Those other guys are wingers.

Not saying I wouldn't mind seeing what Keränen can do on camp/EHT, for starters.

Keränen has played RW for the whole year with Sandell in the center.

 

[Johno]

Keränen is a centre, and we have good depth on them even without the NHL guys. Those other guys are wingers.

Not saying I wouldn't mind seeing what Keränen can do on camp/EHT, for starters.

Yeah, no. Keränen has played about four games at center in the last three seasons. He is a winger through and through. And heck of a one! The only player playing at PPG (of players with at least 2 games played) and he is two points shy of league leaqd in points, only dropped out because of injury and has played 8 games less than the other top guys. Should be a lock for EHT and a strong contender for Škoda Cup.

 

[FiLe]

Keränen has played RW for the whole year with Sandell in the center.

Huh. Really. I've seen a handful of Ilves games this year and somehow never paid attention to the fact that he is actually a winger. There was also some story after his injury which called him a centerman.

Well, all the more reason to see what he could do in camp/EHT.

 

[WinTheRightGames]

If Granlund, Koivu and Barkov are available, I think we'd have one of the best teams.

 

[m4tt145]

Anssi Salmela needs to be on this team. Absolute beast in SEL.

 

[obv]

Pretty sure there is going to be mostly KHL players but i would like to see some of the young guys who are playing in the AHL eg. Ma.Granlund, Pulkkinen, Hakanpää, Järvinen etc. This is the time to get them involved in the national team system imo.

 

[The Right Price]

As long as we have Granlund-Barkov as the 1-2 punch we have all the chances to win this yearly Skoda Cup.

 

[JJTT]

http://www.mtv.fi/sport/olympialais...aailmanmestareille-nayttopaikkoja-mm-kisoihin

So 4 week long training camp. Really good idea to give all guys a change to prove themselfs.

 

[The Right Price]

Hopefully Juuse Saros gets a fair shot since .923 SV% is good considering he is playing for HPK. Plus, he had that monster WJC a couple of months ago.

 

[rduck1]

Hopefully Juuse Saros gets a fair shot since .923 SV% is good considering he is playing for HPK. Plus, he had that monster WJC a couple of months ago.

It's more than good even without considering the team - He's 5th in the league in sv% and 2nd in GAA. After factoring in the fact that he's an 18 year old on a pretty bad team, it's mindblowing. Definitely a candidate, should get a look in camp and EHT.