It’s that time of the year again. Champions are being crowned in leagues around Europe. The playoffs are raging in North America. And the IIHF is organizing tournaments around the planet.
That means the NHL scouting community, as well as scouts for many national junior programs, are eager to finalize their assessments of many of the best draft-eligible players from 2018-19.
This will take place at the 2019 IIHF Ice Hockey U18 World Championship in the northern Swedish cities of Ornskoldsvik snd Umea.
Any look at current NHL rosters will tell you why this tournament is of such importance. Here are just a few of the league’s top stars who represented their country at the U18 in recent years: Connor McDavid, Nikita Kucherov, Auston Matthews, Leon Draisaitl, William Nylander, Mark Scheifele, Mat Barzal, Mika Zibanejad, Jack Eichel, and Seth Jones.
This year’s edition kicks off on Thursday with a couple of doozies. Canada will clash with reigning champ Finland, while host Sweden faces off against the perennial medal threat U.S. The players for these four nations are also expected to dominate June’s NHL Draft, with U.S. centre Jack Hughes all but certain to go first or second overall. He looks destined for the tri-state area regardless, as the New Jersey Devils and New York Rangers will draft first and second respectively.
The U.S. has won gold in three of the past five years, and seven of the past ten. It’s also medaled each year when it’s missed out on gold , including silver in last year’s championship game against Finland. The current team has spent most of the past two seasons training and playing together on an almost daily basis. They’re the favourites heading into this tournament again. But no opponent is willing to hand the Americans automatic victories, and that’ll keep it exciting for fans and scouts alike.
Here’s who you’ll want to watch closely from these 10 teams over the next 10 days.
Sweden
Sweden will be heavily scrutinized by the scouting community. The Smakronorna are loaded with top-flight talents. In fact, high-scoring 2020 draft prospect Noel Gunler, who will be too old for next year’s tournament, isn’t part of the initial team facing the Americans on Thursday.
Nonetheless, fellow 2020 draft-eligible studs Alexander Holtz and Lucas Raymond are not only on the team, but are coming off fantastic winters that could (theoretically) make them first-rounders already this June. Both saw action with their SHL clubs Djurgarden and Frolunda respectively, and Raymond even got his first two pro goals. These wunderkinds are joined up front by fellow 2020 draft-eligible Zion Nybeck who, although just 16, has already shredded Sweden’s U20 SuperElit circuit with 43 points in 35 games. Team Sweden’s 2002-born contingent at this tournament also features 16-year-old goalie Jesper Wallstedt, who already stands at 190 cm and 93 kg. He may just be the back-up this time around, but he spent most of the year in net for Lulea’s U20 program. The feeling is that Wallstedt will be seen at some point.
Yet these are far from the only exciting options for coach Magnus Havelid. Raymond and Holtz may very well be centred by all-rounder Karl Henriksson, a playmaker who excels in all three zones. Undoubtedly, much offensive responsibility will be placed on the shoulders of Albin Grewe, a player who can do it all up front, especially with his nifty passes, and played 15 SHL games this year. He just needs to ensure that he won’t end up in the sin bin too much, as he can flash a temper and has been known to use his stick on more than just the puck. He is the lone returnee from last spring’s tournament, and should play a starring role.
The team expects to get more offensive support from other draft hopefuls who had strong U20 seasons: Max Wahlgren, Arvid Costmar, Albin Sundsvik, Oscar Lawner, and most importantly Simon Holmstrom. The latter is healthy after several injuries this season and is among the top forwards coming out of Sweden for this draft. All of these players played key roles for their junior programs and several had quick stints in the SHL. Both the coaches and scouts hope that Oscar Bjerselius will show off his nifty passing, as he’ll likely not be shooting much.
That said, the true strength of the team lies in the blueline corps. Both Victor Soderstrom (SHL) and Philip Broberg (Allsvenskan) spent just about the entire season playing pro. The hulking Broberg even saw action in four WJC contests Both players are expected to go in the top 20 in the upcoming NHL draft. Also, Tobias Bjornfot and Albert Johansson both got a look in the SHL while playing dominant junior seasons. They too are expected to be among the first 45 players taken in the draft. These four players will eat up gobs of ice time for the Swedes, especially on specialty units.
A decisive factor for the host nation’s medal hopes will, as always, be goaltending. Fortunately for the Swedes, Hugo Alnefelt can deliver the goods. Viewed as one of Europe’s top three goaltending prospects for the 2019 draft, the towering Alnefelt has been part of Sweden’s selects for the past two winters and should be the go-to man in goal. If his junior play in Sweden is any indication, he could be able to win several games on his own.
Canada
Canada’s once again bringing a team that’ll have scouts licking their chops, even though the motherland of hockey hasn’t won gold since 2013. Almost the whole team, as usual, consists of major junior players whose teams either missed the playoffs or got knocked out in the first round. This roster looks like it will consist entirely of CHL player, except for future Boston College centre Alex Newhook and University of Wisconsin commit Dylan Holloway.
Newhook looks like he’ll play a big role on the top two lines at this tournament . He entered the 2018-19 season as a potential top-5 draft pick this summer. His stock has dropped, however, and the captain of the BCHL’s Victoria Grizzlies hasn’t necessarily faced competition as stiff as that of most of his Canadian teammates. So Newhook will be under the microscope.
Head coach Brett Gibson (Queen’s University) will make his U18 debut with some highly touted forwards. Leading the attack will be centre Dylan Cozens and left wing Peyton Krebs. These WHLers were key offensive threats in 2018-19 and both are expected to be top 10 picks in June. They could form a dangerous first line duo.
Other forwards could go in the first three rounds, like Jakob Pelletier, Ryan Suzuki, Brayden Tracey, and Nathan Legare. They’re expected to bring an all-around game. Each of these players was a key offensive contributor for his junior team (Suzuki’s 75 points were the fewest among the quartet) and combine goal-scoring prowess with play-making acumen. Also, Connor Zary tore up the WHL with 67 points in 63 games. In Umea, Zary will likely be this squad’s third line centre.
This year’s Team Canada has a very well-rounded blueline with size, including the towering Thomas Harley, Kaedan Korczak, and Michael Vukojevic. All three should bring a strong transition game and Harley, who had 58 OHL points this season, should see a good bit of power play time on the point. Smaller, mobile playmaker Jordan Spence and underager Braydon Hunt will be asked to make sure they bear down in their own zone. Fellow 2020-eligible prospects Jamie Drysdale has cracked the roste after putting up 40 points. No doubt Team Canada will look to shore up this department as the next round of CHL playoffs makes more players available, perhaps even the nation’s dream candidate Bowen Byram, who is expected to be a top 5 pick this summer.
The big question for the Canadians will be, as in most years, who takes the reins in net. None of Taylor Gauthier nor Jonathan Lemieux had earth-shattering seasons for their club team, although Lemieux had the strongest stats, a winning record, and is coming off a tough, but highly competitive, 7-game series loss in the QMJHL. Gauthier played for a losing program this season and is thought to be one of the top 10 North American goalies available for this summer’s draft. This position has nonetheless been a bit of an Achilles heel in past tournaments and Gibson’s staff will have to put in extra hours to make sure the goaltending is strong enough for medal competition.
Finland
Alas, super-prospect Kaapo Kakko won’t be back after potting 10 points in last spring’s U18 championship. But thankfully for Finland, the returning champs won’t need to rely on Kakko’s heroics.
The Nordic nation will feature a team with several highly touted prospects who played in Liiga this year. The squad’s first defensive pairing of Ville Heinola and Mikko Kokkonen may see upwards of 25 minutes of ice time per game. The two defencemen spent the whole year plying their trade with the big boys. Heinola, a likely first-round, took a regular shift for the gold-medal winning Finns at the 2019 WJC, where he gathered two points. Kokkonen’s 56 games and 19 points in Finland’s senior circuit make him one of the most experienced defencemen at this U18.
They’ll lead a blueline that will rely on junior leaguers Santeri Hatakka, Iivari Rasanen, and Antti Tuomisto, the latter two having put up nice offensive statistics. Smaller Samu Koskenkorva is a strong skater and gained lots of experience at the U20 level this winter. Kalle Loponen spent 30 games in Finland’s second highest professional circuit, where he collected 12 points.
Forward Antti Saarela, whose brother plays in the Carolina Hurricanes organization, spent a large chunk of the season suiting up for Lukko and will need to play a key role for the Finns here as well. Mikko Petman also saw Liiga action this winter. In general, the Finns are going to need draft-eligible forwards Patrik Puistola, Leevi Aaltonen, and smaller playmaker Tuukka Tieksola to make healthy contributions in all three zones. The same can be said for the Raty brothers, Aku and Aatu, who will likely play together, as they did for Karpat’s junior squad this winter. Aku had gaudy junior numbers, but interestingly, despite strong statistics this past winter himself, Aatu is first eligible for the 2021 draft, making him one of the youngest players at this tournament.
Scouts will be anxious to see what role Anton Lundell plays. Coming off of 19 points in 38 Liiga games as a 16/17-year old, Lundell is already 185 cm tall and is first eligible for the 2020 draft. He can clearly take on top 6 minutes in this tournament. Other underage forwards you should expect to see taking a regular shift are Kasper Simontaival and Veeti Miettinen, the latter of which tore apart Finland’s Jr. A circuit with 61 points in 48 games.
Goaltending duties should be placed promptly in the hands of HIFK’s Roope Taponen. Considered one of the top five goaltending prospects in Europe, he’ll be the go-to guy right from the beginning. Despite rather average stats this winter, he’s played well in test games and has been in the program several years.
Russia
Coach Vladimir Filatov is looking to erase the bitter memory of Russia being knocked out of the 2018 U18 WC on home ice in the quarterfinals. In light of the players who are not at his disposal, several of whom are still busy with playoffs in North America, it looks like his task won’t be easy. This means that Filatov will place a lot of Russia’s hopes on the shoulders of super prospect Vasili Podkolzin, a fiery winger poised to go top-5 in this draft. A warrior all over the ice, the team’s clear leader has spent this season with the SKA St. Petersburg program, even having got in three games of KHL play. Furthermore, het urned heads at the WJC with three points and a +1 rating. If you haven’t seen this young man in action, you’ll want to tune in any time Team Russia plays.
He’ll likely be on a line with Ilya Nikolayev and Rodion Amirov, both of whom are extremely talented offensive producers. Many feel Nikolayev is one of the top 5 European based forwards in this summer’s draft. Amirov on the other hand is a 2020-draft-eligible player the Russian Federation is high ob. He’ll be looking to boost his stock with this tournament. Those three will get support in the attack from Yegor Chinkhov, Yegor Spiridonov, and Arseni Gritsyuk. They’re all MHL players, but Spiridonov is a likely draft pick in June and put up some solid numbers this winter. His partners will be looked to primarily for their creativity.
Also, Daniil Gushin is a 2020 draft-eligible winger who spent this season with Muskegon of the USHL. You might see him on a line with Yaroslav Likhachyov, who spent this winter in the QMJHL. High-scoring MHL winger Dmitri Sheshin should contend for an offensive role on this team.
What happens in the team’s own zone may be where the biggest challenge lies. The netminding duties will likely be placed in the hands of 2020 draft prospect Yaroslav Askarov. Already highly touted for that draft, he may solidify himself as Europe’s top goaltending prospect. The blueline is looking like it’s going to be one of the tournament’s smaller outfits. Nikolay Burenov, Ivan Rogov, and most importantly Semyon Chistyakov will probably lead the way, and it’s hard to gauge whether they can stand up to the other medal contenders. They should get some help from good-sized Nikita Sedov, who spent this past season in the WHL, where his most noticeable stat was his -29 rating.
If Team Russia manages to wipe away the recent past, it will be on the strength of players playing primarily in Russia and entering the tournament with, in most cases, little fanfare. Then again, this tournament could be just the type of stage these guys need to finally get discovered by the outside hockey world.
USA
Imagine, if you will, that a team could enter the U18 World Championships with the number one goalie prospect for the upcoming NHL draft. That would have to give them a huge advantage, right? Imagine even further, that he’d enter tournament with six teammates who are each expected to go in the first round, with one of them considered the favourite to be the #1 overall pick. Now go even further and imagine that your team is also bringing a youngster who could be the top overall pick in the 2021 NHL Draft as well. You’d have to think that things are pretty much getting downright unfair for the competition.
Well, all these things are part of the equation for Team USA.
Spencer Knight is THE goaltending name you’ll need to note in this tournament and beyond. It won’t be hard, as he could play every single game. Knight has all the prerequisites for a future NHL starter. He’s a veteran of last spring’s tournament, in which he suited up for five games, putting up a modest 2.45 goals against average and .908 save percentage.
He’ll have a fine group of defencemen in front of him, none more noticeable than U18 returnee Cam York, a California native considered one of the top 5 blueliners available this year. The lefty shooter can do it all. Gigantic Alex Vlasic and slick Marshall Warren will back him up as minute munchers, both capable of playing solid if not spectacular hockey in all three zones. Whereas depth defencemen Case McCarthy and Drew Helleson did a lot of good things this winter, particularly Dominick Fensore (who is just a little tyke) and Henry Thrun have made considerable contributions to the attack. Other than York, who is basically scheduled to take Quinn Hughes’ spot at the University of Michigan, all the defencemen will be heading to Boston-area colleges this fall .
That said, it’s the forwards that the scouting community is really hyped about. Centre Jack Hughes is the star attraction and already put up 12 points last spring in Russia. A veteran of this winter’s WJC, he could have a shot at breaking Nikita Kucherov’s record of 21 points at a U18. He’ll have plenty of help!
Likely first round draft picks include all-round playmaker Trevor Zegras, miniature sniper supreme Cole Caufield, goal-scoring power forward Matthew Boldy, and two-way centre John Beecher. For a number of countries at this tournament, any one of these guys would be their top player. The same could be said about star forward Alex Turcotte, who’ll look to build on his 5-point performance at last spring’s tournament after coming off an injury.
Nevertheless, there’s plenty of depth after this group of studs, starting with left winger Max Gildon, who can play the game any way you want it. Support roles will be supplied by Sean Farrell, Owen Lindmark, big-bodied Judd Caulfield, and all-purpose centre Patrick Moynihan, all of whom could hear their names called at the draft before the sixth round.
Then things get exciting up front, as 2021 prospect Matthew Beniers is looking to arrive on the scene much like an Auston Matthews once did. Despite being just 16, the good-sized centre already managed 49 points in 46 games with the U18 program this past winter and his performance could be the cherry on top for all true hockey enthusiasts.
It’s the same procedure as every year for Team USA, and anything less than gold would be considered a disappointment.
Czech Republic
If the Czech Republic makes some noise at this tournament, then goaltender Jan Skorpik will have likely played a big role in that. Thought to be a likely mid-round draft pick this summer, he’s yet another in what is becoming a long line of solid Czech goaltending prospects. He had a strong season in the Czech Republic’s U19 circuit and will have to steal a game or two if the Czechs are going to have any hopes of contending.
Help in the D-zone will come primarily from WHL defenseman Simon Kubicek and Finnish junior Hugo Has, long considered the likely blueline gem of the draft for the Czech Republic, even if his season didn’t wow scouts as they had hoped. Very tall and lanky, Has will see time in most all-important situations and is a returned to the team after last spring’s U18 performance (two assists). The rest of the blueline crew consists of players who spent this season in the Czech U19 league, with several getting cups of coffee at the pro level. The 192 cm large Jakub Zurek actually suited up for 37 games in the Czech Republic’s second men’s league, officially a pro circuit.
Up front, the key returnee from last year’s tournament is the very tall Michal Teply, who saw action in 38 pro games this season split between the two top men’s leagues. Adam Najman and Jonas Peterek also got a good chunk of time playing pro hockey this winter and may line up with Teply. Najman has been talked about for some time now and he’ll likely hear his name called out somewhere in this summer’s draft. The smaller-framed Adam Raska and Jakub Rychlovsky have also played some pro.
Yet the team gets its biggest boost from five players playing abroad. Marcel Barinka and Filip Prikryl have spent this season in the QMJHL. Martin Lang and Matej Toman suited up for teams in the WHL. Radek Muzik played a very healthy role for Lulea’s U20 and U18 programs. All five will add a good bit of experience abroad and a boatload of skill to a forward group that could very well surprise.
However, if you ask anyone in the Czech scene who the most exciting U20 Czech player is, you’re going to hear the name Jan Mysak. Just 16 and eligible for the 2020 draft, Mysak spent most of the season with Litvinov in the Czech Extraliga. There, he put up eight goals and 16 points in 37 games. When he suited up with the program’s U19 team, he simply toyed with the league, collecting 29 points in 13 games. Impressive for anyone, but we’re talking about a 16-year old here. Wherever he ends up playing next season, he is THE player on this team who the scouts will be observing the closest. There’s much indicating that Mysak will become a household name.
Slovakia
Much like their Czech neighbours, any success the Slovaks enjoy in this tournament may have to come as a result of goaltending. Slovakia will bring along two giants to guard their net. Fortunately for the Slovaks, one of them is Samuel Hlavaj, who spent the season in the USHL and is considered one of the top 5 goaltending prospects in North America. His numbers don’t really indicate that, but he was already good enough to man the nation’s net for four games at the WJC.
Hlavaj is clearly in need of experience and further development, but he has great tools and a promising future. He should be one of the top goaltenders in this tournament and the key to any success Slovakia experiences. In the 188-cm tall Patrik Kozel, Slovakia has a back-up who spent this winter in Finland, playing in the country’s U18 league. He is at least familiar with Nordic ice hockey. The country’s third stringer will be 16-year old Simon Latkoczy, who had a fine season with powerhouse Trencin’s junior program. He’s here for the ride, but is felt to be a real up and comer for the nation.
Typical for Slovakia, the team will have a real hulk on the blueline in Oliver Turan, a 195-cm, 99-kg righty shot who plays in the QMJHL. He’ll clearly be the most visible component on the blueline. At the other end of the spectrum is Samuel Knazko, a 16-year old offensive defenseman who is first eligible to be drafted in 2020. He’s been playing in TPS’s junior program in Finland. These two will be watched like hawks by the scouting community and will need to make an impact.
David Mudrak and Michal Beno also spent their winters in junior programs in Finland while Matej Ilencik (a returnee from last year) suited up for Sodertalje’s program in Sweden. None of the three made the impact tiny Matus Hlavac did for Olomouc in the Czech Republic. Hlavac was a key contributor for the program’s U19 team and even collected two points in five games for the pro team in the Extraliga. These players will be looked to for their international experience and overall defensive prowess. Topping things off, tall lefty Andrej Golian is a known commodity to the scouting community and spent most of the season playing against pro men. He played at the WJC this winter and that experience should help him leave his mark.
With the forwards, the trend of playing outside Slovakia continues. Tall Juraj Elias (Czech Republic), Simon Jellus, Michal Mrazik (both Sweden), Jan Lasak, Lukas Skvarek, Artur Turansky (all USA), and top forward Maxim Cajkovic (QMJHL) are all coming into this tournament after plying their trade elsewhere this winter. They’ll be keys to the team’s attack and should be able to make life hard for similar opponents. Cajkovic was already a key forward at last year’s tournament with 11 points in just five games. He put up 46 this season for the Saint John Sea Dogs and although his draft stock has dropped, he’s all but given to be drafted this summer.
The aforementioned Lasak is first eligible for the 2020 draft and could get a college scholarship, but he’s not the team’s only 16-year-old forward. He’ll be joined in that category by Martin Chromiak who had a huge season in the country’s U20 league, even seeing time with Trencin in the top league. Large winger Adrian Valigura also had solid U20 season and saw action in the top circuit for Poprad. The same can be said for gigantic Dominik Sojka, who measures in at 197 cm and 100 kg. These two giants are joined by Jozef Hascak, Samuel Krajc, and Alex Kupka as players who’ll form the backbone of the attack.
Much like their Czech neighbours, this Slovak squad will not be an easy opponent and could end up being a thorn in the side of any team.
Switzerland
When it comes to Team Switzerland this spring, it’s really up to the team to use the tournament to create an identity. Indeed, there’s no Timo Meier or Niko Hischier this year, but there are three impressive 2020 draft-eligible players who will be looking to get a head start on next season’s draft craziness. With this in mind, expect to see defensemen Noah Delemont and Simon Knak getting top nine minutes and perhaps even some special teams play along the way. Both are coming off of strong seasons. Meanwhile another defenceman may be missing. Theo Rochette, who had 43 points for Chicoutimi of the QMJHL in Canada, left Switzerland last year and is considering representing Canada instead of Switzerland in the future once he has played enough in Canada to become eligible.
With respect to this year’s draft, Yves Stoffel is the one player on this team who has made his way into scouts’ notebooks. We’d probably be saying the same about offensively capable Mika Burkhalter, if he weren’t 179 cm and 68 kg. His Bern-based U20 teammates Noah Fuss, Ronny Dahler and Guillaume Duffey will likely form a line with him in some capacity at this tournament. All four had strong seasons for Bern in Switzerland’s U20 league. Pro experience in the NLB is actually being contributed by Dean Schwenninger, who put up seven points in 30 pro games. Impressive, but he’s even smaller than teammate Burkhalter, coming in at 173 cm and 67 kg.
All in all, the Swiss side features many players from the country’s U20 league. It’s hard to say who will carry the load in net or if the defensive corps can match up with their international opponents. The proof will be in the pudding for this team over the next 10 days. An appearance in the relegation round certainly isn’t out of the question.
Belarus
Belarus has found a way to remain in this group for two years running. After knocking off Latvia in 2017, the former Soviet republic proceeded to watch France get relegated last spring. In the 2018 playoffs, the Belarusians promptly lost to eventual gold medal winner Finland. They’re once again entering this tournament as underdogs and may eventually have to face Latvia to decide who remains in the elite group.
Nonetheless, Team Belarus should enter the tournament with a bit of confidence, after having barely lost to Canada 6-5 in overtime in exhibition play. Of course, the team blew a 5-3 lead, but the lessons learned could prove valuable. Belarus also has a very interesting dynamic : it could feature up to 7 players who have spent this season in North America. The most important of these players is sure-fire draft pick Vladislav Kolyachonok. An OHL-trained defenseman, the well-built lefty shooter took huge steps this season and brings a solid all-round game to the rink. He’ll be joined on the blueline by Danila Palivko, who had a +16 in the WHL this year. The two will be expected to spend a lot of time on the ice, especially against the toughest opponents.
The bulk of the forward corps and the goaltending trio, which features two underagers, will be made up by players who spent this past season playing in Belarus. Nonetheless, WHL rookie Yegor Buyalsky will join University of Connecticut commits Ilya Usov and Ignat Belov on the attack, possibly even on the same line, and will need to bring that experience from playing abroad to the table.
Latvia
The newcomer – hardly unfamiliar at this level – is Team Latvia. The Baltic nation will be represented by a group of players who, with the exception of defenseman Nauris Sejejs, play entirely in Latvia. Sejejs plays his junior hockey with Geneva in Switzerland and is draft-eligible this June. The key to this team’s chances at maintaining the class – and that’s clearly what they’re playing for here – will be 192 cm tall goaltender Arturs Silovs. The team’s goaltending hopes will almost entirely rest on the shoulders of this MHL-experienced netminder.
The 190 cm tall Rudolfs Polcs, a lefty shot with an imposing frame, will need to be one of the leaders up front, but it’s up in the air as to how much help he’ll get from the team’s other 18-year olds such as little tykes Aleksandrs Biskins and Rihards Ligis, or pro-experienced defenseman Patriks Ozols, all of whom will be counted on to form the team’s backbone. They’ll likely get offensive support from Kristaps Skrastins and Janis Svanenbergs, both of whom had strong offensive output this winter.
Most interesting for scouts though will surely be the play of several underagers. Defenseman Harijs Brants and forward Raivis Kristians Ansons are seen as promising possibilities for the 2020 NHL draft and the feeling is that they may each choose a path that takes them to North America next season. After this tournament, you may have to say the same about 16-year old defenseman Karlis Krustins, who already spent this season playing with seniors.