The next series of blogs are going to focus on players and their nationalities. I am going to select the best starting six for many of the world’s top hockey playing countries. The only parameters I have are to select three forwards, two defensemen, and a goalie. I don’t care about moving centers to wing or a defenseman on their off side. These players are elite and they’ll figure it out. Each day I am going to offer up a new country until I run out of countries that can provide a quality starting six. I don’t care about their previous histories playing for their country. I don’t care about “waiting their turn” to make the team. I’m picking the six players I want on the ice to maximize success.
So far I have picked Canada's best starting six. You can find that
here
Team USA can be found
here
Team Sweden can be found
here
Today’s team is one that consistently performs well on the international stage. Their whole is greater than the sum of their parts. I am talking about the reigning Gold Medalists of the World Championships, the country who has three Bronze Medals and a Silver Medal during Olympic tournaments with NHL players, and the Gold Medalists in three of the last six World Junior Championships. I am talking about Team Finland. They consistently make life hard for other teams at these international events.
At the present moment who are their best six to put on the ice? These are my picks
Center – Aleksander Barkov
He’s an amazing two way player and has some of the best one on one moves against a goaltender, a useful skill in games decided by a shootout. For many years considered one of the most underrated players in hockey, but he is now just regular rated. Everybody knows he is great. Any team would be lucky to have him as their center.
Left wing – Sebastian Aho
If you’re going to have a Sebastian Aho on your roster it might as well be the one from Finland. Since joining the NHL in 2016-17 as a 19 year old he has done nothing but produce offense. Each year getting better and better. He has scored 24. 29, 30, and 38 goals in his four seasons with the 38 goals coming in only 68 games. He would have easily joined the 40 goal club and still might depending on how the NHL decides to continue their season. It isn’t just the goal scoring with Aho even though that particular skill is great. He’s a great passer and is a really good skater. He has the distinction of being one of the only good young players given an offer sheet in recent memory. It was for good reason. He’s only going to continue to get better.
Right wing – Miko Rantanen
The star Avalanche winger had his season cut down by injury this year. He was basically a point per game player with 41 points in 42 games. This follows up the previous two seasons where he had 87 points in 74 games last year and 84 points in 81 games the year prior. His 19 goals in only 42 games this year had him on pace to comfortably pass his career high of 31 last year. He is used to playing with incredibly talented linemates with Nate MacKinnon. There’s no doubt he’d be just fine playing alongside Barkov and Aho.
Finland has other great forwards, too. Leaving Patrik Laine off here wasn’t an easy choice. Ultimately, I think his goal scoring is amazing, but when the goals dry up and the shooting percentage goes down there isn’t as much to his game as Aho and Rantanen. Let’s be honest Aho and Rantanen have absolutely no problem scoring goals so their other contributions made them my picks.
Teuvo Teräväinen also deserves a mention. He’s quietly a force with 63 points in 68 games this year.
Here’s where things get dicey. Compared to these other countries the Fins do not have a wealth of talent on the blue line. In fact there are only 14 Finnish defensemen in the NHL right now.
Left defense – Miro Heiskanen
He has the most upside of any Finnish defender. He’s the most dynamic. It is only his second year in the league and he was on pace for 48 points. He is going to continue to get better and he might be on the same level as some of the other choices I have made for other countries in the next few years. He has yet to hit his ceiling, but he’s going to have to play as close to whatever his ceiling currently is because he will be the best player on the pairing.
The remaining choices leave a lot to be desired. We have Rasmus Ristolainen, Sami Vatanen, Henri Jokiharju, Esa Lindell and Olli Maatta. A lot of people would probably start with Ristolainen and perhaps even Lindell. Those are both non-starters for me. They aren’t good.
Olli Maatta is slow and he is the opposite of dynamic. He’s been mediocre to bad in recent memory. Jokiharju is a right handed Maatta at the moment so I am passing on him. That leaves one player.
Right defense – Sami Vatanen
No offense to Vatanen, but you’d probably like to have a better option here. He’s right handed. He had 23 points in 47 games which puts him on a 40 point pace. He is comparable to Ristolainen in the offense he produces without being one of the worst players in the league in driving play. Beggars can’t be choosers.
Goalie – Tuukka Rask
The defense may not be great, but they might not have to be with this guy in net. Rask has been one of the most consistent and impressive goalies of the past ten years. His worst performing year in a decade was league average and it only happened once
The floor is average and the ceiling is one of the best goalies in the game. Rask makes the Finnish team dangerous even with the underwhelming back end.
Is the whole greater than the sum of its parts for this Finnish team?
Thanks for reading!
Pittsburgh Penguins Blogger • 
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