Finland Stock Watch: Joona Saarelainen thriving as KalPa's No. 1 centre

The month of February heavily revolved around the theme of international competition. 

Every Finnish hockey fan was drawn in by the Olympics, with the country’s golden generation finally getting to compete for a prestigious title. The team was ultimately able to capture bronze after an upward-trending effort, and a win over Canada in the semifinals wasn’t that far away, either.

Earlier in the month, different junior national teams had competed in their respective events. It wasn’t the prettiest stretch for the Finns in terms of the results, but you could’ve picked out individual success stories out of each team.

Let’s start the rundown with one of them.

Stock Rising 📈

Paavo Fugleberg, RW, TPS U20 (2028 NHL Draft)

When it comes to pure offensive talent and skill, Paavo Fugleberg arguably stood out more than any other Finn during February's U18 event, despite him also being the youngest skater on the team. While he finished with just two points in four games, he was impossible not to notice, pulling off a bunch creative and skill-requiring plays across the event. From my scouting report on his tournament opener:

Fugleberg created consistent value with the puck, whether he was setting up others or showcasing his individual skill through handling and inside cuts. He attacked with pace, but also delayed when it was the right play, showcasing lots of finesse with the way he handled around traffic or made plays through defenders’ triangles. The skating might not be as good of a tool as his hands or playmaking, but it wasn’t hindering him at all, quite the contrary in certain spots. He could add even more dimensions to his game as he gets stronger, too, still having lots of physical runway.

In league play, it was somewhat of a quieter month for him, as he only added three points in five games at the U18 level, in addition to logging one assist in two games with TPS' U20 squad. Still, his 14 points in 24 games at the U20 level for the season compares very favourably to other draft-minus-two talent from the past few years, and with his performances with the U18 national team over the past two events, he should be poised for a top-nine role at the upcoming U18s, too. 

Joona Saarelainen, C/LW, KalPa (Tampa Bay Lightning)

Joona Saarelainen was one of my big standouts from the Finnish team at the World Juniors a few months ago, really shining due to his ability to take pucks from the boards to the inside, in addition to generating plenty of individual offence and contributing on the defensive side of things. With KalPa battling with a significant amount of injuries, Saarelainen has been given an excellent opportunity to continue to thrive in Liiga, and so far, he’s really been making the most with it.

Having occupied the team's No. 1 centre role for the past four games, Saarelainen finished February with seven points in 10 games, which is the hottest stretch of his Liiga career so far. Averaging under 10 minutes during his first month of the season, he's now crossing the 20-minute mark regularly, playing closer to 26 minutes in total against Kärpät on February 14th.

As an NHL prospect, the lack of size will always be a huge hurdle for Saarelainen to overcome, but he’s continued to build a skill set that will serve him well as he moves up the ranks. He remains highly physically effective for his stature, and brings the kind of pace and contact skills you want to see from a potential bottom-six NHLer. At the very least, he’s on track to become a highly effective professional in the European ranks.

Aron Kiviharju, D, HIFK (Minnesota Wild)

As HIFK continues to struggle mightily as a team, Aron Kiviharju has played some of the best hockey of his Liiga career over the recent little while. He’s now surpassing the 20-minute mark more often than not in any given game, and added four points during eight appearances in February.

More interestingly, Kiviharju’s defensive underlying metrics have quietly been very good this season when adjusted for his environment, with his impact on the chances the opposition is able to create during his minutes being near the top of the league among all blueliners. His special team usage has still been somewhat sparse, but his metrics in these areas have also been notably solid.

How much have Kiviharju’s odds for making things work at the NHL level improved as a result? I’m still quite skeptical, given the combination of lack of size and footspeed, but it’s nonetheless encouraging that he’s finally starting to emerge as a legitimately impactful player at the Liiga level.

Honourable Mentions: Robin Tenhunen (2028 NHL Draft), Alexander Orban (2028 NHL Draft)

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Luca Santala, C, Kiekko-Espoo U20 (2027 NHL Draft)

As one of the few underagers on the roster, Luca Santala was Finland's top point-getter at February's U18 Five Nations, adding a point in each four games and finishing with five of them in total. He formed a very effective duo with previously mentioned Fugleberg, and played a key role as one of the bigger shooting threats on the power play.

When compared to Fugleberg, Santala might not be as flashy, but he brings a more sturdy physical presence, is very good at finding openings away from the puck, and has the finishing talent to convert his chances at a good clip. Even during games where he’s not as visible, he can still find ways to get onto the scoresheet. As such, he’ll be a highly important top-nine pivot for the Finns at the U18s, and a big performance there could solidify his status as a top prospect for the 2027 class. 

Benjamin Rautiainen, RW, Tappara (Tampa Bay Lightning)

Another edition of Finland Stock Watch, another chance to look at Benjamin Rautiainen's historical scoring run in Liiga. February started very slowly for him on his extremely high standards, as he was held pointless in three of his first games. He did end things on a strong note, though, logging two points in each of his three final games, bringing him to seven points in eight games for the month.

As such, Rautiainen is now up to 68 points in 52 games, leading the league with a six-point margin. With seven games left, he's currently on pace for 77 points if he's able to keep up his current pace, which would put him tied for the second-highest mark during the 21st century. In addition, surpassing the 73-point mark would give him the most productive season in Tappara's history. So, a lot is still at stake for Rautiainen as he enters the final stretch of the regular season.

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Vilho Vanhatalo, RW, Tappara U20 (2026 NHL Draft)

This is the second time in a row Vilho Vanhatalo is featured in this section of the Finland Stock Watch, which helps to illustrate how big of a struggle this season as a whole has been for him. Entering the season as a top prospect and a top dog with the U18 national team, he was relegated to a bottom-six role at the February's Five Nations event, not getting any opportunities on the power play and only logging a single assist in four games.

Things have only looked bleaker in league play, too, as he failed to register a single point in six games with Tappara's U20 team during February, bringing him to just two points in the last 14 games. His size, skating, flashes of physicality, and a decent-enough motor will make him a draft pick in June, but he’s been likely sliding very hard on most draft boards recently.