NASHVILLE (The Draft Analyst) — Attilio Biasca scored the game-winning goal 41 seconds into three-on-three overtime to lead Switzerland to a stunning 3-2 victory over Finland on Monday in the opening game of the 2023 under-20 world junior hockey tournament.
In the extra session, Biasca, an undrafted winger who plays for the QMJHL’s Halifax Mooseheads, freed himself from a puck battle to wrist a shot past goalie Aku Koskenvuo, a Vancouver Canucks prospect. Dallas Stars’ 2022 first-round pick Lian Bichsel kickstarted the attack with a steal in the defensive zone for a near break-in, then fed Biasca after winning the puck in the corner from two Finns.
The two nations traded second-period goals after a scoreless first. The Finns opened the scoring at 2:24 of the second when 2003-born wing Konsta Kapanen buried a rebound off a shot from New York Rangers’ prospect Kalle Vaisanen. The Swiss answered back with 7:06 to go when center Lorenzo Canonica of the QMJHL’s Shawinigan Catarectes pounced on a loose puck in the low slot and rifled one home.
Switzerland was in control for most of the game and took a 2-1 lead at 4:43 of the third period on a goal from Jeremy Jabola. But Finland responded at 8:09 when Vaisanen forced the extra session by whipping a wrist shot over the outstretched blocker of goalie Kevin Pasche.
Finland, which entered the tournament as the top challenger to the United States for first place in Group B, was outshot 27-16 for the game and could not generate consistent shifts in the Swiss defensive zone.
2023 draft eligibles
LW Verner Miettinen (FIN) | 6’0, 170 | 4/7/03 | Fargo (USHL)
Speed is the name of Miettinen’s game and it was on display both on and off the puck against the Swiss. He is a heady 200-foot player with a quick first step but also strong balance to power through checks while maintaining balance. The St. Cloud State recruit used his energy and awareness to assist linemates Kalle Vaisanen and Sami Paivarinta in generating lengthy possessions inside the Swiss end, especially after shifts when Finland’s bigger guns fell silent.
RW Lenni Hameenaho (FIN) | 6’0, 183 | 11/7/04 | Assat (SM-Liiga)
After a strong under-20 Four Nations tournament in November to help solidify his spot on the world junior squad, Hameenaho’s 6:46 of ice time on Monday against Switzerland was the lowest among Finland’s forwards and he played less than two minutes in both the second and third periods. A likely factor behind his limited usage was his role in the on-ice gaggle that allowed the Swiss to tie the score 1-1 in the second. Keep tabs on whether or not Hameenaho is a healthy scratch for Tuesday’s early matchup against Slovakia, especially since the stakes are even higher following today’s defeat. He’s usually a smart 200-foot player, but you have to think he wants to put Monday’s match behind him.
LHD Jimi Suomi (FIN) | 5’10, 161 | 3/1/03 | TPS (SM-Liiga)
Suomi has been an enigma for years because his strong skating, occasional dynamism, and offensive ability are often trumped by sloppy puck-handling and ill-timed decisions that can border on reckless. He was off on his breakout passes and was guilty of unforced icings, and not once did Suomi create anything offensively. His 13:25 of ice time is about what was expected of him, but the Finns have only seven defenders for the tournament and will need more from him.
RHD Kalle Ervasti (FIN) | 6’0, 185 | 3/7/03 | Lukko (SM-Liiga)
Ervasti is an excellent skater with playmaking ability who essentially played at an all-star level as a minute-eating defenseman in two recent seasons in the under-20 SM-Sarja. Although his selection to Finland’s WJC squad (over 2024 draft phenom Aron Kiviharju) was justified, anything short of creating plays or cleanly rushing the puck through traffic — win or lose —would make the decision ripe for scrutiny. Once the game began, it became clear that the Swiss weren’t giving the Finns any space in the neutral zone, and Ervasti was mostly ineffective at carrying the puck and also looked lost in coverage. He wasn’t as physcial as he should have been and was beaten in 50/50 battles several times. He did receive a regular shift as Finland’s No. 6 defender but had trouble finding time and space or delivering accurate breakout passes.
C Konsta Kapanen (FIN) | 5’9, 159 | 9/29/03 | KalPa (SM-Liiga)
The younger brother of Pittsburgh Penguins winger Kasperi Kapanen by seven years, Konsta was one of Finland’s better forwards on and off the puck. Not only did he pop in the tournament’s opening tally early in the second period by cleaning up a rebound off a 3-on-1 rush, but he finished the game as a key cog on what became Finland’s most productive (and effective) line, and his 18:00 of ice time was indicative of his worth. Kapanen isn’t consistently physical, but a critical contribution is his willingness to go into dirty areas and absorb contact to move the puck safely. He’s usually a dangerous offensive player; one with soft hands, finishing ability, and backdoor vision. But the chemistry he shared with Kalle Vaisanen and Sami Paivarinta was enough to keep his game simple and yield the desired results.
C Sami Paivarinta (FIN) | 5’9, 170 | 6/8/03 | Lukko (SM-Liiga)
Not surprising that a high-energy, two-way center like Paivarinta was involved in key plays in all three zones, and the third line he centered was responsible for both Finnish tallies. He picked off a pass to jumpstart the 3-on-1 rush which resulted in Konsta Kapanen’s 1-0 strike in the second period and later drew the primary assist on Kalle Vaisanen’s 2-2 equalizer in the third. Although he’s a versatile center who is no stranger to international competition and always ranked among his team’s scoring leaders in Finland’s U20 SM-Sarja, Paivarinta remains undrafted.
C Miles Muller (SUI) | 6’0, 188 | 12/19/04 | Moncton (QMJHL)
A second-year center for the QMJHL Moncton Wildcats, Muller plays a safe, meat-and-potatoes game without much seasoning or flavor. Much like in league play, the Swiss at the WJC deploy him in a bottom-six role for his faceoff proclivity and sound penalty killing. He received a regular shift in all three periods in Monday’s win over Finland and won 50 percent of his draws (7-for-14), although he neither registered a shot nor created any chances. His skating is average at best, and the fact that he’s only produced 35 points in 99 career QMJHL games may explain why NHL Central Scouting opted to keep him off their annual watch list. Still, Muller has a specific role and plays it well, and don’t be surprised if he’s given specific matchups against a top-six line as the points in group play become more meaningful.
NHL Prospects
Finland
LHD Topias Vilen (NJD)
Vilen has secured the No. 1 job on Finland’s blue line and has played the part. He was the lone defender as the top power-play unit’s quarterback; a job which used to belong to partner Aleksi Heimosalmi. Although he continues to grow as a blueliner and is producing for Lahti in the SM-Liiga, Vilen’s strong suit remains navigating the puck into safe spaces when under pressure, which in turn shows off impressive footwork and agility.
LHD Aleksi Malinen (NYI 6th/2021)
It was a tale of two halves for this speedy puckmover, who was far more precise and reliable in the opening frame and a half than he was when things tightened up during late/close. Malinen’s ice time decreased from period to period but still finished playing 17:45 for third among Finnish rearguards. Malinen plays with jump and loves to attack puck carriers, and he was one of the few Finns who attempted to generate offense with his speed when it became apparent the Swiss weren’t giving away an inch without a fight. The biggest question surrounding Malinen is how high his ceiling as a point producer is because he’s an average defender at best.
RW Joakim Kemell (NSH 1st/2022)
Kemell has been a top gun for Finland at multiple international events, but it took time for him to perform like the impact player he was expected to be. But a funny thing about high-scoring forwards is that they seem to know when to turn the switch on, and Kemell did just that in the third period when he drew a penalty immediately after the Swiss made it 2-1, then made a neat 1-on-4 move to get into the middle and toe-drag the puck into his wheelhouse for a blistering wrister on net. He also had Finland’s best chance during a scoreless opening frame off of a strong power rush to the net that just missed going under the crossbar. But the menacing physicality we saw from Kemell before last season’s shoulder injury appears to be a thing of the past.
C Brad Lambert (WPG 1st/2022)
It’s a good thing this is Lambert’s third and final world junior tournament because the talk of his inability to deliver a start-to-finish performance for Finland’s national junior team is losing newsworthiness. For starters, Lambert belongs to the Winnipeg Jets and is under contract while playing in the AHL, which one would think would have persuaded the speedy wing to bid adieu to the tournament once and for all. Instead, he decided to give it another shot, and once again, his coach didn’t think he was good enough for regular minutes in a late-and-close situation. After beginning Monday’s tilt on Finland’s top six and looking quick and confident (albeit with mostly outside speed), Lambert saw his ice time nearly halved from 6:12 in the middle frame to only 3:13 in the third. The question of whether or not he deserved the demotion is moot, as prominent Finns with leadership roles — Jani Nyman, Oliver Kapanen, and Ville Koivunen to be exact — were invisible at 5-on-5. Therefore, one can deduce that Lambert may be an easy target because of his offense-first mindset, and that he keeps playing in these damn events to either prove something to himself or enjoy the free swag, or both. Because the truth is that even without the hindsight of Monday’s disappointing loss to an underdog, Lambert still would be better off adjusting to minor-league opponents with old-man strength rather than toil on the bench yet again in what essentially is an overhyped prospect showcase.
Switzerland
LHD Lian Bichsel (DAL 1st/2022)
It should come as no surprise that a 6-foot-6, 227-pound defenseman like Bichel has a reputation for being mean and menacing. But on Monday against Finland, the lad showed offensive flair and decisiveness with the puck throughout the match while serving on Switzerland’s top pairing. By game’s end, Bichsel’s pro-level command of all three zones and active stick seemed to make him a lock for top-player honors, although the nomination went to forward Jonas Taibel. Nonetheless, Bichsel’s hard work and smart decision-making during a team-high 26:21 of ice time proved to be decisive for a Swiss team who entered the match against Finland as decided underdogs. The Stars have a high batting average when it comes to drafting and developing defensemen and it shouldn’t be long before Bichsel is making his mark both literally and figuratively in the NHL.
LHD Brian Zanetti (PHI 4th/2021)
I can’t help but think that a kid named “Brian Zanetti” is more likely to pump you a solo cup of Bud Light out of a party ball at Manhattan Beach (the Brooklyn one) rather than anchor the middle pairing of Switzerland’s national junior team. But the Flyers’ 2021 fourth-rounder is in fact an underrated yet promising defense prospect who on Monday made a handful of key plays under pressure in late/close situations while paired with playmaker Dario Sidler. Much like his deployment in a middle-pairing role with the OHL’s contending Peterborough Petes, Zanetti was used extensively on the penalty kill and got in the way of several attempts via an active stick, especially in the third period while the Swiss held to a 2-1 lead. He’s got good size, quick feet, and delivers a crisp first pass, and on defense he’ll hold his line and take a hit to move the puck.