3 players to watch on Team Finland at the 2023 World Juniors

3 players to watch on Team Finland at the 2023 World Juniors

Joakim Kemell, RW
His draft season could not have started any better, having led Liiga in scoring through the first 18 games of the season. Unfortunately, injuries took a toll on that pace and Kemell slipped from a potential top-five pick to 17th overall, where he was chosen by Nashville. He went off-the-charts in the 2021

Brad Lambert, C
The most fascinating player to watch from the 2022 draft, Lambert has the potential of being the best player on the ice each and every shift.  His inconsistent play, however, almost cost him a chance to be taken in Round 1.  Winnipeg took him with the 30th pick, looking for top 10 value. A post-WJC move to WHL Seattle would do him wonders. 

Aleksi Heimosalmi, D
He has shown well at both the U18 and U20 worlds. With that experience and the fact he plays roughly 16 minutes per night in Liiga, Heimosalmi should excel in this event as a point producer on Finland’s defence. Carolina selected him in the second round of the 2021 draft. 

When submitting content, please abide by our submission guidelines, and avoid posting profanity, personal attacks or harassment. Should you violate our submissions guidelines, we reserve the right to remove your comments and block your account. Sportsnet reserves the right to close a story’s comment section at any time.