Bruins Well Represented in IIHF World Championship Semifinal – Hockey Writers –

When the semifinals of the IIHF World Championship between Canada and Finland, fans of the Boston Bruins will see a familiar face. Fraser Minten will compete against Canada and Henri Jokiharju and Joonas Korpisalo will represent Finland.

For anyone following the tournament, Canada’s quarterfinal game against the United States also featured current Bruins players James Hagens, Alex Steeves and Mason Lohrei. In this game, Minten won 66% of his contests in 13:02 of ice time, recording two shots and two blocked shots while swinging on the team’s fourth line between Porter Martone and Connor Brown. Minten has scored one goal and four points in eight games in this tournament so far.

In Finland’s game against Czechia, Jokiharju led all Finnish defensemen with 19:22 of ice time and had more points than any defenseman on Finland’s roster with eight points, including two goals, in eight games. Korpisalo has made himself a backup in Finland, but he can still choose the team if they need him.

Bruins Benefit From Championship Show

While it serves as a way for Bruins fans to get their hockey fix, the World Series may benefit the Bruins themselves. Many NHL teams, including the Bruins, are already putting together plans for the offseason and evaluating both their short-term and long-term vision. For the Bruins, this game and the tournament as a whole can serve as an additional test for Minten, as well as a showcase for players who may want to move this offseason, especially in Korpisalo and Jokiharju.

It will be difficult to show Korpisalo as a backup, but Jokiharju’s performance may be enough to interest another team this offseason. It may seem odd for the Bruins to want to move Jokiharju in one season to a three-year, $9 million contract extension, but the extra cap space could be useful for a team looking to overhaul its defense.

Jokiharju is a talented player, but the Bruins’ decision to consistently use four left-shot defensemen while often leaving him out of the lineup, even when he’s healthy, may be indicative of how the organization views him right now. If he’s not going to be a regular part of the team’s backfield plans, moving him for a price and getting another option would make sense this offseason. At the same time, they could decide to give him another chance this offseason, but getting some value back on him might not be the worst idea in the world.

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Minten Still Plays Meaningful Games

As for Minten, this is a great way for the Bruins to see how one of their promising young players does under pressure, especially in such an important game. Any kind of playing experience is important, and Minten not only got that in the NHL this season but also playing in the same position in a finish-style competition.

The Bruins are high on Minten and rightfully so. The 21-year-old entered this season and quickly left his mark with 17 goals and 35 points in 82 games as a rookie. The season didn’t look too big for him and is a big factor in why he didn’t leave the lineup during the regular season and postseason.

It’s clear that the Bruins have something for Minten, but this tournament served as another way for the Bruins to see the extent of his skills. Even playing on Canada’s fourth line, Minten makes a difference. While he shouldn’t play the same role in the NHL, it’s encouraging to see that he can make the most of any situation and play up and down the roster.

For those interested in watching this game and seeing familiar Bruins faces in action, the game takes place on Saturday at 2:00 PM Eastern.