U-18 5N Report: Finland
TEAM FINLAND
The weakest team participating at the Five Nations Tournament, Finland confirmed
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that their 1985-born crop year is not a strong one. To make things even worse,
they also endured health problems and injuries to several players. The Finns
were unable to turn games over when they gave up the first goal, and consequently
lost all four of their contests. As for the upcoming Under-18 World Juniors,
they should be bolstered by the addition of Masi Marjamaki from the Red Deer
Rebels, but even then the squad led by Ville Mantymaa, Arsi Piispanen and Lauri
Tukonen will most likely finish out of medal contention.
Top Performers
Arsi Piispanen - registered an above-average showing at the Five Nations
Cup. Playing wing on the top line, Piispanen made use of his terrific puckhandling
and strong vision to be one of the best players for the Finnish team. Piispanen's
generous frame is a strong asset, although he still has room to improve his
physical presence as he doesn't play with much of an edge. His primary task
over the next few years will be to bulk up and learn how to better use his size.
He is very intelligent with the puck, often preparing quality scoring chances
for his teammates. His finishing skills are adequate. Piispanen possesses a
hard slapshot, but his wrister could still use a faster release. Although he
is an aggressive forechecker who doesn't shy away from traffic areas, he is
however only an average skater and will need better wheels to become an elite
prospect. Should definitely get a close look from NHL teams after the 'can't-miss'
prospects are gone at this summer's draft.
Ville Mantymaa - a blueline anchor, the Finnish captain turned heads
with his outstanding mobility and great skating, but also proved that he is
still quite raw. A well-balanced skater, Mantymaa is very poised and competitive,
and doesn't have much trouble with physical play. He plays a smart positional
game and works hard to stay with his man. He has decent offensive upside, frequently
joining the rush, and is used as a pointman on the powerplay thanks to his strong
shooting skills. Conversely, his passing skills are merely average. He also
needs to make better decisions with the puck as he is prone to turnovers. Also,
Mantymaa doesn't always read the play properly, albeit his hockey sense is quite
sound. All in all, he is a good prospect who should look fairly enticing once
the draft hits the second and third rounds.
Lauri Tukonen - the jewel of the Finnish 2004 draft crop proved that
he can easily compete at a higher level and boosted his chances for an appearance
on the Under-18 World Junior squad. An intriguing prospect, Tukonen is a terrific
skater with lots of explosiveness for a big man, and is very hard to knock off
the puck. Blessed with a massive frame, Tukonen likes to be physically challenged
and is a punishing hitter who has no trouble handling the rough stuff. Also
highly skilled, he is a shifty puckhandler with a lethal shot and solid passing
skills. One of his main assets is his good hockey sense and vision. Lauri is
a very smart player who possesses natural goal-scorer instincts. Despite his
terrific offensive arsenal, Tukonen is not one-dimensional as he does come back
to help out the defense as well. The top forward prospect to come out from Finland
in some time, look for Tukonen to be among the first names called at the 2004
draft.
Teemu Nurmi - had an inspiring performance at this tournament. Nurmi
proved that the tough style is one of his strengths and that he is able to chip
in offensively as well. A solid skater with good balance, Nurmi plays a belligerent
style and can maneuver well in heavy traffic. He has a hard, accurate shot which
he releases quite often. He also possesses very good vision and is an adequate
passer. He plays with lots of heart, always gets involved in the game and plays
with strong intensity. Even though he isn't a liability in his own zone, he
still could show better defensive awareness. Nurmi is a lock to make the Finnish
Under-18 WJC squad and, based on this performance, should be a second or third-rounder
at this summer's draft.
Valtteri Tenkanen - the Finnish first-line center lacks towering size,
but left a solid impression with his energetic and speedy play. Tenkanen is
an agile skater who is able to reach top speed in a few strides. He uses that
velocity to excellent advantage and is able to execute at high tempo. Blessed
with very good on-ice vision, Tenkanen also possesses above-average hands and
is a smooth puckhandler. He is a crafty passer, although he can get into trouble
when handling heavy traffic thanks to his pint-sized frame. Persistent around
the goal area, Tenkanen possesses solid drive. He has a good slapshot, but needs
to improve his accuracy. Tenkanen prefers to operate in open ice more than battling
in the physical areas, which is a weakness. He also needs to work on his defensive
play, although he does show good awareness in his own zone. Overall, Tenkanen
displayed the tools to be selected in the later rounds at this year's draft.
Below expectations
Mikko Kuukka - paired with Ville Mantymaa on the first pairing, Kuukka
showed that he is still quite raw. A stay-at-home style of defenseman, Kuukka
kept his game simple and didn't make too many mistakes in his own zone, however,
he has to further develop his skating and mobility which will improve his overall
defensive-zone coverage. He fires solid blasts from the point, but didn't use
his shot as frequently as he could have. By no means a puck-rushing defenseman,
Kuukka prefers to dish the puck off rather than risk making a mistake. Bulking
up will be essential for Kuukka, who is too thin at this point. He also needs
to develop more of a physical presence. Nevertheless, he is still a talented
blueliner and has time on his side, although this tournament wasn't his best
showing. Eligible for the 2004 draft, Kuuka has a full year to upgrade his draft
status.