There used to be a time when the only consistent thing about Finland was their inconsistency.

One year, they’d win gold. The next, they were fighting to avoid relegation. It’s a weird cycle for one of the top hockey countries in the world – one that continues to hit above their weight class.

But if we’re taking a wild guess now, this feels like a team on the backburner.

One of the biggest stories for this group, unfortunately, is who isn’t going to be there. Joakim Kemell, a Nashville Predators prospect, would have been one of the best players in the tournament, but he’s ripping up the AHL and it made sense to keep him home. And then there’s Calgary’s Topi Ronni, who is currentlyunder investigation for rape.

On the back end, Aron Kiviharju – one of the top prospects for 2024 – won’t participate due to an injury. The same goes for New York Islanders product Jesse Nurmi, who was set to play a big role after a great U-18 World Championship showing.

Still, you can’t ever count this group out.

2024 NHL DRAFT

It’s rare to see a draft-eligible prospect take the reigns as a No. 1 center, but Helenius deserves it. He has stood out with the U-20 national ‘s the highest-scoring U-20 national team player in 2023 while also producing one of the best U-18 seasons in recent Liiga history. This tournament could be Helenius’ opportunity to establish himself as a top-five pick next June.

Further down the lineup, Emil Hemming has looked great against men in Liiga play. The 6-foot-2 winger is projected to go in the first round after showing a high level of competency with TPS. He was great against U-18 competition, but he was the best player behind Helenius at last month’s Five Nations tournament. That’s saying something given his age.

On the back end, watch for Veeti Väisänen, another potential first-round pick. He hasn’t gotten a lot of playing time in Liiga this year, but he has dominated some of the U-20 league games he has played. I also think he looked comfortable in U-20 national team games, too. I didn’t love his U-18 World Championship work, but against his own age group, I’ve liked what I’ve seen.

PROJECTION

Undoubtedly, this is a Finnish team that isn’t at full strength. Not having Kemell is going to hurt offensively. Kiviharju would have been a huge boost for the team’s blueline. It’s a generally weaker year for the Finns, who saw their 2005-born team fall in the quarterfinals to Slovakia at the U-18s back in the spring. But if there’s anything we’ve learned about the Finns, it’s that they’re pesky and never give up, and that their robust defensive systems often come up key. They’ll need to in a different group against Canada and Sweden, but they’re definitely capable of it. A good on-paper projection will see them coming third in Group A, which might play into their favor if they’re matched up against Czechia or Slovakia. From there, anything can happen.