What will Team Finland look like in 2025?

[AdamoR61]

Keep in mind that some players on this list maybe still be in the playoffs/injured/don’t want to play come the IIHF WC 2025.

( ) = Age in 2025, for example Mikko Rantanen (28)


Team Finland

Kaapo Kakko (24) - Aleksander Barkov (29) - Patrik Laine (26)
Eeli Tolvanen (25) - Sebastian Aho (27) - Mikko Rantanen (28)
Teuvo Teravainen (30) - Aatu Raty (23) - Brad Lambert (22)
Eero Niemi (23) - Aleksi Heponiemi (26) - Kasperi Kapanen (28)

Rasmus Ristolainen (30) - Miro Heiskanen (25)
Esa Lindell (30) - Henri Jokiharju (25)
Ville Heinola (24) - Juuso Valimaki (26)

Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen (26)
Tuukka Rask (38)
Ville Husso (29)

Honourable Mentions: Leevi Aaltonen (24), Mikael Granlund (32), Olli Juolevi (27), Urho Vaakanainen (25), Jesperi Kotkaniemi (25), Roope Hintz (28), Jesse Puljujärvi (26), Joonas Donskoi (32)

Let me know who I missed or left out!

Youtube is coming soon so stay tuned...

Click to read more...

 

[FinPanda]

I would take Kotkaniemi and Hintz over Niemi and Heponiemi.

 

[Barkkonen]

Wouldn't want to see risto/joki/tolvanen on this team, hope we would have better options than them by 2025.

Edit: Didnt realize this was IIHF WC tournament. OP list of players is very very unrealistic tho. Most of the players on this list are veteran star players by that time and we are having trouble to get them to participate even now when they are young and have some resemblance of hunger to play hockey after their seasons are over.

 

[torniojaws]

Kotkaniemi will certainly be 3C if not 2C with Aho as a winger. Tolvanen has been regressing and Puljujärvi is probably a 4th liner at best.

Barring no injuries, personal reasons or such, I'd say the best possible would be:

Laine - Barkov - Rantanen
Teräväinen - Aho - Kapanen
Granlund - Kotkaniemi - Donskoi
Kakko - Manninen - Hintz
+Komarov
Maybe switch Granlund and Kakko around, depending on performance in 2025

Heiskanen - Lindell
Ristolainen - Vatanen
Jokiharju - Mikkola
+ Lindbohm

Raanta
Rask
Vehviläinen

 

[FiLe]

Trying to predict a WHC roster six years from now is a fool's errand for reasons that should be obvious to everybody, but Finland is bound to have some pretty sweet options (and depth) for a hypothetical best-on-best tournament played around those days. The roster could, for example, look something like this:

Luukkonen
Saros
Raanta

Heiskanen
Lindell
Ristolainen
Määttä
Vatanen
Jokiharju
Nutivaara
Välimäki

Barkov
Aho
Kotkaniemi
Borgström
Hintz
Lundell
Laine
Rantanen
Teräväinen
MiG
Kapanen
Kakko
Lambert
Armia

 

[Erikfromfin]

Like these players projections.

A team

Patrik Laine (27) - Aleksander Barkov (29) - Kaapo Kakko (24)
Brad Lambert (21) - Sebastian Aho (27) - Mikko Rantanen (28)
Joakim Kemell (21) - Aatu Räty (22) - Samu Tuomaala (22)
Roope Hintz (28) - Anton Lundell (23) - Jesperi Kotkaniemi (24)
Teuvo Teräväinen (30)
Jesse Puljujärvi (27)

Miro Heiskanen (25) - Henri Jokiharju (25)
Aron Kiviharju (19) - Rasmus Ristolainen (30)
Ville Heinola (24) - Topi Niemelä (23)
Esa Lindell (30) - Urho Vaakanainen (26)

Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen (26)
Juuse Saros (30)
Tuukka Rask (38)

B team

Mikael Granlund (33) - Samu Salminen (22) - Eeli Tolvanen (26)
Kristian Vesalainen (25) - Rasmus Kupari (25) - Aleksi Heponiemi (26)
Patrik Puistola (24) - Henrik Borgström (27) - Kasperi Kapanen (28)
Aarne Talvitie (26) - Otto Koivula (26) - Joel Armia (31)
Henri Nikkanen (24)
Jesse Ylönen (25)

Olli Juolevi (27) - Juuso Välimäki (26)
Viljami Juusola (22) - Lassi Thomson (24)
Christoffer Sedoff (23) - Oskari Laaksonen (25)
Elmeri Laakso (20) - Kasper Puutio (22)

Kevin Lankinen (30)
Justus Annunen (25)
Veini Vehviläinen (28)

C team

Otto Kivenmäki (25) - Janne Kuokkanen (26) - Kasper Simontaival (23)
Niklas Nordgren (25) - Roni Hirvonen (23) - Oliver Suni (23)
Matias Maccelli (24) - Eetu Luostarinen (26) - Joonas Donskoi (33)
Artturi Lehkonen (29) - Erik Haula (34) - Kasper Björkqvist (27)
Joni Ikonen (26)
Niko Huuhtanen (21)

Eemil Viro (23) - Oliwer Kaski (29)
Teemu Kivihalme (29) - Sami Vatanen (33)
Markus Nutivaara (30) - Santtu Kinnunen (26)
Olli Määttä (30) - Santeri Hatakka (24)

Kaapo Kähkönen (28)
Ville Husso (30)
Antti Raanta (36)

D team

Roby Järventie (22) - Sakari Manninen (33) - Veeti Miettinen (23)
Sampo Ranta (25) - Aleksi Saarela (28) - Rasmus Ruusunen (21)
Eero Niemi (22) - Verner Miettinen (22) - Tuukka Tieksola (23)
Joel Kiviranta (29) - Santeri Virtanen (26) - Saku Mäenalanen (31)
Markus Granlund (32)
Leevi Aaltonen (24)

Sami Niku (28) - Ruben Rafkin (23)
Mikko Lehtonen (31) - Julius Honka (29)
Tarmo Reunanen (27) - Juuso Riikola (31)
Niko Mikkola (29) - Jani Hakanpää (33)

Joonas Korpisalo (31)
Emil Larmi (28)
Joel Blomqvist (23)

E team

Marcus Kallionkieli (24) - Antti Suomela (31) - Valtteri Karnaranta (22)
Viljam Sandvik (22) - Arttu Ruotsalainen (27) - Antti Saarela (23)
Lenni Killinen (24) - Miro Aaltonen (32) - Aku Räty (23)
Juho Lammikko (29) - Juuso Pärssinen (24) - Miikka Salomäki (32)
Joona Koppanen (27)
Eetu Tuulola (27)

Otto Leskinen (28) - Anttoni Honka (24)
Joona Lehmus (23) - Kalle Ervasti (22)
Robin Salo (26) - Vili Saarijärvi (28)
Atte Lehikoinen (21) - Antti Tuomisto (24)

Filip Lindberg (26)
Lassi Lehtinen (26)
Kasimir Kaskisuo (31)


Theres other guys in bubble aswell and I might have missed on or forgotten one or two but those 125 guys are who Ive personally liked and impressed most with. Obviously this list will look complete rubbish in 6 years time there will be surprises both good and bad and late bloomers that I havent even heard of could emerge. Ive got pretty good grasp of 2019, 2020 draft classes and decent idea of 2021 draft and I know only few top guys of 2022 draft class and only seen sparingly other 2023, 2024 draft guys etc

 

[AdamoR61]

Like these players projections. Would have been quality material and depth for team C aswell.

A team

Patrik Laine (27) - Aleksander Barkov (29) - Kaapo Kakko (24)
Brad Lambert (21) - Sebastian Aho (27) - Mikko Rantanen (28)
Joakim Kemell (21) - Aatu Räty (22) - Samu Tuomaala (22)
Roope Hintz (28) - Anton Lundell (23) - Jesperi Kotkaniemi (24)
Teuvo Teräväinen (30)
Jesse Puljujärvi (27)

Miro Heiskanen (25) - Henri Jokiharju (25)
Aron Kiviharju (19) - Rasmus Ristolainen (30)
Ville Heinola (24) - Topi Niemelä (23)
Esa Lindell (30) - Urho Vaakanainen (26)

Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen (26)
Juuse Saros (30)
Tuukka Rask (38)

B team

Mikael Granlund (33) - Samu Salminen (22) - Eeli Tolvanen (26)
Kristian Vesalainen (25) - Rasmus Kupari (25) - Aleksi Heponiemi (26)
Patrik Puistola (24) - Henrik Borgström (27) - Kasperi Kapanen (28)
Aarne Talvitie (26) - Otto Koivula (26) - Joel Armia (31)
Henri Nikkanen (24)
Jesse Ylönen (25)

Olli Juolevi (27) - Juuso Välimäki (26)
Viljami Juusola (22) - Lassi Thomson (24)
Christoffer Sedoff (23) - Oskari Laaksonen (25)
Elmeri Laakso (20) - Kasper Puutio (22)

Justus Annunen (25)
Veini Vehviläinen (28)
Kaapo Kähkönen (28)

Shows the depth that Finland has coming up in the system. They are going to a powerhouse in a few years. Tolvanen definetly should be on your first team though.

 

[ijuka]

This is 2025, right? So we should be projecting for the future. As such, not including Brad Lambert(will be 21) or Aron Kiviharju(will be 19) makes no sense.

Though some lists at least included Lambert.

 

[tapi]

LOL at Tolvanen making the team, he is a clear bust at this point. He has not produced at top level even at Minors level after his lucky streak in KHL.

 

[AdamoR61]

This is 2025, right? So we should be projecting for the future. As such, not including Brad Lambert(will be 21) or Aron Kiviharju(will be 19) makes no sense.

Though some lists at least included Lambert.

Some of the best players in the world right now are already playing at an international level under the age 23. Matthews, McDavid, Marner, Rantanen, Aho, Laine, Pettersson, Barzal, Hughes?

 

[Lambo]

Delete

 

[Lambo]

Will we ever be able to see a team like this play together?

 

[AdamoR61]

Delete

You're no fun.

 

[BullLund]

It won't look like that because none of the NHL players will show up.

 

[BL92]

LOL at Tolvanen making the team, he is a clear bust at this point. He has not produced at top level even at Minors level after his lucky streak in KHL.

Man, I knew he'd be Pulkkinen 2.0. He has a nice slapshot, that's about it really.

 

[QnebO]

Brad Lambert? Yo must be good kid

 

[Esko6]

Brad Lambert? Yo must be good kid

2022 draft, if he keeps developing like he has he will have plenty of NHL experience by 2025.

 

[jfc64]

TT should be with Aho and Rants. Period. And Kotkaniemi is the best national team third line center there ever was. Not sold on Jokiharju becoming a world class player.

Laine - Barkov - Kakko
TT - Aho - Rantanen
Kotkaniemi

PS. Don't rob Aaron K of his childhood. Does he even grow a beard? What if he chooses couronne and poetry? Also, not every drafted frog turns out to be the prince.

 

[jfc64]

Man, I knew he'd be Pulkkinen 2.0. He has a nice slapshot, that's about it really.

Just pair him with Jalonen and you can't go wrong. In fact I'm scared what the result will be if that happens.

 

[Stubu]

Does defenseman Sami Niku (Jets AHL affiliate Manitoba Moose) have syphilis or why is he never mentioned in these fantasies? Not enough upside for NT? He might well make Jets 3rd pair next season, so he's not a nobody.

 

[Aurinko]

Kotkaniemi will certainly be 3C if not 2C with Aho as a winger. Tolvanen has been regressing and Puljujärvi is probably a 4th liner at best.

Barring no injuries, personal reasons or such, I'd say the best possible would be:

Laine - Barkov - Rantanen
Teräväinen - Aho - Kapanen
Granlund - Kotkaniemi - Donskoi
Kakko - Manninen - Hintz
+Komarov
Maybe switch Granlund and Kakko around, depending on performance in 2025

Heiskanen - Lindell
Ristolainen - Vatanen
Jokiharju - Mikkola
+ Lindbohm

Raanta
Rask
Vehviläinen

I would think in 2025, Kakko has passed Granlund in pretty much all areas just because of the age.

I could see myself wanting to see this line play...

 

[Hischier and Hughes]

I would take Kotkaniemi and Hintz over Niemi and Heponiemi.

Is Heponiemi like the hypoallergenic version of Niemi?

 

[Stubu]

Is Heponiemi like the hypoallergenic version of Niemi?

We have too many caped crusaders fighting for the spot in the sun.

 

[Caffeine]

Laine Barkov Rantanen
Kakko Kotkaniemi Aho
Hintz Borgström Kapanen
Puljujärvi Lundell Armia

Granlund Teräväinen extras

Heiskanen Lindell
Ristolainen Mikkola
Jokiharju Lindbohm

Sami Niku extra

Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen
Kevin Lankinen

 

[Esko6]

Laine Barkov Rantanen
Kakko Kotkaniemi Aho
Hintz Borgström Kapanen
Puljujärvi Lundell Armia

Granlund Teräväinen extras

Man, hard to even imagine Finland ever having a roster where Grandlund and Teräväinen do not have a spot.