If the NHL and NHLPA move ahead with a 2025 international competition, here's what Adam Proteau predicts Team Finland's roster will look like.

The NHL’s recent announcement that it aims to stage a World Cup of Hockey style of tournament in February 2025 means there are less than 18 months until the event goes down. Long before that, the team staff of the countries involved must name rosters for the event.

Given the ongoing war between Russia and Ukraine, the NHL and NHLPA will have to address the predicament for the next World Cup with an approach that’s worked to deal with Russian players in other sports – namely, the decision to play as Russians without using Russia’s name or flag. We’ve been moving ahead with roster predictions for a 2025 World Cup – late last week, we posted our picks for Team Canada’s roster

We’ve been moving ahead with roster predictions for a 2025 World Cup – late last week, we posted our picks for Team Canada’s roster; Saturday, we projected the American team’s roster; and Sunday, we posted a projected Russian roster. Monday, we looked at what Team Sweden’s roster will shape up to be, and today, we’re focusing on Team Finland.

When you look at our projections, keep in mind there will be unforeseeable changes to every team’s roster, as injuries and competitive ebbs and surges will create job opportunities for some and remove them from others. But for the most part, the makeup of the teams we’re projecting will be straightforward – the most talented players from each nation will be the ones representing their homelands.

Team Finland Roster Prediction

Goalies: Juuse Saros, Ville Husso, Joonas Korpisalo

Other options in goal: Antti Raanta, Kaapo Kahkonen

Defense: Rasmus Ristolainen (RD), Jani Hakanpaa (RD), Henri Jokiharju (RD), Niko Mikkola (RD), Miro Heiskanen (LD), Esa Lindell (LD), Juuso Valimaki (LD), Olli Maatta (LD)

Other options on defense: Robin Salo (LD)

Forward: Aleksander Barkov (C), Roope Hintz (C), Sebastian Aho (C), Jesperi Kotkamiemi (C), Mikko Rantanen (RW), Patrik Laine (RW), Kaapo Kakko (RW), Eeli Tolvanen (RW), Artturi Lehkonen (LW), Teuvo Teravainen (LW), Anton Lundell (LW), Eetu Luostarinen (LW)

Other options at forward: Mikael Granlund (C), Erik Haula (LW), Jesse Puljujarvi (RW), Sampo Ranta (LW) 

The Lowdown

They may not have the overwhelming offensive firepower of Team Canada or Team USA, but the Finns do have two of hockey’s best two-way centers in Hintz and Barkov, an incredible goal-scoring winger in Rantanen, one of the sport’s elite defensemen in Heiskanen, and a top-level goaltender in Saros. That should give Finland fans hope that they’ll be able to pull off an upset or two and finish in one of the top three spots in the World Cup.

Depth is a concern for the Finns, particularly on defense, where we put Mikkola in as the final right-shot defenseman even though he shoots left. There may prove to be up-and-coming D-men who challenge Mikkola for that spot, but at the moment, he’s the best option for them.

Similarly, in goal, there’s a bit of a drop-off in quality after Saros, Husso and Korpisalo, with greybeard Raanta and Kahkonen being the next in line for a shot. But so long as their best players perform at their best, the Finns will show sufficient resolve to stay in the fight among the best nations at the World Cup. 

They won’t be favored over many teams, if any, but that may be to their advantage; having less pressure on them to win it all could mean they don’t squeeze their sticks and crumble amid massive expectations.

Finland finished at the bottom of the eight-team World Cup tournament in 2016, so there’s nowhere for them to go but up. However, if an opponent takes them for granted, they’ll be playing into the Finns’ collective hand. Just as any NHL team can win on any given night, so too can Finland outlast their opponents at a best-on-best tournament.