Fin: Preseason News and Notes

The Finnish under-20 World Junior team is hard at work in preparation for the upcoming tournament taking place this holiday season in Vancouver, British Columbia.

Hannu Aravita, the long time Finnish national team coach will return to coach the team, starting with a string of games against Finnish second league teams this fall.

Aravita was instrumental in arranging the tour with Mestis teams in the past, opting for another go at it to ensure that his players are not strangers to performing against mature opposition. The games will serve to provide the national team players plenty of valuable experience, although those members who receive icetime in the SM-Liiga are not expected to participate.

The Finns are legit candidates for a gold medal at the much anticipated tournament with a high number of returning players, including goalie Tuukka Rask, defensemen Teemu Laakso and Risto Korhonen, and forwards Lauri Tukonen, Petteri Nokelainen, Lauri Korpikoski, Janne Kolehmainen and Aki Seitsonen.

ASSESSING THE DRAFT

The Under-20 team's blueline will rely heavily on draftees from this summer's NHL draft. Two highly touted selections Risto Korhonen (5th round, Carolina) and Juho Mielonen (6th round, Detroit) went lower than originally anticipated but remain among the country's best. These two were surpassed by rearguard Tommi Leinonen who was snapped up in the fourth round by Pittsburgh. The indication is that his mobility was perceived as more important in the eyes of NHL scouts.

Toronto's first round pickup goaltender Tuukka Rask will share the workload between the pipes with veteran Juha Pitkämäki on Ilves. The competition projects to be healthy for Rask who would thus be able to stay sharp in time for the World Juniors, where he is the projected number one, followed by Karri Rämö. Ilves has one more 2005 draftee in the lineup – Dallas selection Perttu Lindgren is pencilled in to play regularly.

Korhonen relocated from Kärpät to HPK and is expected to play regularly as a pro. Laakso, Nashville's pick, would have a spot to lose on IFK's blueline if he hadn't suffered yet another setback with his shoulder, a problem that has plagued him for much of the past couple of seasons and kept him out of the Under-20 tournament in Lake Placid.

Expect most of the other 2005 Finnish draftees to continue their maturation in the junior league. Even Boston selection Mikko Lehtonen, though talented, is expected to remain a junior with senior club Espoo Blues completely stacking their roster with new, experienced players in the off-season. Ottawa selection Janne Kolehmainen is one exception as he is a year older – he will continue playing for SaiPa in the SM-Liiga.

PRE-SEASON NOTES

Hulking blueliner Olli Malmivaara has spent his off-season bulking up and arrived playing the nastiest hockey of his life. Malvimaara is the number one rearguard for SaiPa, where he has already played a season and a half, after arriving from Jokerit. Blackhawks snapped up the 6-foot-6 specimen in 2000, but he could be a free agent soon if not signed. Yet if Malmivaara continues to progress at a steady rate do not be surprised to see him make his North American debut soon.

Desperately in need of getting back on track is Washington draftee Pasi Salonen, coming off a series of unfortunate events in 2004-05, missing the whole season with an upper arm/elbow injury sustained at the Finnish Under-20 evaluation camp. Now Salonen is back on the ice with old team IFK Helsinki, looking quite strong and trim. He has showed a promising form, so expect a successful campaign out of him.

Getting on the radar screen last season was IFK Helsinki defenseman Hannu Pikkarainen – he turns 22 later this year. Tallying 20 points in an impressive breakthrough season in SM-Liiga, Pikkarainen is a skilled puckhandling point man with a knack for finding the open man, also showing impressive poise with the puck. Pikkarainen is reminding scouts of ex-teammate Marek Zidlicky, though he shows some of the current Nashville Predator's bad habits as well – notably a lack of focus and penchant for dipsy-doodling. Pikkarainen may be going to the NHL sooner than expected, as rumblings have him already mulling over an offer for next season, when he becomes a free agent (editor's note: Pikkarainen has signed with the NY Rangers 8/17/2005).

Bullish pivot Valtteri Filppula, currently considering a contract offer from the Detroit Red Wings, has been aflame in preseason. He registered two goals and three assists in two games before getting pulled out of Jokerit's lineup, possibly to avoid injury prior to signing an NHL deal. This guy is solidifying his position as a serious NHL prospect.

Here's one coming back to life – Swedish winger Daniel Widing arrived in Finland during the summer to join the competitive TPS Turku in favour of the basement dwelling Pelicans. Playing on a high-profile team with increased pressure to win seems to be working for Widing thus far, as he has shown excellent creativity and energy. The Nashville Predators are reportedly happy with Widing's development, an indication that he will be given long looks in North America sooner than later.