Team Finland Picks First Three Players

Team Finland has picked its three first players for the 2022 Winter Olympics. Sebastian Aho, Aleksander Barkov and Mikko Rantanen will be taking the trip to Beijing in February. It's impossible to argue against these three stars.

Ahead of @Beijing2022 the IIHF together with the @NHL @NHLPA have requested all participating teams to provide a list of three provisional NHL players to be included in the men’s @Olympics national team roster. First up: Team Finland @leijonat! Story: https://t.co/ZUknuqtwVb pic.twitter.com/JdYwVlxvXH
— IIHF (@IIHFHockey) October 7, 2021

In 56 games this past season with the Carolina Hurricanes, Aho scored 24 goals and recorded 57 points. Over his entire five-year career with the team, he has 145 goals, 175 assists and 320 points in 366 games. He's blossomed into a legitimate star and with him being just 24 years old, he still has more room for growth, too.

Barkov would be a prime candidate to be Finland's captain, as he currently holds that role with the Florida Panthers. He is among the NHL's best players, so it's a fair statement to make. In 50 games last season, he had 26 goals and recorded 58 points. His outstanding defensive work also allowed him to win the Selke Trophy, too.

Rantanen is a dominant point-producer as well. In 52 games last season with the Colorado Avalanche, he scored 30 goals and had 66 points. His game has grown significantly playing with Nathan MacKinnon and Gabriel Landeskog.

Nonetheless, these three forwards make Finland look scary good already. It'll be fun to see the team's final roster.