4. Erik Haula plays a defensive role against the best of the best
Erik Haula feels like the odd-man out from the Devils players in this tournament. Where does he rank on the Devils as far as the most important players? He’d be fighting to be in the top 10, and he probably doesn’t make it. Yet, he’s in the “best-on-best” tournament. This is why we need more countries, as Switzerland would be an enjoyable addition (although both Nico Hischier and Jonas Siegenthaler are injured right now).
However, Haula is going to have a particular role with Team Finland. He will be responsible for stopping the other team. Whether that’s on the penalty kill or on the fourth line, Haula will need to play a defensive game.
The Devils have asked Haula to play a similar role with the Devils, but he’s been a black hole offensively. In a tournament where we expect the offense to be non-stop, maybe Haula can learn how to once again score while playing this defensive role.
It’s going to be a fantastic tournament, at least we hope. The Devils are going to be well-represented at the tournament, but it’s even more important that there are lessons learned from the time they spend.