List your top Finnish forwards
- Thread starter Ben White
- Start date
Sorry, forgot my list in the wow (not in the world of warcraft), but seriously good problem for Finnish hockey. Now we need the olympics or something where everyone can come. I guess it's a quite a riddle of my home country... 
I’m a Rantanen stan for sure but I’d probably still have Barkov #1. If Mikko scores 120 this year, certainly may have to change that. Aho is also brilliant and simple numbers (which are still great) don’t do his impact justice.
Andrew Ladd
Edit: Oh thought this said "Finished Forwards"
Edit: Oh thought this said "Finished Forwards"
Two young prospects doing well in the AHL, Kuokkanen and Borgström. Borgström has a very interesting set of skills, Kuokkanen is a mystery and is not well known at all in Finland.
Unfortunately I think you're serious about this so this demands a comment or two.
First of all, "a complete wuss of a player with his attitude"? What attitude? When I watch Barkov playing, I see him giving a 100% effort all the time, even when he plays half a game. He doesn't hit or fight so does that make him a wuss? He's better than any other Finnish player and accusing him of giving up too much goals for a two way forward is ridiculous. Even with the crappy defensive linemates he has had and playing with a non-playoff team, he's been a plus player for the last 3 seasons. And I still believe in actually watching players perform when I evaluate their efforts and Barkov rarely loses a 1vs1-battle nor does he lose coverage, well, almost ever. He's also a takeaway machine, best in the NHL at that. He truly is a 200ft player and elite one at that.
Second, bigger the game the wusser he is? He does have the same problem Selänne did meaning it's easier to shadow him in meaningful games because he hasn't had the luxury of widespread talent playing with him (look at Selänne's playoff-numbers when he played with Anaheim in the late 90's). Still, I remember him almost getting Florida a playoff-spot practically on his own last year. Yes, he got a bit tired at the end of the season but with his minutes that's only human.
Barkov is one of those players who make it look so easy you can mistake it for not giving it all. But I think Sasha is a battler who could try to sacrifice a little less of his tremendous offensive talent by playing that defense first-style. That's my only criticism with his play.
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Patrik Barkov
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CauZuki
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Don't get how Aho is in a category seperated from Laine.
I see it this way (Finns under 30 years of age):
Barkov
Rantanen
Laine
Aho
Granlund (I believe Kotka has a better ceiling but Granlund is more proven)
Teravainen (same as above)
Kotkaniemi (His ceiling is being in that 1st category but everything would have to go right to get there)
Kapanen (He's been good this season but I don't see him in the same tier as Granlund/Teravainen)
Haula
Lekhonen
Donskoi
Armia
Crazydounut
Registered User
Rantanen (best player in the league right now)
Aho (arguably a top 5 Center)
Everybody else
Aho (arguably a top 5 Center)
Everybody else
BB88
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- Jan 19, 2015
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His overall impact on the game is superior to Laine, he's a driver, not a complimentary player.
Barkov Rantanen and aho are the top 3 forwards and that’s not really up for debate. No order.
Critical13
Fear is the mind-killer.
Bounces R Way
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Scary how underrated barkov has become on some lists. Yikes. Florida effect.
Aho isn't that much better though. Aho drives a line sure, but Laine scores which is more important in the end.
Dr Jan Itor
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He's had a very underrated last 2+ seasons.
If you're talking about now versus projecting, then there's nothing takes him off of the same tier as Aho.
Howie Hodge
Zombie Woof
The Winter Soldier
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