Finland Stock Watch: 16-year-old Frans Karjalahti shining with HIFK U20

The last month has been monumental for Finnish hockey as a whole. Big meetings were held and decisions made about how professional hockey is going to operate in Finland in the future.

To recap: Liiga will split into two different leagues starting from the 2027–2028 season, with 14 teams playing at the top level and 10 teams playing at the lower level. After each season, the last-place finisher at the top level gets relegated, while the champion of the lower level gets promoted. The initial sorting of the teams will be determined by the results of the 2026–2027 season, with the plan being that Jokerit and another Mestis team will join the others for an 18-team special campaign.

Oh, and there were also actual hockey games being played during November, with the international tournaments eating a full week from the calendar.

Let's start the rundown with a newly-turned 16-year-old doing special things in the junior ranks.

Stock Rising 📈

Frans Karjalahti, LW, HIFK U20 (2028 NHL Draft)

There’s a good chance Frans Karjalahti will end up breaking some records this season. While the 16-year-old has been held to more moderate point totals during international events, he’s been an absolute menace in league play. As the youngest player in the entire U20 league, he’s added 17 points in just nine games for HIFK. In November, Karjalahti suited up for just three games but still managed to put together 10 points, thanks to a six-point masterclass he put on against SaiPa last weekend.

While Karjalahti's current 1.89 points-per-game average should be bound to drop, he's already built himself a large cushion compared to the next-most productive draft-minus-two campaign in the history of the U20 league, with Jesse Puljujärvi having previously held the record with a 1.28 points-per-game average. He's also previously been the only one to score at a point-per-game pace or better, further helping to illustrate how special Karjalahti's current form is.

As a prospect, Karjalahti's hockey sense and playmaking capabilities are projecting to be his greatest strengths. He anticipates the play at a higher level compared to his peers, and has the skill level required to manipulate defences and take advantage of even the smallest openings they give him. He's also a hard worker who creates value on the forecheck and already shows advanced battle habits. While the straight-line skating could stand to improve, he's on track to being a high pick in a few years.

Jere Somervuori, LW, HIFK (2026 NHL Draft, re-entry)

Another feature from the HIFK organization, Jere Somervuori was one of those players who we were projecting as a possible late-rounder in the 2025 class. He ended up going undrafted, but that hasn’t stopped him from having a strong breakout campaign at the Liiga level. The fact that HIFK has struggled and — once again — suffered from injuries has allowed him to rise into a prominent role quicker than many expected. During November, he added three goals and six points in eight games, ending the month with a four-game point streak.

To compliment his month, Somervuori also had a notable showing at the U20 Five Nations, forming what was arguably Finland’s strongest offensive duo together with Max Westergård and adding five points in four games. All this has put him close to a spot on Finland’s World Juniors roster, with Somervuori’s well-roundedness definitely being a thing working in his favour. He can play higher or lower in the lineup, providing a consistently work rate but now showing more offensive finesse than he previously did, too.

And if he ends up making the cut and having a solid performance, he might be able to get over the hurdle and put himself on the map as a legitimate pick candidate as an overager.

Miska Liljeberg, C, Ilves U20 (2027 NHL Draft)

During the U20 league pre-season, it was already clear that Miska Liljeberg had the tools to succeed at that level as a 16-year-old centre. There were some growing pains in the beginning, but it now looks like he’s arrived in full capacity. In November, Liljeberg added 10 points in seven games, putting together five multi-point efforts in total. He’s now up to 10 goals and 15 points in 21 games for the season, slotting in second in scoring among all draft-minus-skaters.

Liljeberg’s natural gifts are evident. He’s an unusually smooth and light-on-his-feet skater for being a Finnish prospect, and he should only improve on his quickness as he stacks more muscle and lower-body strength. He’s also a very capable shooting threat from the half-wall, bringing a blistering catch-and-release wrister and a knack for picking corners from range. He projects to be one of the most intriguing Finnish forwards in the 2027 class. 

Honourable mentions: Luka Arkko (2026 NHL Draft), Tino Kossila (2026 NHL Draft)

Stock Steady ↔️

Oliver Suvanto, C, Tappara (2026 NHL Draft)

In October’s stock watch, I pondered what the impact of Oiva Keskinen’s return would be on Oliver Suvanto and his role with Tappara’s Liiga team. The answer seems to be no impact at all, as Suvanto’s minutes have remained impressively steady and even increased compared to the first few weeks of the season. During November, he played at least 11 minutes every single night, closing out the month with two games where he crossed the 16-minute mark.

Suvanto also made his U20 national team debut during the Five Nations event, starting off with a bang through a four-point effort against Slovakia in the tournament opener. Displaying his familiar two-way characteristics and serving as the dependable glue of his line, I think he’s now guaranteed to make the World Juniors team and likely contribute in a top-nine role. Being ranked 16th on our recent board, he continues to have one of the highest floors in the draft.

Stock Falling 📉

Aatos Koivu, RW/C, TPS (Montréal Canadiens)

Aatos Koivu came into the season with a ton of hype following his highly productive effort at the World Junior Summer Showcase, with many expecting a big breakout in Liiga being an inevitability. So far, though, Koivu’s first months of the season have left a lot to be desired, at least compared to the lofty standards being placed upon him. His first and only point was recorded on November 1st, as he’s currently played eight games in a row without a point.

Koivu was also held pointless during the U20 Five Nations, even if he continued to play big minutes in the three games he appeared in. His role on the World Juniors roster shouldn’t be in jeopardy, and a good showing at that tournament could be what catapults him into a strong second half of the season that would help to erase the slow first months during fall. Right now, though, things are looking bleak.

Daniel Nieminen, D, Pelicans (Nashville Predators)

Daniel Nieminen’s first months of the season were really promising, earning him a feature during October’s edition of this series, too. He looked really good at the World Junior Summer Showcase, and added five points in the first nine games of the season while averaging over 20 minutes a night with Pelicans. Since then, though, Nieminen has entered somewhat of a slump, especially when looking at his Liiga play. He was held pointless in the seven games he played during November, with his minutes fluctuating a lot more compared to the start of the season. He even had a two-game stretch where he logged under 10 minutes on both nights, which hasn’t happened since January.

He was still in his element during November’s international break, logging two helpers in four games while playing top-pairing minutes. He’s still projected to be Finland’s top blueliner at the World Juniors alongside Aron Kiviharju, and like with Koivu, a strong effort there could help him to reach his old form at the Liiga level, too. I wouldn’t be too concerned yet regarding his long-term future, but my tone could be different if the current trajectory carries over to the spring.