Can Finland's players overcome the injury of a key player and win gold in men's hockey at the 2026 Olympics? Here's what their roster could look like.
Team Finland has an uphill battle in men's hockey at the 2026 Olympics.
On paper, the Finns don't have the high-end depth that the Americans and Canadians do. And the injury to star Florida Panthers center Aleksander Barkov is devastating for Team Finland.
Even compared to Team Sweden, Finland will need some of their players to punch above their weight, competitively speaking. And perhaps that gives them an advantage in that they're one of the top dark horses of this event.
The deadline for Olympic rosters is on Dec. 31. We've already projected rosters for Team USA, Canada and Sweden, so it's now time to share our picks for Team Finland based on this writer's point of view. Players with an asterisk were already named to the roster in June.
Forwards
Centers: Sebastian Aho*, Roope Hintz, Anton Lundell, Mikael Granlund
Wingers: Mikko Rantanen*, Artturi Lehkonen, Teuvo Teravainen, Eetu Luostarinen, Oliver Kapanen, Joel Kiviranta, Joel Armia, Kaapo Kakko, Eeli Tolvanen, Erik Haula
The Lowdown: If Barkov were healthy, the Finns could've boasted a deep and capable group of centers.
There's still high-end talent there – Carolina's Sebastian Aho and Dallas' Roope Hintz could be starters on any team, and they give the Finns a core to build around. Anton Lundell has had to fill in Barkov's role in Florida, playing elite two-way hockey and also spending some time on the penalty kill. And although Anaheim's Mikael Granlund has missed time due to injury, he can pile up points without playing top-line minutes.
There's just not the degree of quality depth there that the Americans or Canadians have.
It's a similar story on the wing. You've got first-rate players in Dallas' Mikko Rantanen and Colorado's Artturi Lehkonen. But there's a drop-off.
Chicago's Teuvo Teravainen could play first-line minutes on Finland if needed, having put up at least 50 points in the NHL in the last two seasons. Florida's Eetu Luostarinen can also feature on the penalty kill with Lundell. Montreal's Oliver Kapanen has had a sneaky-good rookie season so far, ranking second among first-year players in goals, with nine.
Another option on offense is Toronto's Matias Maccelli, who once had 57 points in a season with the Arizona Coyotes. But with 18 points in 55 games last season and nine points in 22 games this year, he should only be called upon if more injuries arise.
If Finland's NHLers gel as a team and limit the opposition's high-danger chances, they may get the clutch performances they need from one player or another.
Defensemen
Miro Heiskanen*, Esa Lindell*, Henri Jokiharju, Niko Mikkola, Rasmus Ristolainen, Olli Maatta, Nikolas Matinpalo, Urho Vaakanainen
The Lowdown: By far the top blueliner for Finland is Dallas star D-man Miro Heiskanen. At 26, Heiskanen is in the early stages of his prime, and he can give you 26 minutes a night of low-event hockey in his own zone and high-event hockey in the offensive zone.
Heiskanen's Stars teammate Esa Lindell will almost certainly be Heiskanen's defense partner to start the Olympics. After that, Philadelphia's Rasmus Ristolainen and Florida's Niko Mikkola provide size and shutdown hockey.
But this roster includes all of Finland's NHL D-men, so if they won't work, then Finnish management must look elsewhere. Former Leafs and Blue Jackets player Mikko Lehtonen was Finland's captain at the World Championship and had eight points in eight games, so he's a tempting option. He currently plays in the Swiss National League and was on Finland's Olympic roster in 2022 and 2018 when there were no NHL players.
Goaltenders
Juuse Saros*, Kevin Lankinen, Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen
The Lowdown: The Finns had a pretty set-in-stone goalie picture not many years ago, with Nashville's Juuse Saros being the runaway favorite to be Finland's starter.
But as the Predators have free-fallen in the standings, Saros' numbers have suffered accordingly. This season, the 30-year-old has a 3.03 goals-against average and .896 save percentage. He had an .896 SP last season as well.
That said, we're not convinced the two other goalies can come in and avoid being shellacked by the powerful Americans, Canadians and Swedes.
Lankinen is having a dreadful year, with an .878 SP and 3.49 goals-against average on a dreadful Vancouver Canucks team. Buffalo Sabres starter Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen's .884 SP and 2.91 GAA also don’t inspire a lot of confidence that they can challenge Saros for the starter's job.
Thus, the Finns need Saros to start well. If Finland gets beaten handily in the first game, there's no guarantee Saros will continue to be 'the guy' between the pipes. What any goalie does with their opportunity could be the difference between carrying Finland to the podium or missing out.
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