Projecting Finland's lines at the World Cup
Ready for an encore presentation of the World Juniors? Hockey fans hope that's the case with Team Finland, which will roll out World Junior stars Sebastian Aho of the Carolina Hurricanes and Patrik Laine of the Winnipeg Jets as the two look to recreate that magic at the World Cup.
But the Finns aren't all offense. The team also features much of the NHL's next wave of defensemen, including Rasmus Ristolainen and Sami Vatanen, both strong puck-moving defenders who patrol the blue line with poise and precision. In putting together the lines, the challenge may be balancing out the attack.
Forwards
Headlined by Laine and Aho, the Finns will also bring a nice mix of secondary scoring and strong defensive forwards to the World Cup. Carolina's Teuvo Teravainen will get an opportunity to showcase his offensive skill set, while Valtteri Filppula and captain Mikko Koivu will provide an invaluable veteran presence.
Meanwhile, Panthers forwards Aleksander Barkov and Jussi Jokinen are threats at both ends of the ice, capable of potting goals but also worthwhile pieces in defending their own end. Also up front, Toronto's Leo Komarov will have the opportunity to kick-start his rambunctious style in front of the home fans.
| LW | C | RW |
|---|---|---|
| Sebastian Aho | Mikko Koivu | Patrik Laine |
| Jussi Jokinen | Aleksander Barkov | Teuvo Teravainen |
| Valtteri Filppula | Jori Lehtera | Leo Komarov |
| Mikael Granlund | Erik Haula | Joonas Donskoi |
| Lauri Korpikoski |
Finland's blue line boasts an impressive list of young talent, frontloaded with the likes of Ristolainen, Vatanen, and newly minted Stanley Cup champion Olli Matta of the Pittsburgh Penguins.
More impressively, it's a group of defensemen largely considered among the "new breed" - all capable of moving the puck out of their zone and up the ice to make a play. There are no lumbering, slow-footed defenders among the group, though that could also be seen as a weakness, particularly in close-scoring games in a short tournament.
| LD | RD |
|---|---|
| Olli Maatta | Rasmus Ristolainen |
| Esa Lindell | Sami Vatanen |
| Jyrki Jokipakka | Ville Pokka |
| Sami Lepisto |
The starting goaltender for Team Finland could come down to a coin flip, given that it has two franchise goalies to choose between: Pekka Rinne and Tuukka Rask.
While Rinne is the tenured veteran with a history of consistency (save for a down season in 2015-16), Rask is no slouch. He has playoff credentials and a Stanley Cup ring to his name, though he earned that in a backup role to Tim Thomas. Still, he came close to getting a ring himself two years later, falling two wins short of a second Cup.
| G |
|---|
| Pekka Rinne |
| Tuukka Rask |
| Mikko Koskinen |
From skill up front to heavy shots and puck-moving ability on the back end, Finland has firepower when it comes to the man advantage - and a perfect opportunity to roll out the World Junior duo of Aho and Laine.
On the back end, Ristolainen brings a lot to the table, particularly his tremendous size and excellent point shot. Vatanen and Maatta are not only some of Finland's best puck movers, but they're also among the NHL's top rearguards.
| Unit | LW | C | RW | LD | RD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Aho | Barkov | Laine | Maatta | Ristolainen |
| 2 | Jokinen | Lehtera | Teravainen | Lindell | Vatanen |
| Unit | F | F | LD | RD |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Jokinen | Barkov | Maatta | Ristolainen |
| 2 | Filppula | Koivu | Lindell | Pokka |
Whether balanced or top-heavy, Team Finland can put together some impressive penalty-killing units, with captain Koivu a key cog among them. Florida's Jokinen and Barkov play a similar role in Sunrise, so it's natural for them to duplicate it at the World Cup.
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