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World Cup of Hockey: Team Finland initial roster

By Dave Stevenson

Nov 3, 2015; Boston, MA, USA; Boston Bruins goalie Tuukka Rask (40) adjusts his helmet during the second period against the Dallas Stars at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: Greg M. Cooper-USA TODAY Sports
Nov 3, 2015; Boston, MA, USA; Boston Bruins goalie Tuukka Rask (40) adjusts his helmet during the second period against the Dallas Stars at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: Greg M. Cooper-USA TODAY Sports /
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Team Finland has announced its initial 16 man roster for the World Cup of Hockey

The World Cup of Hockey will be taking place in September of 2016. It will feature seven nations and a younger team of North American stars against each other in a friendly exhibition tournament. Finland will field one of the more underrated teams. They might lack the talent of Canada, Sweden, and the United Sates, but Finland has had a ton of success despite lacking in talent.

Goaltenders

Tuukka Rask-  Boston Bruins

Pekka Rinne – Nashville Predators

Finland named the required two goaltenders that they had to name and elected to choose their third at a later date. They have some solid options. Rask and Rinne are both solid goalies. Expect Rask to get most of the starts during the World Cup of Hockey.

Defensemen

Esa Lindell – Dallas Stars (AHL)

Olli Maatta – Pittsburgh Penguins

Rasmus Ristolainen – Buffalo Sabres

Sami Vatanen – Anaheim Ducks

This might look like a weak group of blue liners, but it’s a solid group. Three of these four defensemen average over 20 minutes of ice time per night in the NHL. Maata and Ristolainen are regular first pairing defensemen and Vatanen is an excellent puck mover. Lindell is an interesting addition to this group. He’s talented enough to potentially be a difference maker but he lacks experience.

Forwards

Aleksander Barkov – Florida Panthers

Joonas Donskoi – San Jose Sharks

Valtteri Filppula – Tampa Bay Lightning

Mikael Granlund – Minnesota Wild

Jussi Jokinen – Florida Panthers

Mikko Koivu – Minnesota Wild

Leo Komarov – Toronto Maple Leafs

Lauri Korpikoski – Edmonton Oilers

Jori Lehtera – St. Louis Blues

Teuvo Teravainen – Chicago Blackhawks

A very solid forward group. They might lack elite scorers, but these guys are two-way players who can add production. The tournament is an opportunity for guys like Barkov, Teravainen, and Donskoi to introduce themselves to the rest of the world.

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