Who do you guys think will be our first goalie in WJCs? Gibson, Aittokallio or Perhonen? Gibson's and Aittokallio's stats are not to impressive yet, but i'm sure they will improve their play during these 2-3 months until WJCs.
As has been said, our forwards are best in years. And I'm not that worried about defence. Although our defence corps will probably be young and inexperienced, it's much more high-profile and talented than what we've had for years.
I'm not too concerned about our defense. Obviously our offense is really good this year but defense isn't that bad either. Right now I see our top4 is something like this:
Määttä - Ristolainen
Pokka - Hakanpää
Apparently Määttä is playing well in London, although he only has 0+2 in seven games. Ristolainen has only missed one game so far with TPS and has averaged 18min/game. Pokka has played the last three games with Kärpät, averaged 21mins/game. And the local fans agree that his place is at FEL-level. And finally Hakanpää has played 7 games with Blues, averaged 11 mins/game. At the WJC our defense will face almost NHL-caliber players. But if Määttä continues to impress at London and those three guys get to play in the FEL regularly, Team Finland should be in the semifinals.
There has been some buzz about this one guy in Jokerit, Esa Lindell. 17yo, 188cm/86kg. So far 3+10=13 +1 2mins at the A-junior level in nine games. Jokerit fans describe him as a "bigger version of Teemu Eronen". Could he compete for a spot in the final lineup?
E: Juuso Ikonen has scored 6+9=15 in seven games at the A-Juniors. If he keeps that pace, he will score a lot more points than Granlund & Pulkkinen at the same age. Hopefully he gets to play against men in the near future. We could use some soft hands in our third line.
I'm not too concerned about our defense. Obviously our offense is really good this year but defense isn't that bad either. Right now I see our top4 is something like this:
Määttä - Ristolainen
Pokka - Hakanpää
I agree that our blueline is a bit underrated. When you add Simo-Pekka Riikola to D who already last year played some FEL games in Kalpa and is likely that he'll definetely play in FEL before WJC.
Then 6th/7th d-man I am not sure who it will be. Fagerudd hasn't played in SEL yet. Only some Superelit games. Hopefully he will play some games there.
Unexpectional offense. Well balanced defense. Good goaltending. Medal here we come.
Hakanpää can't be TOP 4 d-man. His balance is terrible and he's afraid of physical play. Okay, he is 195cm but honestly - he is not a good player yet. And i'm pretty shocked if he play some day in KHL or NHL.
Hakanpää is the worst SM-liiga player i've ever seen. I was wonderng if we had a chance this year to take the championship but if we hadn't better guys than Hakanpää in defence, I can forget about it
I have seen his all SM-liiga matches so far.
Edit: Juuso Ikonen is very talented guy but he is just 172cm and he's not growing anymore. But there is Gionta and Gerbe in NHL..
Hakanpää can't be TOP 4 d-man. His balance is terrible and he's afraid of physical play. Okay, he is 195cm but honestly - he is not a good player yet.
I know. That's why I'm hoping that younger guys like Lindell would have breakout years. I wouldn't mind having six 16-17 year-olds in defence, as long as they get the job done.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Omark
Edit: Juuso Ikonen is very talented guy but he is just 172cm and he's not growing anymore. But there is Gionta and Gerbe in NHL..
Yeah. The way I see it there' s only one spot up for grabs in our top9. Granlund Sr & Jr, Pulkkinen, Armia, Donskoi, Salomäki, Ruuttu and Barkov are locks. And at the moment there's no clear cut favorite to take that spot. I don't know if Helminen is looking for BPA or the right fit, but hopefully Ikonen gets a fair chance.
Hakanpää can't be TOP 4 d-man. His balance is terrible and he's afraid of physical play. Okay, he is 195cm but honestly - he is not a good player yet. And i'm pretty shocked if he play some day in KHL or NHL.
Hakanpää is the worst SM-liiga player i've ever seen. I was wonderng if we had a chance this year to take the championship but if we hadn't better guys than Hakanpää in defence, I can forget about it
I disagree with you, he certainly isn't terrible. He's by no means a terrible player, and though he's big he's yet to develop physically (he grew 2 inches last year). I don't think he's afraid of physical play, but should be more physical and use his size. His top speed is pretty good although his stride is kinda awkward and his acceleration isnt very good. His passes are very crisp and imo he has pretty good vision of the ice. Hard shot too.
I know. That's why I'm hoping that younger guys like Lindell would have breakout years. I wouldn't mind having six 16-17 year-olds in defence, as long as they get the job done.
Yeah. The way I see it there' s only one spot up for grabs in our top9. Granlund Sr & Jr, Pulkkinen, Armia, Donskoi, Salomäki, Ruuttu and Barkov are locks. And at the moment there's no clear cut favorite to take that spot. I don't know if Helminen is looking for BPA or the right fit, but hopefully Ikonen gets a fair chance.
I myself would like to see a speedy player alongside Donskoi and Salomäki (like last years Junttila - Salomäki - Donskoi line), for example Teräväinen or Miro Aaltonen. That would leave us 2 full lines to fill with the rest of the guys you listed there.
I myself would like to see a speedy player alongside Donskoi and Salomäki (like last years Junttila - Salomäki - Donskoi line), for example Teräväinen or Miro Aaltonen.
Aaltonen played tonight his first game in SapKo. He centered the second line, scored 0+3 and was one of the best players on the ice. Hopefully he stays in Mestis the whole season and gets to play big minutes. If he continues to produce like that against men, he should get the last spot in the top9.
SapKo fan's comments on Aaltonen's performance: "This guy will be something great. He made the players around him better. I don't think he won a single faceoff but I'm sure it will get better."
Aaltonen played tonight his first game in SapKo. He centered the second line, scored 0+3 and was one of the best players on the ice. Hopefully he stays in Mestis the whole season and gets to play big minutes. If he continues to produce like that against men, he should get the last spot in the top9.
SapKo fan's comments on Aaltonen's performance: "This guy will be something great. He made the players around him better. I don't think he won a single faceoff but I'm sure it will get better."
I think you meant he played with Jokipojat? Yeah he played on the same line as his Blues teamate Roope Ranta, Ranta 4+0, Aaltonen 0+3. Nonetheless that great news.
I really think he's very gifted, but last years injury really slowed him down. Wonder where he'd be now if he'd have gotten to play the whole year healthy. Probably playing solid minutes in SM-liiga
- I tried to make a balanced line-up, not too many good grinders available so I favoured skill up front.
- At this point it's hard to say who the goalies will be, and which defensemen are high on Helminen's list.
- Not sure if Teräväinen has a chance of making the team from Jr.A, and whether Moisio is a kind of player Helminen wants on his team.
- Personally I would have centre forwards as listed above; 1. Mi.Granlund, 2. Salomäki, 3. Barkov and 4. Halinen.
YLE did a little interview with Helminen about the U20 team and Barkov; LINK (In Finnish)
4 weeks to the tournament in Vaasa, it'll probably give us a better picture of the potential line-up for the WJC's.
I've also tried to figure out a more balanced lineup. We have so many skilled forwards this year that it could be possible to build four scoring lines. Your Barkov-line is exactly like mine
Partanen - Mi. Granlund - Armia
Donskoi - Barkov - Pulkkinen
Ma. Granlund - Salomäki - X
Moisio - Z - Ruuttu
X = The only wildcard in the lineup. Teräväinen/Paajanen/Ikonen/...
Z = If Aaltonen continues to impress at Jokipojat, he should get the spot. He is not in any means a traditional fourth line center but he would bring needed scoring depth.
- You can put two pylons on the ice with Mi. Granlund and they would score goals, so no need to have two elite wingers in the first line. Partanen is familiar with the small rink and Armia brings constant scoring threat. I cant think of a better player to bring Armia out of his hibernation than MG64.
- Donskoi and Pulkkinen have played together many times and they have chemistry. Barkov would complement them nicely with his size, playmaking skills and defensive capabilities.
- Ma. Granlund doesn't get to play with his brother anymore at HIFK, so I would have him play with Salomäki.
- Moisio and Ruuttu love to hit and can chip in offensively. Ideal fourth line players.
- At the moment Perhonen would be my first choice also.
Pulkkinen on line 3? yes, put the highest scoring right winger of the team playing regularly in SM-liiga on line 3...
By the way, which tournament will Granlund play in, EHT Karjala tournament or the U-20 event? One could expect the hockey fe to want him and Pulkkinen playing together in a tournament before the WJC but at which level? On the other hand they might want The Stamp playing at Karjala to get try and get better attendance.
Partanen - Mi. Granlund - Armia
Donskoi - Barkov - Pulkkinen
Ma. Granlund - Salomäki - X
Moisio - Z - Ruuttu
I really like your lineup!! ,
but I would put Alexander Ruuttu to a center and put Aaltonen to wing.
I agree aswell that it's more important to put Armia to play with MG and put Pulkkinen to different line because Armia needs more "help" than Pulkkinen.
Helminen at Radio Suomi just moments ago: wants the best players available for the U-20 tournament, hasn't talked to Jukka Jalonen yet about Granlund, previously U-20 tournament and WJC preparation has outweighed EHT events.
Partanen - Mi. Granlund - Armia
Donskoi - Barkov - Pulkkinen
Ma. Granlund - Salomäki - X
Moisio - Z - Ruuttu
X = The only wildcard in the lineup. Teräväinen/Paajanen/Ikonen/...
Z = If Aaltonen continues to impress at Jokipojat, he should get the spot. He is not in any means a traditional fourth line center but he would bring needed scoring depth.
It’s obvious that there are a lot of possible line combinations, hopefully everyone stays healthy (knock on wood). Personally I’m not sure if Partanen would be a good fit in top lines, but we’ll see what Helminen thinks. I also prefer Teräväinen over J.Ikonen, because I think he's more ready to play at this level.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Jussi
Pulkkinen on line 3? yes, put the highest scoring right winger of the team playing regularly in SM-liiga on line 3...
You know very well that I’ve been marketing the idea of having 3 strong lines similarly to last year. It doesn’t make a difference in what order you place the top-3 lines. Also there’s a decent chance that Pulu plays the point on PP, so he might be playing with different players in different situations anyways.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Jussi
By the way, which tournament will Granlund play in, EHT Karjala tournament or the U-20 event?
3rd, unlikely but perhaps smarter option would be to give him some rest now that it's possible.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Jussi
One could expect the hockey fe to want him and Pulkkinen playing together in a tournament before the WJC but at which level?
Why would the hockey federation guys particularly want to see them playing together and not some other line combo? Secondly would Pulu even have a chance of making the Karjala Cup roster? It’s the home tournament and I’d imagine that Jalonen prefers at least some of the following wingers over Pulu; Ville Peltonen, JM Aaltonen, Antti Pihlström, Janne Pesonen, Jonas Enlund, Antti Miettinen, Leo Komarov, Jesse Joensuu, Jarkko Ruutu…
Quote:
Originally Posted by Jussi
On the other hand they might want The Stamp playing at Karjala to get try and get better attendance.
Probably, at least if Kummola has some say in this.
I’d imagine that Jalonen prefers at least some of the following wingers over Pulu; Ville Peltonen, JM Aaltonen, Antti Pihlström, Janne Pesonen, Jonas Enlund, Antti Miettinen, Leo Komarov, Jesse Joensuu, Jarkko Ruutu…
Pihlström? Miettinen? With this season's performances? And Peltonen is a left wing, so he wouldn't compete with Pulkkinen.
Oh yeah, Granlund already skipped out on the Lake Placid tournament so he definitely is not in need of a rest.
I agree that our blueline is a bit underrated. When you add Simo-Pekka Riikola to D who already last year played some FEL games in Kalpa and is likely that he'll definetely play in FEL before WJC.
I agree. Riikola played 18mins today in a road game against HIFK and was pretty decent at least in the first period. I don't know if he's still a borderline FEL defenseman who will spend some time in Mestis (we'll see when Timonen comes back), but I think he's a lock at this point. If you're good enough to play in FEL's playoffs, you're good enough to play in the WJC. So IMO our defense looks like this at the moment:
Jani Hakanpää
Olli Määttä
Simo-Pekka Riikola
Rasmus Ristolainen
Ville Pokka
Four right handed defensemen Unfortunately Hakanpää is struggling at the moment. His ice time has diminished and he was benched against JYP. It will be interesting to see how long he can stay up. I'd rather see him playing 20mins/game with KiVa and regaining his confidence than playing 7mins/game with Blues atm.
Pihlström? Miettinen? With this season's performances?
You can’t measure what Pihlström brings to the game just by how many goals he scores, he’s still a very good alternative to the same role that he played at the World Championships. As far as Miettinen goes, you might be right about him, but I wouldn't count him out just yet. He's still adjusting to the play in KHL.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Jussi
Oh yeah, Granlund already skipped out on the Lake Placid tournament so he definitely is not in need of a rest.
Granlund skipped the Lake Placid tournament, but he was training full time with HIFK and played his first pre-season game while the U20 team was travelling back from North America. Look at the big picture, during the last 6 months he has gone through a full SM-liiga playoff schedule, World Championships, Military service, two trips to Minnesota, European Trophy and the season’s first games in SM-liiga. Not to mention the other off-ice stuff like giving a hundred interviews and hopefully still trying to do some school work. If thinking of the schedule of next 7 months, there might only be two chances for a proper break, either now or during the LG Hockey Games in February.
I'm starting to have serious concerns about our coaching as well. Correct me if I'm wrong, but the job of U20 head coach should be a pretty prestigious one? That's why it's hard to believe that we have a guy at the helm who didn't have any prior head coaching experience - anywhere. And when we take look at our coaching staff's current performance, it's not pretty.
Head coach Raimo Helminen: Ilves is currently in the last place in FEL. Wouldn't be surprised if the head coach was fired.
Assistant Mikko Haapakoski: Jokipojat was supposed to be one of the favorites to win the championship. They are currently in 8th place. Haapakoski was fired from his last coaching job after six months. Wouldn't be surprised if this happened again.
Assistant Kalle Kaskinen: Who?
Hiring the U20 head coach is one of the most important decisions that Kummola & co has to make. It's really hard to believe that Helminen&Haapakoski was the best they could come up with. Especially when guys like Pekka Rautakallio, Antti Törmänen and Jarno Pikkarainen were available. It really sucks when we finally have a competitive team, our coaching raises questions. Hopefully H&H can step up and prove me wrong.
Risto Dufva, Rauli Urama and Antti Törmänen have only one year left in their contracts. Hopefully we can get one of those guys to coach the U20 team next year. Dufva could be heading to KHL and Törmänen might stay in Switzerland, but Urama could be a possibility. IIRC, there aren't many coaching spots opening at FEL's top teams.
He definitely needs rest. Granlund is playing +20min per game.
So? He's not the only one. Besides, he's played two games fewer than most player due to that minor whiplash injury. Not to mention that it's only November, if he needs rest already then he's going to have serious trouble with the NHL schedule. Also, he'll get more rest by joining the national teams, he'll get military leave for those, not for regular IFK practices.
And based on Helminen's comments, Granlund's going to play during the international break, either at Karjala, or the U-20 tournament.
Not to mention that it's only November, if he needs rest already then he's going to have serious trouble with the NHL schedule.
Every hockey player going through a tough schedule with bumps and bruises benefits from having a little break, in NHL that’s just not possible. For Granlund having a break at this point would probably be most beneficial mentally, a lot has happened in his life during the last 6 months and I imagine that he hasn’t had that much of a free time. He might have more to offer during the WJC’s, playoffs and World Championships, if he skips these upcoming meaningless tournaments next month.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Jussi
And based on Helminen's comments, Granlund's going to play during the international break, either at Karjala, or the U-20 tournament.
That doesn’t necessarily prove anything, after all Granlund was first named to the Lake Placid roster as well, but things changed later.
Every hockey player going through a tough schedule with bumps and bruises benefits from having a little break, in NHL that’s just not possible. For Granlund having a break at this point would probably be most beneficial mentally, a lot has happened in his life during the last 6 months and I imagine that he hasn’t had that much of a free time. He might have more to offer during the WJC’s, playoffs and World Championships, if he skips these upcoming meaningless tournaments next month.
That doesn’t necessarily prove anything, after all Granlund was first named to the Lake Placid roster as well, but things changed later.
Yeah, IFK didn't want him there.
But like I said, he'll get more rest with the national team,s even more with the U-20 team dues to less media attention, because he'll get full military leave "for representing his country". If he stays with IFK, he'll be travelling to training sessions from Urheilukoulu.
Unfortunately Hakanpää is struggling at the moment. His ice time has diminished and he was benched against JYP. It will be interesting to see how long he can stay up. I'd rather see him playing 20mins/game with KiVa and regaining his confidence than playing 7mins/game with Blues atm.
