Axel Sandin-Pelikka – McKeen's Hockey

2025 WORLD JUNIORS: Team Latvia remains the feel-good story of the tournament

Kyle Watson — Tue, 31 Dec 2024 15:24:28 +0000

OTTAWA - It wasn't a day fans had marked on their calendar.

The prospect of watching the Germans and Latvians duke it out for a spot in the quarterfinal and Team Slovakia face lowly Kazakhstan did not entice many — neither match was well attended.

World Juniors enthusiasts who showed up or tuned in on TV were rewarded with arguably the most exciting day of action thus far.

Captain Dalibor Dvorsky scored twice and set up two more goals to give the Slovaks a 4-2 lead heading into the final frame of Monday's opening contest. In the game's dying minutes, Team Kazakhstan managed to score twice while killing a major penalty to force overtime.

Buffalo Sabres prospect Maxim Strbak played the saviour in overtime, slipping the puck through Vladimir Nikitin's five-hole on the breakaway and helping his team avoid total collapse:

SLOVAKIA HANGS ON!

Maxim Strbak scores in overtime to win 5-4 over Kazakhstan. #WorldJuniors pic.twitter.com/e9zO6ftAJd

— TSN (@TSN_Sports) December 30, 2024

The win clinched third spot in Group B for Team Slovakia, earning them a place in the quarterfinals for the third-straight tournament.

Latvia-Germany was even more hectic.

The Germans needed a win in regulation to have a chance of playing in the quarterfinals. With the game tied 2-2 with 2:51 remaining, their head coach Tobias Abstreiter decided to pull the goalie on an offensive zone draw to give his team a 6to 4 man advantage.

The move immediately backfired:

GERMANY PULLS THEIR GOALIE TO GO FOR THE WIN AND IT INSTANTLY BACKFIRES

3-2 LATIVA! #WorldJuniors pic.twitter.com/JoDUhhKK34

— TSN (@TSN_Sports) December 30, 2024

Just 20 seconds later, with Germany's net still vacant, 2025 NHL Draft prospect David Lewandowski's one-timer sailed over the shoulder of Linards Feldbergs to serve up the day's second helping of 3-on-3 sudden death.

Mateiko continues to lead the way for Latvia

Washington Capitals prospect Eriks Mateiko, who played shootout hero against Canada, showed off his lightning-quick release in overtime to give Team Latvia their third quarterfinals berth in four years:

LATVIA WINS IT IN OVERTIME

Who else but Eriks Mateiko, the OT hero! #WorldJuniors pic.twitter.com/UnukGxpWaz

— TSN (@TSN_Sports) December 30, 2024

The 6-foot-4, 201-pound forward has spearheaded the Latvian attack at the World Juniors: he possesses an impressive blend of skill and snarl that's emblematic of his team's approach.

There won't be enough ice in all of Ottawa to meet the needs of this Latvian team by the time the World Juniors are over, because of all the bruises caused by all these blocked shots

Those kids are hurting, but they wouldn't have it any other way: they're on to the quarterfinals

— Derek Neumeier (@Derek_N_NHL) December 30, 2024

When the Germans took a 2-0 lead midway through the second period, Mateiko rallied his team together by scoring under a minute later.

All goaltender Linus Viellard could do was pray it hit him:

LATVIA RESPONDS!

Eriks Mateiko responds 32 seconds after Germany's second goal to make it 2-1. WorldJuniors pic.twitter.com/RiQ2EVzceQ

— TSN (@TSN_Sports) December 30, 2024

"We found a way," said Mateiko, after the game. "That probably wasn't our best game; Germany played well."

"But it's really fun to win in this tournament, I can tell you that!" he added with a smile.

It was a milestone victory for the nation: the only time they've ever won two games in the round-robin.

"It's really big for Latvia," said Linards Feldbergs.

"We are a small country, but we can do big things like we did today and [the] game against Canada."

Dvorsky, Pecarcik star as Slovakia survives late scare

On day two, we discussed how Slovakia needed more from Dalibor Dvosrky in his fourth World Juniors appearance. Yesterday's contest was the first time in the tournament he displayed the talent that convinced the St. Louis Blues to select him 10th overall in 2023.

Dvorsky is a terrific finisher, particularly in the thick of traffic in front of the net. He scored twice down low before dropping jaws with his setup for linemate Juraj Pekarcik:

Just before time expires in the 1st period, Slovakia makes it 3-0! #WorldJuniors pic.twitter.com/GejwISETT6

— TSN (@TSN_Sports) December 30, 2024

Providing another helper for Pekarcik to make it 4-1 before the Kazakhstani comeback, Dvorsky finished with two goals and two assists.

Pekarcik, who plays for Moncton in the QMJHL, was also drafted by the Blues in 2023: 76th overall. The 19-year-old was named player of the game with an identical stat line of two goals and two assists.

This is the second tournament in which the St. Louis prospects have been deployed on a line together: their chemistry could prove pivotal for the team's success. Slovakia will take on the winner of today's matchup between Switzerland and Kazakhstan in the quarterfinals, with the loser facing Germany in the relegation round.

Parting notes

Truly one of the craziest finishes to a group in recent history:

So, for WJ's tomorrow:

-winner of wins Group A

-if that game goes to OT, will finish no lower than 2nd

-if goes to OT, will finish no lower than 2nd

-but if loses in regulation, and or wins in regulation, will finish 3rd and play the loser of …

— James Duthie (@tsnjamesduthie) December 31, 2024

16-year-old forward Olivers Murnieks (Sioux City, USHL) had his best game of the tournament. The 2026 NHL Draft prospect set up the Latvians' first two goals before scoring an empty netter. He was a plus-three with three shots on goal.
Julius Sumpf (Moncton, QMJHL) continues to set the pace for Team Germany: the 19-year-old had two assists yesterday, taking his tournament totals to one goal and four points
There is currently a four-way tie for the top scorer in the event: Hradec Vojtech (Mladá Boleslav, Czech Extraliga), Axel Sandin-Pelikka (Skellefteå, SHL), Jakub Stancl (Kelowna, WHL), and Dalibor Dvorsky (Springfield, AHL) each have seven points
Only two goaltenders have played 100% of their team's minutes in the tournament so far: Latvia's Linards Felbergs (Sherbrooke, QMJHL) and Finland's Petteri "Showtime" Rimpinen (Kiekko-Espoo, Liiga).

2025 WORLD JUNIORS: Mateiko, Feldbergs shine as Latvia shock Canada on Day Two

Kyle Watson — Sun, 29 Dec 2024 02:17:27 +0000

OTTAWA - The Canadian Tire Centre fell silent as it happened.

Not even a pin drop could be heard as Eriks Mateiko's shot sailed over Jack Ivankovic's shoulder to etch his team's name into tournament folklore and give Team Latvia their third-ever win in the preliminary round of the World Juniors.

After scoring twice in regulation and going toe-to-toe with the Canadians in overtime, an upset was very much in the cards for Team Latvia heading into the skills competition. Nonetheless, the arena was left in a collective state of belief when it happened — including the Latvians themselves.

Perhaps no one in the building was more overtly shocked than Linards Feldbergs - who made 55 saves and was named Latvia's player of the game. The netminder had about five seconds to soak it all in before being mobbed by his teammates:

The reaction of goalie Linards Feldbergs was PRICELESS. pic.twitter.com/lQmlv3bQyk

— Nathan "Grav" Murdock (@NathanGraviteh) December 28, 2024

"I'm still in shock," the 19-year-old said after the game.

"It was crazy. I [still can't believe] what we did, I think I need an hour to process this."

Feldbergs' performance will be talked about for years to come. Excluding a less-than-stellar read on Jett Luchanko's opening tally 3:28 into the second period, the Sherbrooke Pheonix goaltender defended the offensive onslaught from the Canadians with formidable poise.

Turning aside an incredible 20 shots in the second period, Feldbergs' exceptional play gave Latvia a fighting chance heading into the final frame — an accomplishment on its own.

Mateiko, the Saint John Sea Dogs captain, tied the game for Latvia with 6:42 remaining in the game after an untimely elbowing penalty from Team Canada defenceman, Andrew Gibson.

Just over a minute later, Cal Ritchie put the Canadians back in front on the man advantage. His effort was nullified by another powerplay marker: Team Latvia captain Peteris Bulanis beat Ivankovic cleanly as his defence failed to clear the traffic in front of the net.

Following seven scoreless rounds of the shootout, Mateiko had clear instructions with the game on his stick:

"The coaches said 'shoot it,' so I just went for it," said the Washington Capitals prospect.

While Feldbergs was swarmed at one end, the rest of Team Latvia rushed to join Mateiko in celebration:

LATVIA BEATS CANADA IN THE SHOOTOUT

Eriks Mateiko scores the game winner!#WorldJuniors pic.twitter.com/oIVP2ddA89

— TSN (@TSN_Sports) December 28, 2024

When asked about his feelings after the goal, Mateiko was still piecing his recollection together.

"I don’t know, to be honest. I blacked out a little bit," he said with a laugh.

"[It took me] like 10 minutes to remember where I shot it," he added. "I didn't even know where the puck went in at first.

Stories of upsets in tournaments' past are often filled with hyperbole. It's difficult to capture the magnitude of this victory and what it means to a nation of less than two million people.

The Latvian forward was at a loss for words to express his emotions after the game.

"It's amazing. I can't even describe the feeling," he said. "I still can't believe it happened."

"Someone has to pinch me now because it feels unreal," added his teammate, Bulanis.

Team Canada Head Coach Dave Cameron said post-game it was "a game you win nine out of 10 times."

More accurately (according to oddsmakers), it was a game you win 4999 times out of 5000.

What's next for Team Canada?

Canadian fans were just as speechless as the Latvian players after the game. The usual discussions about usage and players left at home ensued online. Is there merit to their protests?

A struggling powerplay without a true sharpshooter could benefit from the addition of Carson Rehkopf, who led the OHL in goals on the man advantage last season. He's been a healthy scratch thus far.

Porter Martone saw the least ice time of any Canadian skater (7:13), despite currently trailing only Andrew Cristall for the CHL lead in points per game. Does he have more to offer?

With Saturday off, Coach Cameron and his staff will have time to mull over their approach before facing Germany on Sunday.

Big names quiet on Day Two

In a game where over half of his team picked up at least a point, Team Swedish defenseman Axel Sandin-Pelikka was somehow held off the scoresheet against Kazakhstan. The Detroit Red Wings prospect is likely content considering his team's 8-1 win to put them atop Group B, but it's worth noting.

In his tournament-leading 16 games played, ASP has five goals and 11 points. He trails Peter Andersson (1982-85) for the all-time lead for WJC points by a Swedish defenceman by seven.

It's an attainable objective for the 19-year-old, but the tournament record set by Ryan Ellis (25 points in 19 games) may now be out of reach.

Tied with Sandin-Pelikka in appearances is Dalibor Dvorsky, who was lacklustre in Team Slovakia's 2-1 win over Switzerland. Much was expected of the St. Louis Blues 2023 first-round pick in his fourth World Juniors appearance, and the Slovaks will need more than just a secondary assist and two shots on goal in 23:18 of ice time if they are to meet their dark horse expectations.

Slovakia needs much more from Dalibor Dvorsky. He should be the best player on the ice at times. Instead, he’s been invisible. Not playing with pace. Often the last man back to the defensive zone. At even strength their top line is consistently getting outplayed. #WorldJuniors

— Brock Otten (@BrockOtten) December 27, 2024

The Springfield Thunderbirds centreman is enjoying an impressive rookie season in the AHL, leading the team with 10 goals and 21 points in 27 matches. He may not have the same level of talent surrounding him in this tournament, but it's weaker competition.

Parting Notes

Heading into the game, Canada had a 4-0 record all-time against Latvia, with an aggregate score of 41-4
Felbergs and 2008-born teammate Oliver Murnieks (Sioux City, USHL) won the Latvian first-division championship with HK Mogo last season. Felbergs was named Finals MVP.
Jett Luchanko is the first player born in London, Ont, to score at the tournament in nine years. The last? Fellow Philadelphia Flyer, Travis Konecny.
Jack Ivankovic (Brampton, OHL) is the fourth 17-year-old to backstop Team Canada, joining Brian Finley (1999), Jimmy Waite (1987), and Terry Wright (1980) as the only netminders to manage the feat.
Sweden scored tallied even-strength goals in the opening frame against Kazakhstan.
Buffalo Sabres prospect Anton Wahlberg led the day in scoring with four points (2G, 2A).
2025 NHL Draft-eligible forward Victor Eklund (Djurgårdens, HockeyAllsvenskan) was named Player of the Game for Sweden with a goal and an assist.
Kazakhstan scored their first goal since Denis Chapolov's empty-net marker in a 4-1 win over Germany in the 2020 relegation round.
Finland gets revenge after their 4-3 loss to the Germans last year — their first loss to Germany in their previous 26 matchups
Slovakia's goalscorers, Jan Chovan (Tappara, Fin-U20) and Luka Radivojevic (Muskegon, USHL), are both NHL Draft eligible. They are ranked 64th and 47th, respectively

NHL PROSPECTS: 22-23 European Prospect Musings #2 – Prospects coming into focus in the stretch run

Chapin Landvogt — Wed, 08 Feb 2023 16:28:41 +0000

While the NHL All-Star Game has just wrapped up and NHL teams are gearing up for whatever trade deadline transactions they may intend to conduct at the end of the month, most European leagues are in the stretch run for playoff spots, with a few leagues just a half dozen games away from “the best time of the year”. Looking across Europe and even into Russia, there are plenty of interesting prospect notes, but not a whole of stories that have NHL teams licking their chops about a young man who is guiding the fortunes of his respective league, much less his team.

We’d like to take a look at some of the more notable stories that have been developing to this point in the season.

230103 Rögles William Wallinder, 3 januari 2023 i Växjö.
Foto: Jonas Ljungdahl / BILDBYRÅN

Sweden

Coming into the season as a favorite, Rogle has certainly not had the season it was expecting and is currently mired in 11th, yet only four points away from 8th place. The team has nonetheless seen several young draftees grow into bigger, if not chief roles. It was expected that Detroit’s Marco Kasper would grow on last season, and he has, putting up eight goals and 20 points to date. A number of his assists have come on the power play, and he’s had a top nine role pretty much all season. As a third-year pro, Adam Edstrom (NYR) is in the midst of a career season, even if his 12 points to date are only minimally more than what he’s produced the past two years. His role has grown and he’s looking a lot more at home in his 6’8”, 225-pound body.

Another Rangers pick, Oliver Tarnstrom, has taken on a much smaller role, but also suited up for 32 games now while Ottawa’s 2022 3rd rounder Oskar Pettersson has found himself in a Rogle jersey for 21 games, which might have been more had he not spent several weeks playing for the WJC squad. Each has two points in the SHL this year. Buffalo’s SHL recent 7th rounder Linus Sjodin has suited up for 41 games (six points) himself, although this is his second full season in the SHL.

But the real story on the prospect front have been the defensemen William Wallinder (DET) and Adam Engstrom (MON). A recent second rounder, Wallinder was already a contributing regular last season, but his role has grown into that of the team’s go-to player on the blueline. He not only leads all defensemen with 23 points in 41 games but is third on the entire team in scoring. At the same time, Engstrom has wiggled his way into what is basically a top 4 role, contributing 10 points in 32 games along the way. That actually has him 5th overall in the SHL in junior rookie scoring. The world got to see how far he’s come when he put up three points and a +6 at the WJC for Team Sweden. His star is rising considerably on the prospect front.

As should come as no surprise, the top scorers in the league continue to be veterans, with recent Maple Leaf Antti Suomela having led the way most of the season. His 24 goals and 48 points in just 38 games were good for tops and have him producing at a clip that few players have played at in the SHL over the past decade. He is however now trailing UFA and linemate Patrik Karlkvist, who has collected 50 points in 41 contests. Recent San Jose Shark Jonathan Dahlen, who headed back to his heart and hometown team Timra to play his first ever season of SHL play, is sitting 9th in league scoring with 17 goals and 32 points. The 25-year-old had 12 goals for the Sharks just last season.

But all eyes are still on Örebro HK forward Leo Carlsson, who’s coming off a 6-point WJC performance. He’s not blowing anything out of the water with his five goals and 18 points in 34 games, but as usually happens in a top pro league, vets tend to be relied upon more down the stretch run. His name still tops the list of draft eligibles, but we think NHL teams have got to have Axel Sandin-Pelikka ranked among their top 20 prospects for next summer’s event. And we’d advise any and everyone who is stat watching to disregard his mere five points in 22 games and the quiet assist at the WJC. His coaches already trust him. He’s getting PP time and he’s getting time at the end of the game when something is on the line. His understanding of the game, ice usage, and situations is simply something you don’t see much in a player this age.

A teammate of his in Skelleftea and on the U20 club is Zeb Forsfjall. The young man with a slight build has 10 games of SHL play and is looking like a lock for the U18 Worlds this spring. He is the younger brother of 20-year-old Mans Forsfjall who is undrafted but looking like quite the overage option in this summer’s draft, often found on the first line and having put up two goals, 13 points, and a +14 thus far this season. Would be fascinating if the brothers are both selected next summer.

There’s a whole bunch more going on across the nation in the SHL, Allsvenskan, and U20 circuit with a number of draft-eligible players getting shifts in pro hockey, but we continue to be very impressed with the J20 Nationell Noah Dower Nilsson, whose 48 points in 28 games means he’s clipping at a 1.78 PPG pace, which is a league-high. It’s only been good enough to get him into one game of SHL action, but the mother club Frolunda is chock full of options and, well, Detroit prospect Liam Dower Nilsson (22 games) looks to be blocking his path to the bigs at the moment.

Boston Bruins fans will be happy to hear that Latvian pick Dans Locmelis isn’t far behind Nilsson in U20 production with 47 points in 35 games, good for 6^th in the league. Lulea would have loved to test him at the SHL level by now, but that won’t be happening as Locmelis is scheduled to begin playing for the University of Massachusetts next fall. Expect this well-schooled and very experienced young man to have an instant impact on college hockey next season.

As the draft approaches, we’ll be spending time at the site with the likes of defenseman Theo Lindstein (22 games for Brynas), Frolunda two-way forward Otto Stenberg, and Danish surprise Oscar Molgaard (31 games and six points for HV71), but we’ll wrap up our look at Sweden with overage defenseman Oskar Asplund. In the midst of his second full season of HockeyAllsvenskan play, the heady two-way 5’11” defenseman already has five goals and 27 points in 39 games. It has earned him two games of SHL play with Skelleftea and overall, he reminds us a bit of former overager Adam Wilsby, who was selected in the 4th round by Nashville in the 2020 draft. Wilsby is currently suiting up for Milwaukee of the AHL. Asplund is even in the same organization.

Joakim Kemell of Finland celebrates after scoring 2-2 during the 2022 IIHF World Junior Championship final between Canada and Finland on August 20, 2022 in Edmonton.
Photo: Joel Marklund / BILDBYRÅN /

Finland

The Finnish Liiga is well on its way to the finish line and one of the more astounding trends is that there are few players currently scoring at a PPG pace. Even the league leader Michael Joly has just 49 points in 48 games. Perhaps not surprising in light of that, but astounding nonetheless, is that Joona Ikonen (an undrafted 24-year-old) leads the league in goal-scoring behind Joly’s 21 goals with just 20 markers. Yes, in some cases, individual team scoring is simply spread across more shoulders, but the lack of individual scoring prowess is more akin to what we usually see in the SHL.

What this means is that a few current and former prospects are putting up numbers that are eyebrow-raising to say the least. Former Winnipeg Jets draft pick Sami Niku couldn’t edge out a solid NHL job despite at times outstanding AHL numbers. He was suiting up for the Montreal Canadiens just last season. At age 25, he decided he needed more job security and perhaps one very impressive season in Europe to get his name back into the minds of NHL GMs. Well, his nine goals and 37 points in 46 games for JYP is likely doing the trick while simultaneously making him the league’s top scorer among defensemen. An appearance at the men’s World Championship is all but a lock and then the question will be if Niku gets an offer that has a spot in an NHL line-up somewhat set in stone.

This past week, the Islanders moved arguably their top prospect in Aatu Raty to the Vancouver Canucks as part of the Bo Horvat trade, but his brother Aku Raty (ARI) is having himself a fine season for Ilves with 29 points and a +16 in 41 games. It’s a career best for the 21-year-old and is coming at a time where Arizona is going to want to decide on whether to sign him to an ELC. Really arriving on the scene has been Tampa Bay’s 2021 7th rounder, the 6’2”, 210-pound Niko Huuhtanen. Certainly, his 77 points in 64 games for the Everett Silvertips meant that he was already on the map for most prospect watchers, but he’s reinforced the belief that there’s a pro here with a sense for offensive generation, as his 15 goals and 27 points in 36 games go to show this season. That puts him within the top 40 in league-wide scoring, ahead of i.e., solid Maple Leafs prospect Roni Hirvonen, who himself is doing just fine with 24 points in 46 games for HIFK.

One name you’re not seeing is that of U18 and WJC star Joakim Kemell (NAS), whose 11 points and -14 rating in 32 games have him flying far below expectations. Quite the opposite is the case for Patrik Puistola (CAR), who leads all U23 players with 13 goals and 34 points in 48 games. That not only has him 12th in league scoring but means he’s the clear-cut go-to player for his Jukurit team, something that has to have the Hurricanes brass mighty excited about.

When it comes to Finland’s top junior league, there are not many NHL-drafted players currently plugging away at it, but Buffalo’s Viljami Marjala is second in league scoring with 48 points and a +29 in 31 games. He’s also put up two points in four games for Liiga club TPS and it’s felt he’ll conclude the season with the big club one way or another. You may remember that Marjala spent the past two seasons with the Quebec Remparts of the QMJHL. It was felt Nashville went a very safe route in picking all-round defenseman Kasper Kulonummi in the 3rd round last summer. His 39 points in 33 games has him second to teammate Leevi Sorvali (42 in 39 contests) league-wide in defenseman scoring. He’s seen 5 games of Liiga action for Tappara this season, which - in case you hadn’t heard - is Finland’s most hockey-crazy town.

True prospect fans will surely be wondering what 2024 top prospect Aron Kiviharju has been up to in recent weeks. Many had hoped to see him on this winter’s WJC squad, but the season has seen a more conservative approach. Having just turned 17, Kiviharju has gotten into 14 games of Liiga action (two assists and a +1 rating) while only being able to suit up for 20 U20 league games this year, in which he’s impacted play fairly considerably with a 1-16-17 and +11 statline. All fine, but not screaming superstar just now. Still, the U18 Worlds is where he’s expected to show the international scouting community just how far he’s come.

Germany

The DEL has been of special interest this year, but not so much due to any particular up-n-coming young players making noise.

No, it’s been all about a certain prospect making a major comebokk on the prospect scene. Oh yes, that play on words just couldn’t be skipped out on as former St. Louis Blues 1st rounder and current Carolina Hurricanes asset Dominik Bokk has spent all season letting the hockey world know he is not to be forgotten after, well, pretty much having gone forgotten in the Hurricanes organization. As we mentioned in the fall, he’s been playing for league newbie Frankfurt Lions after having won the championship with Berlin last season, with whom his cameo had little to do with Berlin’s fate when all was said and done. Now he’s spent most of the season leading the entire DEL in scoring, currently coming in at 24 goals and 49 points in 43 games. He’s doing it for a team that entered the year with but an outside shot at the playoffs and it has to be clear to anyone watching that he’s technically and physically a number too good for this league, one filled with former NHL and AHLers. His scoring has often been timely, and he’s constantly been able to create and make his teammates better.

If he hasn’t renewed Carolina’s interest, there must be a few teams out there wondering if this is your classic case of a late bloomer. Once the DEL year is over, he’s basically a lock for the men’s WC tournament, which will surely make him one of the more interesting viewings from an NHL standpoint. Or could he be part of a trade deadline package before that?

Unfortunately, Bokk was caught in an awkward check this weekend and will miss the remainder of the regular season with a shoulder injury.

What’s also been noteworthy this year is the goaltending position. Primarily young, German-born goaltenders have found themselves getting plenty of ice time and holding their own in the process. Yes, 26-year-old Maxi Franzreb is making the most of the season, getting more starts than any U27 goaltender and shining brightly with a 2.28 GAA and .925 save percentage. Mirko Pantkowski (24) has become a full-fledged starter himself, going 21-15 thus far for Cologne. But the kids really opening eyes are Arno Tiefensee (20), Florian Bugl (20), Tobias Ancicka (21), and - in a cameo appearance - Daniel Allavena (23), who went 4-1 over an emergency 5-game stretch for Munich. For the other three, Ancicka has 30 starts for Berlin as the go-to number 1 in goal, Bugl has gone 15-7 for Straubing since having initially filled in for the injured starter, and Tiefensee is way up there in the league with a 2.17 GAA, .919 SV%, and 10-5 record for Mannheim.

This century simply hasn’t witnessed this many German goalies successfully carrying this much responsibility in goal in Germany’s top league. And as everyone knows, NHL history is full of goaltenders signed out of Europe as free agents in their mid- to late 20s. Some of whom have ended up having successful careers, so these are names you’re going to want to have in the back of your mind moving forward. Also, if you’re wondering who the next minor league UFA signings á la Julian Napravnik and Kai Wissmann may be, two Ingolstadt Panthers have arrived on the scene this year in a big way, both quite unexpectedly. Defenseman Leon Huttl is just 22 and of average size, but his 19 points in 45 games have been accompanied by a +21 rating and he’s been effective in all three zones for a team that has experienced major injury hits to every position. Up front, Polish-born Wojciech Stakowiak has been the team’s fully unexpected all-everything contributor. Now 23, he was coming off of five- and six-point seasons, but now has 15 goals, 31 points, and a +16 in 46 games, finding himself on the ice in all key situations.

We already chronicled how a number of U21 players had started getting a shot to kick off the season and we must say, it hasn’t stopped. The number of players 21 and under who have gotten a shot in the DEL this season has been astounding, with 16-year-old defenseman Max Merkl (Nuremberg), 17-year-old defenseman Paul Mayer (Mannheim), and 18-year-olds Edmund Junemann (Düsseldorf) and Lukas Ullmann (Ingolstadt) having basically come out of nowhere to get into a handful of games. With injuries on the blueline, Ingolstadt even reacquired 18-year-old defenseman Niklas Hubner out of Finnish juniors, and he’s suited up for each of the last seven games. We commented some years ago about how particularly the SHL was able to regularly churn out players aged 16-21 who were taking fairly regular shifts. The DEL knew it had to follow suit in order for the quality of players to increase and provide the nation with more quality depth. Just that seems to be happening as we write.

Russia

The Matvei Michkov watch has been gaining momentum since he was loaned out to HK Sochi. After just three scoreless games with St. Petersburg and then an eye-popping 10 goals and 14 points in 12 games with SKA’s VHL outfit, Michkov found himself in the show on a scoring line with a Sochi team that had an offensive role to offer. The result has been five goals and nine points in 17games, with three of those points coming in the two most recent games. All things Russia continue to be taboo, but in a time where Connor Bedard is running away with the first overall pick status, the hockey world has got to be back to asking whether Michkov isn’t still the second-best option at this summer’s draft?

Like with the Finnish Liiga, players clipping at a PPG pace are hard to come by in the KHL this year. Former NHLer Dmitri Jaskin is back to his scoring ways though, leading the league with 33 goals (3^rd with 50 points) in 59 games, closely followed by German national Brooks Macek, who has 31 in 52 games. At the same time, impending 26-year-old free agent Marat Khairullin is having a career year for SKA with 25 goals and 50 points, blowing his previous high of 32 points out of the water. Will he be sought after like Andrey Kuzmenko was last offseason?

Pleasantly though, several NHL prospects are making some real noise with career years. It simply must be pointed out that Carolina’s 21-year-old defensive prospect Alexander Nikishin, who measures in at an imposing 6’4” and 216 pounds, leads ALL defensemen in scoring with 10 goals and 49 points in 57 games. It’s basically a season for the ages in a league still dominated by older veterans. The question is when and if he’s coming over and just how his game will translate. But he’s clearly the NHL asset with the most traction in Europe this season. Almost just as impressive is the work being put in by Colorado’s Nikolai Kovalenko , who checks in at 6th overall in league scoring with 19 goals and 48 points in 50 games. A chip off the old block, it’ll be interesting to see if Colorado feels Kovalenko’s work is in line with an ELC this offseason.

Two other highly touted prospects keeping things extremely fascinating are New Jersey’s Arseni Gritsyuk (21) and Minnesota’s Marat Khusnutdinov (20). Whereas Gritsyuk pretty much arrived on the scene last season with 22-16-38 in 52 contests, he’s now heading towards the playoffs with Omsk sporting 13-21-34 numbers as more of a set-up man for Reid Boucher (25 goals) and Vladimir Tkachev (20 goals). It’s Khusnitdinov who is truly arriving this season as his 11-26-37 and +12 statline for SKA marks a true step in development, far outweighing anything done the past three seasons, where he already showed some glimpses of what was to come. Hard to imagine that GM Bill Guerin won’t be looking to get him over to North America for next season.

Out of the nation’s second tier league, VHL, there are three players who have caught our eyes as being noteworthy. Up front, Detroit’s 2022 2nd rounder Dmitri Buchelnikov, who can be quite the wizard with the puck on his blade, has 14 goals, 27 points, and a +9 in just 32 games. He’s also chipped in 12 points in four MHL contests as well as two points in 10 KHL games for St. Petersburg. In short, he’s having a wildly successful DY+1 season. On the defensive side, we let you know that we’d be closely watching LA Kings’ draft pick Kirill Kirsanov and he hasn’t disappointed in a developmental capacity. After starting off on fire, his overall game has leveled out to a sound 13 points and +13 rating in 28 games, but he’s been a PPG player in five MHL games and has gotten his feet wet in nine KHL contests (one assist, -5 rating). The 6’1”, 198-pound defender is right on track in his development. The league is also playing host to a 23-draft prospect who has been gaining traction. Alexander Rykov is a mid-sized forward who has 11 points in 20 games for Chelyabinsk and has even gotten into six KHL games (no stats) for Traktor. He’s exactly the type of player we’d have loved to see at the U18 Worlds this spring.

Another young man we’d like to make mention of is 19-year-old forward Nikita Grebyonkin. After a very impressive draft year in the junior circuit MHL, collecting 77 points and a +42 in 67 total games, Grebyonkin has spent the majority of this season loaned out to Amur Khabarovsk with whom he’s put up nine goals, 23 points, and a +3 in 40 games. Already a fan favorite for the club’s faithful, Grebyonkin is generally a player who just hasn’t played in a spotlight location. What we’re seeing is an astute 5^th pick of the Toronto Maple Leafs whose slick style and 6’2”, 180-pound frame is looking very promising moving forward. That said, his skating is that of a later round draft pick.

The notes are currently minimal on both the NHL and prospect fronts in the Czech Republic, Slovakia, and Switzerland, but there are a few player situations developing there that we’ll look to highlight in the next edition. The upcoming playoffs will surely give us much to muse about as the spring rolls around.