Samuel Urban – McKeen's Hockey

2025 WORLD JUNIORS: Team Preview – Team Slovakia

Matej Deraj — Tue, 24 Dec 2024 14:00:54 +0000

Slovakia had a strong team last year, featuring eleven drafted players, including three first-rounders: Dalibor Dvorský, Samuel Honzek, and Filip Mešár. Despite their potential, their medal ambitions fell short after a quarterfinal overtime loss to Finland. This year, Ivan Feneš’ squad is aiming for redemption, but advancing past the quarterfinals could be a serious challenge.

Slovakia’s top player is undoubtedly the returning Dalibor Dvorský. The Blues prospect (#10 in the 2023 NHL Draft) is having an excellent season with the Springfield Thunderbirds in the AHL, where he is one of the team’s best players. His first NHL call-up seems imminent, but first, he will take part in his fifth (!) World Juniors, counting the cancelled 2022 tournament that was rescheduled and played again later in the summer.

The 2005 Slovak birth year group lacks the star power of the previous year but still boasts valuable experience, with key returnees like Dvorský, defenseman Maxim Štrbák or forward Juraj Pekarčík. Younger draft-eligible players, such as forwards Tomáš Pobežal and Ján Chovan, or a puck-moving defenceman Luka Radivojevič, who already made his WJC debut last year, add fresh talent and energy to the roster.

Slovakia will compete in a group with Sweden, Czechia, Switzerland, and Kazakhstan. A top-two finish in the group would definitely improve their chances of reaching the semifinals. While Slovakia hasn’t advanced to the final four at the U20 level since winning bronze in 2015, they’ve had recent success at the U18 level, finishing 4th in both 2023 and 2024. Many players from those U18 squads are on the current roster, bringing valuable experience to the World Juniors stage.

Ultimately, Slovakia’s medal hopes rest heavily on Dvorský’s performance. If he delivers a standout tournament and receives strong secondary scoring support from the rest of the forwards, as well as reliable goaltending, Slovakia could make a surprising run to the final four. The team’s depth, talent, and defensive structure are strengths, but a true No. 1 goalie will be crucial. The round-robin game against Czechia could be a good test of which team is better positioned to contend for a medal.

Key Players

Dalibor Dvorský, C

Dvorský is one of the best players of the whole tournament and he should be the undisputed leader of the Slovak team. He's having a great season in the AHL and Slovakia will definitely benefit from having him on the roster. Dvorský is a talented shooter who can really rip the puck, he has great offensive skills and plays a decent two-way game as a centre. He's playing at his 5^th World Juniors (including the cancelled 2022 tournament), but it hasn't always been sure if the Blues let him go. Thankfully for Slovakia, he will appear in Ottawa to help his team have a successful tournament.

Maxim Štrbák, D

Štrbák is also going to play at his 5^th U20 tournament, which has never happened before. The Sabres prospect was already a true #1 defenceman for Slovakia last year due to Šimon Nemec´s absence and is looking forward to reprising that role this year. Štrbák is a two-way defenceman with a solid frame and compete level who defends well. He does have some offence to his game, which is evident when playing for Team Slovakia, but he's not a typical powerplay quarterback and will likely give up that position to Luka Radivojevič. Štrbák should, however, play the most minutes on the team.

Juraj Pekarčík, LW/RW

Pekarčík is a 3^rd round pick from the 2023 draft, he was selected by the same team as Dvorský (the Blues). He's the expected linemate of the Slovak star as they played together at the U18 World Championship and did extremely well. Pekarčík is a great playmaker, he´s mobile and has a decent size. He works hard and goes to the net. His play makes him a great complementary winger. He should be able to help with scoring points and playing a lot of minutes.

Luka Radivojevič, D

Radivojevič stunned the world at the last U20 tournament, where he dressed for Slovakia as a 16-year-old and didn't look out of pace at all. He even scored his first goal and got some looks on the powerplay. A year later, Radivojevič should be the PP1 quarterback and get the offensive zone starts. He is a smaller defenceman with great mobility and offensive creativity, he uses his stick well and likes to play with the puck on his stick. Radivojevič had previously been hyped to be selected in the teens of the upcoming draft, which might not be the case anymore, due to his early season struggles. However, should he play a great tournament, his stock would likely go up.

Tomáš Pobežal, C/W

Pobežal is an exciting young forward, he missed last year´s tournament due to injury, but he's ready for his first World Juniors appearance now. Pobežal is having a great draft year in Slovak top-tier league, scoring twelve goals in twenty-six games. The scoring pace is unusual for a first-year draft-eligible player in a challenging pro league; only Marián Hossa and Marián Gáborík managed to score more goals in their DY. Pobežal is a versatile forward with a high compete level who's always trying to be engaged, either in creating chances and getting to dangerous spots in offence, or finishing checks and taunting opponents to get under their skin. An exciting player to watch.

Samuel Urban, G

The athletic goalie went undrafted for two years, not even a great performance at the U18 World Championship could help him to get selected. Urban played a huge role in Slovakia´s success at that tournament and now he'll need to be on top of his game again to help his team achieve a successful result. Urban is the projected starter; he's played a ton of games in the USHL and has always been a reliable option for this Slovak group at the international level. He´s a bit smaller (6´1”), but an extremely athletic goalie who has the tools to bring a great performance.

Adam Cedzo, RW

Cedzo was the third guy on the elite Slovak line which helped the team tremendously to reach the semifinals at the 2023 U18 World Championship. He is a skilled forward with silky hands but a strong wrister, making him a huge powerplay threat to give Slovakia another option other than just passing to Dvorský all the time. Cedzo has played in a second-tier Czech league for the past two years. He’s a smaller forward, but competes hard and helps his team to win.

Jakub Chromiak, D

Chromiak had struggled for the past two years in the OHL, but he's been having a much better season this year with the Kitchener Rangers. He is a two-way defenceman who has always shown his offensive abilities but wasn't able to progress as much as expected. He should be an important defenceman for Slovakia, if they are able to fit him on a power play, it should be even better. Chromiak has a decent shot and other offensive qualities, such as vision and passing.

Samuel Barcík, D

Barcík has been a pleasant surprise in the Slovak top-tier league, playing well on one of the best teams in the league and even running a powerplay at some point. He's more of a defensive defenceman; he's strong, uses his body well and throws hits. He does have a booming shot and some offence to his game as well. Barcík has been a member of the Slovak junior teams in the past, but he's going to play at his first World Juniors.

Daniel Jenčko, LW/C

Jenčko has been playing well in the NCAA at UMass, scoring seven points in nine games as a freshman in college. He spent two years in Sweden prior to moving to the US, first to the USHL and now he's in the NCAA. He´s a speedy forward with a decent playmaking game and vision. Jenčko has some two-way qualities to his game as well, although he's been playing more at the wing. He should be able to provide some secondary scoring.

Sleeper Player

Ján Chovan, RW/C

Chovan is an intriguing player for the 2025 NHL Draft. He´s big, strong and extremely well-rounded – able to play centre and wing, on the power play and penalty kill, boasting decent two-way skills. There are not many exciting draft eligibles playing in Finland this year, but Chovan is definitely among them. He's one of the youngest players on the Slovak squad and the draft eligibles tend to have a longer adjusting period, especially to the pace, at their first World Juniors. However, this is a great opportunity for Chovan to show his game at a bigger stage and display his skill.

MCKEEN’S 2023 NHL DRAFT – FINAL RANKINGS – TOP 224 Plus Honourable Mentions

McKeen's Scouting Team - Director of Scouting, Brock Otten — Sun, 28 May 2023 16:20:45 +0000

It’s that time! The McKeen’s scouting staff has finalized our final rankings for the 2023 NHL Draft ahead of the release of our draft guide in a few weeks. As per usual, our list runs 224 players deep to match the number of selections in the draft, but we have included over 300 players when you include our Honorable Mentions.

Much to the surprise of no one, Connor Bedard remains our top ranked player, as he has been all season long. In fact, our top three remains unchanged from our midseason rankings with Adam Fantilli and Leo Carlsson holding down the second and third spots, respectively. There has been one change in our top five with Will Smith leapfrogging Matvei Michkov into the fourth position following his dominant second half and U18’s.

Russian defender Dmitry Simashev remains our top ranked blueliner but has now moved into the top ten. His combination of size, mobility, physicality, and improving offensive skill set is going to be alluring to NHL teams and we feel that his upside is the highest in a weaker crop for defenders.

A trio of Swedish players are among our biggest risers from our midseason list, with Tom Willander, Anton Wahlberg, and David Edstrom all jumping up into the first round. All three were excellent in the second half of the season, which culminated with strong performances at the U18’s. Willander, in particular, has a huge fan in our Director of Scouting, Brock Otten. “If you were to ask me who my favourite defender in the draft class is, I’d probably say Willander. He rarely makes a poor play and I believe that we are underappreciating his potential as an NHL defender because of how efficient and safe his game can be. I would be shocked if he does not become a quality second pairing guy at the NHL level and I don’t think the other defenders ranked in the first have that same assurance,” said Otten.

Another massive jumper in our list is Hamilton Bulldogs winger Nick Lardis. 98th on our midseason list, Lardis now finds himself ranked just inside of our first round. His play with Hamilton, following a trade from Peterborough has vaulted him up draft boards, including ours. His combination of quickness and scoring ability gives him a solid projection at the NHL level.

Despite having two goaltenders inside of our first round at midseason (Carson Bjarnason and Michael Hrabal), we ended the year with none. Trey Augustine is now our top ranked netminder, ranked in the mid second round. However, Augustine, Bjarnason, Hrabal, and USHL Clark Cup MVP Jacob Fowler are all closely ranked in that range.

Look for the release of our 2023 Draft Guide in the next couple weeks. It will include all of our rankings and reports, a mock draft, a preview of the 2024 NHL Draft, and much more.

As a subscriber, link to our full ranking with links to the player pages here - McKeen's Draft Rankings - You can download the ranking as an excel file as well.

RANK	PLAYER	POS	HT/WT	DOB	NATION	TEAM	GP-G-A-PTS
1	Connor Bedard	C	5-10/185	17-Jul-05	Canada	Regina (WHL)	57-71-72-143
2	Adam Fantilli	C	6-2/195	12-Oct-04	Canada	Michigan (B1G)	36-30-35-65
3	Leo Carlsson	C	6-3/200	26-Dec-04	Sweden	Orebro (SHL)	44-10-15-25
4	Will Smith	C	6-0/175	17-Mar-05	USA	USN U18 (USDP)	59-51-75-126
5	Matvei Michkov	RW	5-10/170	9-Dec-04	Russia	SKA St. Petersburg-HK Sochi (KHL)	30-9-11-20
6	Zach Benson	LW	5-9/160	12-May-05	Canada	Winnipeg (WHL)	60-36-62-98
7	Dalibor Dvorsky	C	6-1/200	15-Jun-05	Slovakia	AIK (HockeyAllsvenskan)	38-6-8-14
8	Ryan Leonard	RW	5-11/190	21-Jan-05	USA	USN U18 (USDP)	56-50-43-93
9	Dmitri Simashev	D	6-4/200	4-Feb-05	Russia	Loko Yaroslavl-Loko-76 Yaroslavl (MHL)	33-1-11-12
10	Matthew Wood	RW	6-3/195	6-Feb-05	Canada	Connecticut (HE)	35-11-23-34
11	Oliver Moore	C	5-11/185	22-Jan-05	USA	USN U18 (USDP)	60-31-43-74
12	Colby Barlow	LW	6-0/195	14-Feb-05	Canada	Owen Sound (OHL)	59-46-33-79
13	Nate Danielson	C	6-1/185	27-Sep-04	Canada	Brandon (WHL)	68-33-45-78
14	Axel Sandin Pellikka	D	5-11/180	11-Mar-05	Sweden	Skelleftea (Swe J20)	31-16-20-36
15	Daniil But	LW	6-5/200	15-Feb-05	Russia	Loko Yaroslavl-Loko-76 Yaroslavl (MHL)	32-18-14-32
16	David Reinbacher	D	6-2/185	25-Oct-04	Austria	Kloten (Sui-NL)	46-3-19-22
17	Eduard Sale	LW	6-1/170	10-Mar-05	Czech	HC Kometa Brno (Czechia)	43-7-7-14
18	Samuel Honzek	LW	6-3/185	12-Nov-04	Slovakia	Vancouver (WHL)	43-23-33-56
19	Mikhail Gulyayev	D	5-11/170	26-Apr-05	Russia	Omskie Yastreby (MHL)	22-2-23-25
20	Lukas Dragicevic	D	6-1/190	25-Apr-05	Canada	Tri-City (WHL)	68-15-60-75
21	Gabe Perreault	RW	5-11/165	7-May-05	USA	USN U18 (USDP)	62-53-79-132
22	Otto Stenberg	C	5-11/180	29-May-05	Sweden	Frolunda (Swe J20)	29-11-15-26
23	Tom Willander	D	6-1/180	9-Feb-05	Sweden	Rogle (Swe J20)	39-4-21-25
24	Calum Ritchie	C	6-2/185	21-Jan-05	Canada	Oshawa (OHL)	59-24-35-59
25	Andrew Cristall	LW	5-9/165	4-Feb-05	Canada	Kelowna (WHL)	54-39-56-95
26	Gavin Brindley	C	5-8/165	5-Oct-04	USA	Michigan (B1G)	41-12-26-38
27	Bradly Nadeau	LW	5-10/165	5-May-05	Canada	Penticton (BCHL)	54-45-68-113
28	Anton Wahlberg	C	6-3/195	4-Jul-05	Sweden	Malmo (Swe J20)	32-14-13-27
29	Riley Heidt	C	5-10/180	25-Mar-05	Canada	Prince George (WHL)	68-25-72-97
30	Brayden Yager	C	5-11/165	3-Jan-05	Canada	Moose Jaw (WHL)	67-28-50-78
31	David Edstrom	C	6-3/185	18-Feb-05	Sweden	Frolunda (Swe J20)	28-15-13-28
32	Nick Lardis	LW	5-10/165	8-Jul-05	Canada	Pbo-Ham (OHL)	69-37-28-65
33	Kasper Halttunen	RW	6-3/205	7-Jun-05	Finland	HIFK (Fin-Liiga)	27-0-1-1
34	Jayden Perron	RW	5-9/165	11-Jan-05	Canada	Chicago (USHL)	61-24-48-72
35	Oliver Bonk	D	6-2/175	9-Jan-05	Canada	London (OHL)	67-10-30-40
36	Quentin Musty	LW	6-2/200	6-Jul-05	USA	Sudbury (OHL)	53-26-52-78
37	Trey Augustine	G	6-1/185	23-Feb-05	USA	USN U18 (USDP)	28-1, 2.14, 0.925
38	Tanner Molendyk	D	5-11/185	3-Feb-05	Canada	Saskatoon (WHL)	67-9-28-37
39	William Whitelaw	RW	5-9/170	5-Feb-05	USA	Youngstown (USHL)	62-36-25-61
40	Ethan Gauthier	RW	5-11/175	26-Jan-05	Canada	Sherbrooke (QMJHL)	66-30-39-69
41	Gracyn Sawchyn	C	5-11/160	19-Jan-05	USA	Seattle (WHL)	58-18-40-58
42	Carson Bjarnason	G	6-3/185	30-Jun-05	Canada	Brandon (WHL)	21-19, 3.08, 0.900
43	Aram Minnetian	D	5-11/190	19-Mar-05	USA	USN U18 (USDP)	61-7-24-31
44	Michael Hrabal	G	6-6/210	20-Jan-05	Czech	Omaha (USHL)	9-13, 2.86, 0.908
45	Jacob Fowler	G	6-1/215	24-Nov-04	USA	Youngstown (USHL)	27-9, 2.28, 0.921
46	Oscar Fisker Molgaard	C	6-0/165	18-Feb-05	Denmark	HV 71 (SHL)	41-4-3-7
47	Carson Rehkopf	LW	6-1/195	7-Jan-05	Canada	Kitchener (OHL)	68-30-29-59
48	Beau Akey	D	5-11/170	11-Feb-05	Canada	Barrie (OHL)	66-11-36-47
49	Danny Nelson	C	6-3/200	3-Aug-05	USA	USN U18 (USDP)	61-20-26-46
50	Etienne Morin	D	6-0/180	9-Mar-05	Canada	Moncton (QMJHL)	67-21-51-72
51	Felix Nilsson	C	6-0/175	22-Jun-05	Sweden	Rogle (Swe J20)	36-19-22-41
52	Maxim Strbak	D	6-1/205	13-Apr-05	Slovakia	Sioux Falls (USHL)	46-5-13-18
53	Jakub Dvorak	D	6-5/205	25-May-05	Czech	Bili Tygri Liberec (Czechia)	24-0-2-2
54	Carey Terrance	C	6-0/175	10-May-05	USA	Erie (OHL)	67-30-17-47
55	Jesse Kiiskinen	RW	5-11/180	23-Aug-05	Finland	Pelicans (Fin-U20)	31-20-23-43
56	Mathieu Cataford	C	5-11/185	1-Mar-05	Canada	Halifax (QMJHL)	68-31-44-75
57	Roman Kantserov	RW	5-9/175	20-Sep-04	Russia	Stalnye Lisy Magnitogorsk (MHL)	45-27-27-54
58	Tristan Bertucci	D	6-1/170	12-Jul-05	Canada	Flint (OHL)	63-11-39-50
59	Andrew Gibson	D	6-3/195	13-Feb-05	Canada	Soo Greyhounds (OHL)	45-7-14-21
60	Caden Price	D	6-0/185	24-Aug-05	Canada	Kelowna (WHL)	65-5-35-40
61	Charlie Stramel	C	6-3/215	15-Oct-04	USA	Wisconsin (B1G)	33-5-7-12
62	Coulson Pitre	RW	6-0/170	13-Dec-04	Canada	Flint (OHL)	59-25-35-60
63	Adam Gajan	G	6-2/165	6-May-04	Slovakia	Chippewa Steel (NAHL)	19-12, 2.57, 0.917
64	Hoyt Stanley	D	6-2/185	4-Feb-05	Canada	Victoria (BCHL)	53-4-34-38
65	Andrew Strathmann	D	5-10/190	27-Feb-05	USA	Youngstown (USHL)	56-3-35-38
66	Hunter Brzustewicz	D	5-11/185	29-Nov-04	USA	Kitchener (OHL)	68-6-51-57
67	Luca Pinelli	C	5-8/165	5-Apr-05	Canada	Ottawa (OHL)	67-29-34-63
68	Cam Allen	D	6-0/195	7-Jan-05	Canada	Guelph (OHL)	62-5-20-25
69	Tanner Ludtke	C	6-0/185	27-Nov-04	USA	Lincoln (USHL)	57-32-34-66
70	Theo Lindstein	D	6-0/180	5-Jan-05	Sweden	Brynas (SHL)	32-1-1-2
71	Koehn Ziemmer	RW	6-0/205	8-Dec-04	Canada	Prince George (WHL)	68-41-48-89
72	Carter Sotheran	D	6-3/195	26-Jun-05	Canada	Portland (WHL)	68-4-19-23
73	Arttu Karki	D	6-1/175	8-Dec-04	Finland	Tappara (Fin-U20)	36-13-26-39
74	Albert Wikman	D	6-0/190	10-Mar-05	Sweden	Farjestads (Swe J20)	43-2-10-12
75	Quinton Burns	D	6-1/180	14-Apr-05	Canada	Kingston (OHL)	54-2-27-29
76	Nico Myatovic	LW	6-2/180	1-Dec-04	Canada	Seattle (WHL)	68-30-30-60
77	Jeremy Hanzel	D	6-0/190	27-Feb-03	Canada	Seattle (WHL)	66-13-35-48
78	Easton Cowan	RW	5-10/170	20-May-05	Canada	London (OHL)	68-20-33-53
79	Juraj Pekarcik	LW	6-2/185	12-Sep-05	Slovakia	HK Nitra (Slovakia)	30-0-3-3
80	Denver Barkey	C	5-8/160	27-Apr-05	Canada	London (OHL)	61-22-37-59
81	Martin Misiak	RW	6-2/195	30-Sep-04	Slovakia	HC Nove Zamky (Slovakia)	29-1-9-10
82	Drew Fortescue	D	6-1/175	28-Apr-05	USA	USN U18 (USDP)	61-1-25-26
83	Felix Unger Sorum	RW	5-11/170	14-Sep-05	Sweden	Leksands (Swe J20)	42-10-36-46
84	Lenni Hameenaho	RW	6-0/175	7-Nov-04	Finland	Assat (Fin-Liiga)	51-9-12-21
85	Kalan Lind	LW	6-0/160	25-Jan-05	Canada	Red Deer (WHL)	43-16-28-44
86	Rasmus Kumpulainen	C	6-2/190	8-Aug-05	Finland	Pelicans (Fin-U20)	41-11-23-34
87	Alex Ciernik	LW	5-11/175	8-Oct-04	Slovakia	Sodertalje-Vasterviks (HockeyAllsvenskan)	25-3-9-12
88	Alexander Rykov	RW	6-0/175	14-Jul-05	Russia	Chelmet Chelyabinsk (VHL)	20-4-7-11
89	Scott Ratzlaff	G	6-0/175	9-Mar-05	Canada	Seattle (WHL)	25-8, 2.15, 0.918
90	Yegor Rimashevsky	RW	6-3/200	1-Feb-05	Belarus	MHK Dynamo Moskva (MHL)	29-13-13-26
91	Jesse Nurmi	LW	5-10/165	7-Mar-05	Finland	KooKoo (Fin-U20)	41-21-29-50
92	Kaden Hammell	D	6-1/175	12-Mar-05	Canada	Kam-Evt (WHL)	67-8-18-26
93	Jayson Shaugabay	RW	5-9/155	4-May-05	USA	Warroad (USHS-MN)	31-33-63-96
94	Noel Nordh	RW	6-2/195	25-Jan-05	Sweden	Brynas (Swe J20)	38-13-14-27
95	Gavin McCarthy	D	6-1/180	2-Jun-05	USA	Muskegon (USHL)	42-8-19-27
96	Tyler Peddle	LW	6-0/195	28-Jan-05	Canada	Drummondville (QMJHL)	64-24-17-41
97	Francesco Dell'Elce	D	6-0/165	23-Jun-05	Canada	St. Andrew's (CHS-O)	51-20-42-62
98	Timur Mukhanov	LW	5-8/170	17-Jun-05	Russia	Omskie Krylia (VHL)	31-4-4-8
99	Larry Keenan	D	6-3/185	15-Mar-05	Russia	Culver Academy (USHS-IN)	49-11-26-37
100	Emil Jarventie	LW	5-9/165	4-Apr-05	Finland	Ilves (Fin-U20)	21-8-11-19
101	Matthew Mania	D	6-1/180	11-Jan-05	USA	Sudbury (OHL)	67-10-28-38
102	Juha Jatkola	G	6-1/175	12-Sep-02	Finland	KalPa (Fin-Liiga)	20-11, 2.16, 0.903
103	Zach Nehring	RW	6-3/180	7-Mar-05	USA	Shattuck-SM (USHS-MN)	48-34-40-74
104	Austin Roest	C	5-9/175	22-Jan-04	Canada	Everett (WHL)	60-32-46-78
105	Hedqvist, Isac	C	5-10/165	22-Mar-05	Sweden	Lulea (Swe J20)	41-14-20-34
106	Stephen Peck	G	6-2/170	18-Jan-05	USA	Avon Old Farms (USHS-CT)	28GP, 1.26, 0.948
107	Yegor Klimovich	RW	5-9/160	14-May-05	Russia	Sibirskie Snaipery Novosibirsk (MHL)	36-19-30-49
108	Nikita Susuyev	RW	6-0/170	6-Feb-05	Russia	MHK Spartak Moskva (MHL)	38-11-17-28
109	Ethan Miedema	LW	6-4/205	22-Mar-05	Canada	Wsr-Kgn (OHL)	68-20-32-52
110	Luca Cagnoni	D	5-9/180	21-Dec-04	Canada	Portland (WHL)	67-17-47-64
111	Jakub Stancl	LW	6-3/200	10-Apr-05	Czech	Vaxjo Lakers (Swe J20)	35-11-6-17
112	Aydar Suniev	LW	6-1/200	16-Nov-04	Russia	Penticton (BCHL)	50-45-45-90
113	Ty Henricks	LW	6-4/205	28-Jun-05	USA	Fgo-Mus (USHL)	47-9-10-19
114	Yegor Vinogradov	C	6-2/180	17-Apr-03	Russia	Torpedo Nizhny Novgorod (KHL)	53-7-10-17
115	Yegor Sidorov	RW	5-11/180	18-Jun-04	Belarus	Saskatoon (WHL)	53-40-36-76
116	Will Vote	RW	5-8/155	22-Feb-05	USA	USN U18 (USDP)	60-16-29-45
117	Brandon Svoboda	C	6-3/210	4-Feb-05	USA	Youngstown (USHL)	59-16-10-26
118	Axel Landen	D	6-1/185	29-Mar-05	Sweden	HV 71 (Swe J20)	44-10-6-16
119	Alexander Hellnemo	G	6-2/180	5-Jan-04	Sweden	Skelleftea (Swe J20)	15-8, 2.32, 0.916
120	Nikita Nedopyokin	C	5-10/185	22-Mar-05	Russia	SKA-1946 St. Petersburg (MHL)	37-14-18-32
121	Brady Cleveland	D	6-5/210	1-Apr-05	USA	USN U18 (USDP)	54-0-6-6
122	Ondrej Molnar	LW	5-10/170	8-Feb-05	Slovakia	Erie (OHL)	34-4-15-19
123	Noah Dower Nilsson	LW	6-0/175	25-Apr-05	Sweden	Frolunda (Swe J20)	37-26-28-54
124	Jordan Tourigny	D	5-10/165	28-Feb-05	Canada	Shawinigan (QMJHL)	67-6-35-41
125	Cole Knuble	C	5-11/175	1-Jul-04	USA	Fargo (USHL)	57-30-36-66
126	Erik Pahlsson	C	6-0/170	9-Apr-04	Sweden	HV 71 (Swe J20)	46-26-37-63
127	Eric Pohlkamp	D	5-10/200	23-Mar-04	USA	Cedar Rapids (USHL)	59-16-35-51
128	Dylan MacKinnon	D	6-1/185	12-Jan-05	Canada	Halifax (QMJHL)	61-6-17-23
129	German Tochilkin	LW	6-2/180	24-Sep-03	Russia	Kunlun Red Star (KHL)	21-4-2-6
130	Jake Fisher	C	6-1/180	27-Mar-05	USA	Cretin-Durham Hall (USHS-MN)	29-34-29-63
131	Damian Clara	G	6-6/215	13-Jan-05	Italy	Farjestads (Swe J20)	17-17, 2.79, 0.903
132	Aiden Fink	RW	5-9/155	24-Nov-04	Canada	Brooks (AJHL)	54-41-56-97
133	Bogdan Konyushkov	D	5-11/175	20-Dec-02	Russia	Torpedo Nizhny Novgorod (KHL)	64-2-23-25
134	Yegor Zavragin	G	6-2/185	23-Aug-05	Russia	Mamonty Yugry (MHL)	11-6, 2.49, 0.920
135	Ty Halaburda	C	5-11/175	22-Apr-05	Canada	Vancouver (WHL)	66-21-16-37
136	Cole Burbidge	LW	6-1/160	26-Aug-05	Canada	Saint John (QMJHL)	68-19-31-50
137	Daniil Karpovich	D	6-3/210	6-Dec-04	Belarus	Avto Yekaterinburg (MHL)	47-10-25-35
138	Andrei Loshko	C	6-1/175	7-Oct-04	Belarus	Chicoutimi (QMJHL)	67-22-48-70
139	Beckett Hendrickson	C	6-1/175	24-Jun-05	USA	USN U18 (USDP)	51-13-21-34
140	Alex Pharand	C	6-3/205	1-May-05	Canada	Sudbury (OHL)	67-18-21-39
141	Zeb Forsfjall	C	5-9/170	16-Jan-05	Sweden	Skelleftea (Swe J20)	34-8-14-22
142	Joe Connor	C	5-9/170	31-Mar-05	USA	Avon Old Farms (USHS-CT)	28-21-23-44
143	Samuel Urban	G	6-1/195	1-May-05	Slovakia	Team Slovakia U18 (Svk2)	1-13, 4.51, 0.897
144	Mazden Leslie	D	6-0/195	15-Apr-05	Canada	Vancouver (WHL)	66-12-38-50
145	Maxim Fedotov	D	5-10/170	22-Jan-02	Russia	Torpedo Nizhny Novgorod (KHL)	64-9-17-26
146	Joey Willis	C	5-10/170	14-Mar-05	USA	Saginaw (OHL)	68-15-29-44
147	Artyom Kashtanov	C	6-6/190	9-Dec-04	Russia	Avto Yekaterinburg (MHL)	43-15-25-40
148	Angus MacDonell	C	5-9/180	11-May-05	Canada	Sar-Mis (OHL)	64-29-12-41
149	Konstantin Volochko	D	6-0/170	19-Jun-05	Belarus	Dinamo-Shinnik Bobruysk (MHL)	46-8-12-20
150	Hannes Hellberg	LW	6-0/175	19-Jun-05	Sweden	Leksands (Swe J20)	42-34-23-57
151	Carsen Musser	G	6-4/215	19-May-05	USA	USN U18 (USDP)	14-6, 3.07, 0.890
152	Yaroslav Tsulygin	D	6-0/160	19-May-05	Russia	Salavat Yulaev Ufa (KHL)	44-0-2-2
153	Thomas Milic	G	6-0/180	14-Apr-03	Canada	Seattle (WHL)	27-3, 2.08, 0.928
154	Arno Tiefensee	G	6-4/190	1-May-02	Germany	Adler Mannheim (DEL)	13-10, 2.43, 0.910
155	Quinn Mantei	D	5-11/180	23-Apr-05	Canada	Brandon (WHL)	67-2-23-25
156	Matthew Soto	RW	5-10/180	31-Aug-05	Canada	Kingston (OHL)	54-15-27-42
157	Matt Copponi	C	5-10/165	3-Jun-03	USA	Merrimack (HE)	37-14-15-29
158	Vojtech Port	D	6-2/170	3-Aug-05	Czech	RD-Edm (WHL)	48-4-13-17
159	Michael DeAngelo	LW	5-11/180	19-Nov-04	USA	Green Bay (USHL)	52-11-24-35
160	Matteo Mann	D	6-5/225	31-Dec-04	Canada	Chicoutimi (QMJHL)	45-0-5-5
161	Paul Fischer	D	6-1/190	30-Jan-05	USA	USN U18 (USDP)	55-4-17-21
162	Hudson Malinoski	C	6-0/175	19-May-04	Canada	Brooks (AJHL)	44-16-53-69
163	Brad Gardiner	C	6-0/180	6-Mar-05	Canada	Ottawa (OHL)	68-19-20-39
164	Zaccharya Wisdom	RW	6-0/175	29-Apr-04	Canada	Cedar Rapids (USHL)	59-28-20-48
165	Jonathan Castagna	C	6-1/185	20-Apr-05	Canada	St. Andrew's (CHS-O)	50-29-43-72
166	Tanner Adams	RW	5-11/185	2-Sep-05	USA	Tri-City (USHL)	49-12-21-33
167	Grayden Siepmann	D	5-10/185	26-May-04	Canada	Calgary (WHL)	61-9-34-43
168	Axel Hurtig	D	6-3/200	10-Jun-05	Sweden	Rogle (Swe J20)	34-2-6-8
169	Ian Scherzer	C	6-0/180	3-Jul-05	Austria	Rogle (Swe J20)	30-3-4-7
170	Ryan Conmy	RW	5-9/190	23-Oct-04	USA	Sioux City (USHL)	60-33-29-62
171	Ethan Hay	C	6-1/190	15-Jan-05	Canada	Flint (OHL)	64-17-11-28
172	Rodwin Dionicio	D	6-2/205	30-Mar-04	Switzerland	Nia-Wsr (OHL)	50-15-35-50
173	Josh Van Mulligen	D	6-2/180	26-Jul-05	Canada	Medicine Hat (WHL)	68-1-8-9
174	Nikita Ishimnikov	D	6-3/195	21-Apr-05	Russia	Avto Yekaterinburg (MHL)	41-11-7-18
175	Justin Kipkie	D	6-4/190	28-Jul-05	Canada	Victoria (WHL)	67-8-25-33
176	Sawyer Mynio	D	6-1/175	30-Apr-05	Canada	Seattle (WHL)	68-5-26-31
177	Brady Stonehouse	RW	5-9/180	6-Aug-04	Canada	Ottawa (OHL)	68-37-20-57
178	Hunter Anderson	LW	5-9/175	28-Apr-05	USA	Shattuck-SM (USHS-MN)	48-52-47-99
179	Spencer Sova	D	6-0/185	10-Jan-04	Canada	Erie (OHL)	68-16-23-39
180	Oliver Tulk	C	5-7/170	19-Jan-05	Canada	Calgary (WHL)	68-24-36-60
181	Isac Born	C	5-11/165	7-Jul-04	Sweden	Frolunda (SHL)	36-2-3-5
182	Beau Jelsma	C	5-9/175	28-Apr-04	Canada	Barrie (OHL)	67-31-30-61
183	Carmelo Crandell	RW	5-11/170	2-Mar-05	Canada	Sherwood Park (AJHL)	49-17-37-54
184	Stanislav Yarovoy	LW	6-2/195	26-Aug-03	Russia	Vityaz Moscow Region (KHL)	45-9-7-16
185	Elliot Stahlberg	LW	6-0/185	29-Mar-05	Sweden	Farjestads (Swe J20)	35-9-12-21
186	Ivan Anoshko	C	5-11/170	7-Oct-04	Belarus	Dinamo-Shinnik Bobruysk (MHL)	53-21-32-53
187	Jake Livanavage	D	5-10/175	6-May-04	USA	Chicago (USHL)	48-6-30-36
188	Adrian Carnebo	D	6-2/185	1-May-04	Sweden	Djurgardens (Swe J20)	43-7-28-35
189	Jaden Lipinski	C	6-3/205	2-Dec-04	USA	Vancouver (WHL)	66-19-32-51
190	Ian Blomquist	G	6-2/185	29-Mar-03	Sweden	Vasteras (HockeyAllsvenskan)	4-11, 2.97, 0.904
191	Emil Pieniniemi	D	6-2/170	2-Mar-05	Finland	Karpat (Fin-U20)	31-1-12-13
192	Oskar Asplund	D	5-11/175	18-Nov-03	Sweden	Almtuna (HockeyAllsvenskan)	49-6-24-30
193	Daniil Davydov	C	5-11/165	6-Mar-04	Russia	MHK Dynamo St. Petersburg (MHL)	47-11-35-46
194	Victor Sjoholm	D	5-9/175	8-Jul-03	Sweden	HV 71 (Swe J20)	37-2-8-10
195	Aron Jessli	LW	5-11/185	29-Oct-04	Norway	Pickering (OJHL)	52-25-43-68
196	Adam Dybal	G	6-1/165	2-Sep-05	Czech	Karlovy Vary (Czechia U20)	29-15, 1.85, 0.942
197	Jonathan Fauchon	C	5-10/170	13-Jan-04	Canada	Blainville-Boisbriand (QMJHL)	53-25-40-65
198	Luke Mittelstadt	D	5-11/175	22-Jan-03	USA	Minnesota (B1G)	38-5-16-21
199	Owen Beckner	C	6-1/175	27-Feb-05	Canada	Salmon Arm (BCHL)	53-17-33-50
200	Ilya Kanarsky	G	6-2/165	6-Dec-04	Russia	AKM-Junior Tula Region (MHL)	4-19, 3.59, 0.919
201	Braeden Bowman	RW	6-1/205	26-Jun-03	Canada	Guelph (OHL)	54-33-39-72
202	Luke Coughlin	D	5-9/170	11-Apr-05	Canada	Rimouski (QMJHL)	37-5-14-19
203	Norwin Panocha	D	6-1/185	24-Feb-05	Germany	Eisbaren Juniors Berlin (DNL U20)	34-6-16-22
204	Cole Brown	LW	6-2/180	27-Apr-05	Canada	Hamilton (OHL)	60-17-25-42
205	Tomas Suchanek	G	6-0/180	30-Apr-03	Czech	Tri-City (WHL)	27-14, 3.05, 0.912
206	Vadim Moroz	RW	6-2/185	20-Nov-03	Belarus	Dinamo Minsk (KHL)	39-5-9-14
207	Davis Burnside	RW	5-11/175	22-Sep-03	USA	Ohio State (B1G)	40-14-7-21
208	Maros Jedlicka	C	6-1/185	23-Oct-02	Slovakia	HKM Zvolen (Slovakia)	39-17-18-35
209	Gavyn Thoreson	RW	5-8/180	30-Oct-04	USA	Andover High (USHS-MN)	31-41-56-97
210	Austin Burnevik	RW	6-3/200	3-Jan-05	USA	USN U18 (USDP)	43-6-13-19
211	Elmeri Laakso	D	6-1/185	19-Jul-04	Finland	SaiPa (Fin-Liiga)	32-4-7-11
212	Frantisek Dej	C	6-4/200	28-Feb-05	Slovakia	HC Modre Kridla Slovan (Slovakia2)	24-8-13-21
213	Matvei Maximov	C	6-0/175	18-Jan-05	Russia	MHK Dynamo Moskva (MHL)	48-18-19-37
214	Connor Levis	RW	6-1/190	5-Oct-04	Canada	Kamloops (WHL)	68-27-40-67
215	Teddy Townsend	C	5-10/160	2-Sep-05	USA	Eden Prairie (USHS-MN)	27-14-25-39
216	Petter Vesterheim	C	5-11/165	30-Sep-04	Norway	Mora (Swe J20)	41-12-27-39
217	Justin Gill	C	6-1/190	27-Jan-03	Canada	Sherbrooke (QMJHL)	68-44-49-93
218	Alex Weiermair	C	6-0/190	10-May-05	USA	USN U18 (USDP)	55-11-15-26
219	Jan Sprynar	RW	6-1/175	26-Feb-05	Czech	Rimouski (QMJHL)	60-23-17-40
220	Ty Higgins	D	6-0/185	26-Sep-04	Canada	Acadie-Bathurst (QMJHL)	68-13-28-41
221	Tom Leppa	C	6-0/175	31-Jul-05	Finland	Jokerit (Fin-U20)	45-19-12-31
222	Aaron Pionk	D	6-1/175	16-Jan-03	USA	Waterloo (USHL)	60-12-24-36
223	Hampton Slukynsky	G	6-1/180	2-Jul-05	USA	Warroad (USHS-MN)	28-1, 1.47, 0.941
224	Noah Erliden	G	5-10/170	9-Sep-05	Sweden	HV71 (Swe J20)	10-8, 2.93, 0.912
HM	Matthew Andonovski	D	6-1/200	14-Mar-05	Canada	Kitchener (OHL)	67-0-16-16
HM	Gleb Artsatbanov	G	6-2/170	2-Mar-04	Ukraine	Sparta Praha (Czechia U20)	13-10, 1.95, 0.938
HM	Cale Ashcroft	D	5-10/200	5-Aug-04	Canada	Tri-City (USHL)	62-8-29-37
HM	Alex Assadourian	LW	5-8/170	24-Jul-05	Canada	Sby-Nia (OHL)	66-12-29-41
HM	Arvid Bergstrom	D	5-11/160	12-Jun-05	Sweden	Djurgardens (Swe J20)	41-2-21-23
HM	Kevin Bicker	LW	6-0/175	29-Jan-05	Germany	Jungadler Mannheim (DNL U20)	20-10-11-21
HM	Philippe Blais-Savoie	D	6-0/185	10-Jun-05	USA	Tri-City (USHL)	61-2-9-11
HM	Linus Brandl	C	5-11/185	1-Apr-05	Germany	Jungadler Mannheim (DNL U20)	32-25-22-47
HM	Finn Brink	LW	5-9/180	6-Apr-05	USA	Maple Grove (USHS-MN)	31-31-38-69
HM	Yaroslav Busygin	D	6-3/185	14-Feb-03	Russia	Vityaz Moscow Region (KHL)	42-1-2-3
HM	Kalle Carlsson	C	6-0/175	2-Mar-05	Sweden	Orebro (Swe J20)	44-11-24-35
HM	Adam Cedzo	RW	5-10/165	23-Feb-05	Slovakia	HC Ocelari Trinec (Czechia U20)	39-23-23-46
HM	Aiden Celebrini	D	6-1/185	26-Oct-04	Canada	Brooks (AJHL)	47-5-16-21
HM	Andon Cerbone	C	5-8/150	13-Apr-04	USA	Oma-Yng (USHL)	64-24-39-63
HM	Chase Cheslock	D	6-3/210	25-Oct-04	USA	Rogers High (USHS-MN)	28-4-27-31
HM	Sam Court	D	5-10/180	7-Jan-04	Canada	Brooks (AJHL)	52-13-59-72
HM	Adam Csabi	LW	5-10/160	17-Feb-05	Czech	SaiPa (Fin-U18)	28-16-15-31
HM	Nathaniel Davis	D	6-1/185	15-Nov-04	Canada	Burlington (OJHL)	45-10-26-36
HM	Nathan Day	G	6-2/180	4-Feb-05	Canada	Flint (OHL)	17-10, 3.91, 0.874
HM	Kocha Delic	C	5-10/185	11-Mar-04	Canada	Sudbury (OHL)	46-22-30-52
HM	Tyler Duke	D	5-8/180	19-Jul-04	USA	Ohio State (B1G)	40-4-8-12
HM	Filip Eriksson	C	6-0/170	5-Nov-04	Sweden	Vaxjo Lakers (Swe J20)	11-5-5-10
HM	Jiri Felcman	C	6-4/190	17-Apr-05	Czech	Langnau U20 (Sui-U20-Elit)	40-10-21-31
HM	Samuel Fiala	C	6-1/170	9-Apr-05	Czech	Bili Tygri Liberec (Czechia U20)	44-19-9-28
HM	Mans Forsfjall	D	6-0/180	30-Jul-02	Sweden	Skelleftea (SHL)	52-2-12-14
HM	Cooper Foster	C	5-11/170	4-Jun-05	Canada	Ottawa (OHL)	63-19-17-36
HM	Salvatore Guzzo	RW	6-0/185	17-Apr-05	USA	USN U18 (USDP)	58-17-11-28
HM	Michael Hagens	D	5-11/170	18-Feb-05	USA	Chicago (USHL)	60-9-17-26
HM	Sam Harris	LW	5-11/190	14-Oct-03	USA	Sioux Falls (USHL)	56-30-26-56
HM	Jack Harvey	C	5-10/175	31-Mar-03	USA	Chicago (USHL)	62-40-34-74
HM	Bogdans Hodass	D	6-2/200	13-Apr-03	Latvia	Medicine Hat (WHL)	56-11-24-35
HM	Ryan Hopkins	D	6-1/180	15-Apr-04	Canada	Penticton (BCHL)	48-10-39-49
HM	Ewan Huet	G	6-0/170	8-Feb-05	Switzerland	Lausanne (Sui U20-Elit)	14-12, 2.73
HM	Gustaf Kangas	C	6-0/175	27-Jul-05	Sweden	Vasteras (Swe J20)	27-7-13-20
HM	Sean Keohane	D	6-3/180	4-Nov-04	USA	Dexter Southfield(USHS-MA)	32-4-12-16
HM	Oiva Keskinen	C	6-0/175	28-Feb-04	Finland	Tappara (Fin-U20)	38-20-21-41
HM	Ruslan Khazheyev	G	6-4/200	20-Nov-04	Russia	Belye Medvedi Chelyabinsk (MHL)	8-8, 2.38, 0.923
HM	Matteo Koci	D	6-0/165	7-Jun-05	Czech	HC Energie Karlovy Vary (Czechia U20)	36-7-13-20
HM	Ryan Koering	D	6-3/185	11-Feb-05	USA	Eden Prairie (USHS-MN)	27-6-10-16
HM	Cameron Korpi	G	6-2/150	26-May-04	USA	Tri-City (USHL)	13-4, 2.52, 0.911
HM	Sergei Kosovets	D	6-5/250	17-Jul-02	Russia	HK Sochi (KHL)	26-2-2-4
HM	Artyom Kudashov	D	6-0/160	10-Jan-05	Russia	MHK Dynamo Moskva (MHL)	42-2-7-9
HM	Roman Kukumberg	LW	6-0/185	21-Mar-05	Slovakia	HC Modre Kridla Slovan (Slovakia2)	33-5-6-11
HM	Emil Kuusla	LW	5-9/165	11-Jan-05	Finland	Jokerit (Fin-U20)	36-18-17-35
HM	Jani Lampinen	G	6-2/185	14-Feb-03	Finland	Kiekko-Espoo (Fin-Mestis)	15-6, 2.35, 0.902
HM	Charles-Alexis Legault	D	6-3/205	5-Sep-03	Canada	Quinnipiac (ECAC)	40-2-7-9
HM	Aiden Long	LW	6-3/190	13-Mar-05	Canada	Whitecourt (AJHL)	50-19-27-46
HM	Connor MacPherson	RW	6-0/170	2-Mar-05	Canada	Leamington (GOJHL)	43-28-35-63
HM	Matthew Mayich	D	6-2/185	21-Dec-04	Canada	Ottawa (OHL)	64-5-17-22
HM	Donovan McCoy	D	6-0/200	11-Oct-04	Canada	Peterborough (OHL)	65-2-11-13
HM	Cole Miller	C	6-4/175	4-Feb-05	Canada	Edmonton (WHL)	61-10-9-19
HM	Lucas Moore	D	5-9/180	7-Jun-05	Canada	Hamilton (OHL)	65-3-25-28
HM	Josh Nadeau	RW	5-7/145	22-Oct-03	Canada	Penticton (BCHL)	54-44-66-110
HM	Alexei Noskov	G	6-2/205	13-Nov-04	Russia	Taifun Primorsky Krai (MHL)	7-26, 3.86, 0.905
HM	Owen Outwater	LW	6-2/160	4-Jan-05	Canada	Kingston (OHL)	62-16-25-41
HM	Joe Palodichuk	D	6-0/165	26-Feb-03	USA	Fargo (USHL)	44-8-21-29
HM	Petr Pavelec	LW	6-0/200	10-Feb-05	Czech	HC Vitkovice (Czechia U20)	46-8-5-13
HM	Oliver Peer	RW	6-0/165	9-Mar-03	Canada	Windsor (OHL)	63-22-45-67
HM	Chris Pelosi	C	6-1/180	6-Mar-05	USA	Sioux Falls (USHL)	43-13-6-19
HM	Matthew Perkins	LW	5-11/175	21-Jan-04	Canada	Youngstown (USHL)	60-15-29-44
HM	Nico Pertuch	G	6-2/200	29-Jul-05	Germany	EV Landshut (DNL U20)	15GP, 3.57
HM	Dominik Petr	C	6-2/165	30-Apr-05	Czech	Lukko (Fin-U20)	18-1-0-1
HM	Chase Pietila	D	6-1/180	3-Mar-04	USA	Youngstown (USHL)	60-7-29-36
HM	Chase Pirtle	RW	6-2/185	8-Mar-05	USA	Mount St. Charles 18U AAA (USHS-RI)	47-20-24-44
HM	Benjamin Poitras	C	5-10/175	18-Jul-05	Canada	Sioux City (USHL)	61-14-24-38
HM	Connor Punnett	D	6-1/200	16-Jun-03	Canada	Barrie (OHL)	66-14-34-48
HM	Ivan Remezovsky	D	6-1/165	8-Feb-05	Russia	SKA-1946 St. Petersburg (MHL)	45-0-13-13
HM	Charlie Robertson	G	6-3/165	2-Apr-05	Canada	North Bay (OHL)	12-6, 3.17, 0.892
HM	Pier-Olivier Roy	D	5-9/175	5-Mar-04	Canada	Victoriaville (QMJHL)	68-6-62-68
HM	Rainers Rullers	C	6-4/195	11-Dec-04	Latvia	Zemgale (Fin-Mestis)	46-4-6-10
HM	Bennett Schimek	RW	5-11/180	15-Apr-03	USA	Providence (HE)	37-11-9-20
HM	Zach Schulz	D	6-1/195	14-Jun-05	USA	USN U18 (USDP)	51-1-9-10
HM	Magomed Sharakanov	D	6-1/200	11-Oct-04	Russia	MHK Dynamo Moskva (MHL)	44-7-25-32
HM	Cam Squires	RW	5-11/165	11-Apr-05	Canada	Cape Breton (QMJHL)	67-30-34-64
HM	Julius Sumpf	C	6-1/175	11-Jan-05	Germany	RB Hockey Juniors (AlpsHL)	23-9-9-18
HM	Alexander Suvorov	RW	5-9/160	30-Nov-02	Belarus	Severstal Cherepovets (KHL)	47-13-11-24
HM	Gabriel Szturc	C	5-11/185	24-Sep-03	Czech	Kelowna (WHL)	56-24-55-79
HM	Nikita Telegin	C	6-1/155	21-Jun-05	Russia	Belye Medvedi Chelyabinsk (MHL)	22-6-4-10
HM	Patrick Thomas	C	5-11/160	21-Aug-04	Canada	Hamilton (OHL)	66-17-39-56
HM	Hudson Thornton	D	5-11/180	4-Nov-03	Canada	Prince George (WHL)	68-23-51-74
HM	Jiri Tichacek	D	5-9/170	30-Jan-03	Czech	Rytiri Kladno (Czechia)	39-0-6-6
HM	Djibril Toure	D	6-6/200	5-Jun-03	Canada	Sudbury (OHL)	57-5-11-16
HM	Tuomas Uronen	RW	5-11/180	19-Mar-05	Finland	HIFK (Fin-U20)	39-20-23-43
HM	Noa Vali	G	6-0/160	19-Apr-05	Finland	TPS (Fin-U20)	17-8, 2.38, 0.912
HM	Nicholas Vantassell	RW	6-4/195	18-Apr-04	USA	Green Bay (USHL)	62-19-18-37
HM	Visa Vedenpaa	G	6-2/170	11-May-05	Finland	Karpat (Fin-U20)	31GP, 0.886
HM	Evgeny Volokhin	G	6-3/170	6-Apr-05	Russia	Mamonty Yugry (MHL)	20-6, 2.12, 0.927
HM	Declan Waddick	C	5-10/170	24-Jan-05	Canada	Niagara (OHL)	64-28-21-49
HM	Saige Weinstein	D	6-0/180	30-May-05	Canada	Spokane (WHL)	57-4-14-18
HM	Ethan Whitcomb	LW	6-4/190	13-May-04	Canada	Muskegon (USHL)	53-24-24-48
HM	Raul Yakupov	RW	6-1/180	21-Jun-04	Russia	Reaktor Nizhnekamsk (MHL)	49-32-29-61

2023 IIHF U18 WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP: Top Risers for the 2023 NHL Draft

Brock Otten — Sun, 30 Apr 2023 21:14:03 +0000

The 2023 IIHF World Under 18 Championships have concluded. It was a great tournament that culminated with a gold medal game between the two most dominant nations in the tournament, the United States and Sweden. Sweden was hunting for back-to-back gold, but the United States had other plans as their high-powered top line (Will Smith, Ryan Leonard, and Gabriel Perreault), carried them to the top of the podium. Meanwhile, Canada captured bronze by defeating Slovakia, even in the face of adversity as their starting goaltender (Carson Bjarnason) had to miss the game due to the concussion he obtained in the semifinals. We were lucky enough to get an overtime period in both medal games with Macklin Celebrini and Ryan Leonard serving as the respective heroes.

While it is important to not be hyper reactive to a single tournament as a scouting team, there were certainly some individual players whose performances helped to increase their draft stock as we commence the discussion of our final rankings and as the 2023 Draft in Nashville draws near. This is only one small piece of the puzzle; what players have done previous to this tournament is still important, however you cannot overlook the positive performances of some players against many of the best players in the age group. This article aims to highlight several players who elevated their draft stock with strong performances. It excludes players who entered the tournament already extremely highly regarded (such as Will Smith), instead focusing on those who had room to “move up.”

PORRENTRUY, SWITZERLAND - APRIL 23: Sweden's Otto Stenberg #23 skates with the puck while Czechia's Matteo Koci #6 chases him down during Preliminary Round - Group A action at the 2023 IIHF Ice Hockey U18 World Championship at Raiffeisen Arena on April 23, 2023 in Porrentruy, Switzerland. (Photo by Chris Tanouye/IIHF)

Otto Stenberg - Wing - Sweden

Fellow independent scout Cam Robinson posted a great meme about Stenberg over the weekend, highlighting the difference between Stenberg internationally this year and his play in the Swedish leagues. At the Hlinka/Gretzky Cup, the WJAC, and at the U18’s, Stenberg was terrific and in the SHL and at the J20 level, his play was less than inspiring. Will the real Stenberg please stand up? Bottom line: you would be hard pressed to find anyone not impressed by Stenberg’s play at the U18’s. He was one of the best players at the tournament and was electric as a play creator with his combination of speed and skill. What really stood out at this tournament was his decision making with the puck, which has been incredibly inconsistent at other times this year, even internationally. Has he done enough to vault himself into the discussion for the top ten?

David Edstrom - Center - Sweden

Last year it was Filip Bystedt, who was phenomenal in helping Sweden earn a gold medal, which in turn made him an NHL first round selection. This year it was Edstrom. Admittedly, Edstrom’s play had been trending up for a few months heading into this tournament, but he likely earned some new fans with his play. A heavy center, Edstrom is a load to separate from the puck as he drives the net and works the wall. He showed a mature two-way approach, and his combination of size, skill, and smarts are going to be highly coveted on draft day.

Tom Willander - Defense - Sweden

To start the year, it was all about Theo Lindstein. Midway through the year it was about Axel Sandin Pellikka. To close the year, it should be about Tom Willander. He’s been quietly good all season long, but this event, in combination with his play at the WJAC, should have convinced scouts that he belongs in the first round in Nashville. Willander is just so calm and composed with the puck. He rarely seems to make a poor play and has a really solid projection as a longtime two-way NHL defender. Perhaps most impressive was Willander continuing to anchor the second pairing even after his strong defensive partner Albert Wikman was lost to injury.

Axel Landen - Defense - Sweden

Not an impactful player on the score sheet, Landen was a standout in the defensive end for the Swedes. He was a top penalty killer and held down the team’s third pairing. He looks the part of a future stay at home type at the NHL level with good mobility, size, and physicality, all from the right side. Last year Elias Pettersson was a standout in a similar way, and he ended up being a third-round pick.

Gabe Perreault - Wing - USA

Perreault has been the forgotten man all year on that dominant top line for the United States. However, his record-breaking year (beating Austen Matthews’ scoring record in the program) should not be overlooked. He may not have the elite physical tools of Ryan Leonard or the dynamic creativity of Will Smith, but Perreault showed in this tournament that he deserves to be ranked higher by scouts. His processing ability is elite, and he did a better job getting to the middle and working through traffic than he has in some other tournaments this year. It shows growth, both in ability and mindset. The size/skating combination is still a bit of a concern, but his NHL projection definitely improved with his performance here.

Danny Nelson - Center - USA

Nelson has been a tough player to get a read on this year with how he has moved around the lineup for the NTDP, but he was terrific in this tournament as the U.S.’ fourth line center and a top penalty killer. Nelson has an intriguing profile as a big and versatile forward. His skating has improved over the course of the year, as has his confidence with the puck. One of the youngest players available this year, there may be a huge runway here for future development. He was terrific in the gold medal game, scoring a goal and generating a few other great scoring chances.

Aram Minnetian - Defense - USA

All season long the question has been, who is the top draft eligible defender on this NTDP team? We have always felt it to be Minnetian, but he did a lot at this tournament to prove to everyone else that he is the answer to the question. He was a remarkable +16 and was a force at both ends of the ice. There is a lot to like here with his plus mobility, quick hands, vision, and improving physicality.

Cal Ritchie - Center - Canada

This was a huge tournament for Ritchie. He came into the year as a potential top ten pick after leading the Hlinka/Gretzky Cup in scoring, but his performance with the rebuilding Oshawa Generals (OHL) left something to be desired during the year. However, he was fantastic for Canada here, perhaps the team’s most consistently effective forward. His high-end offensive awareness and playmaking ability were on full display, especially from his office behind the net. It should also be noted that he was pretty banged up coming into the tournament, having suffered a shoulder injury at the end of the OHL season. Then, of course, he appeared to injure the same shoulder in the bronze medal game. He can now, deservedly, rest up.

Andrew Gibson - Defense - Canada

Canada’s defense was largely a mess during this tournament. A mix of poor play and poor chemistry (thanks to line shuffling) led to their downfall against top end competition. However, Andrew Gibson was a standout as a defensive stalwart. It seems like he was always there to clean up the mess made by someone else with a great stick, great positioning, or a big shot block. He missed the majority of the second half of the OHL season with an injury (that also kept him out of the CHL Top Prospect’s Game), but he looked strong here. His strong rush led to the eventual bronze medal winning goal by Macklin Celebrini.

Jakub Dvorak - Defense - Czechia

Speaking of injured players, it was a tough year for Dvorak. Injuries limited his exposure this year. Entering the year there was some thought that he could be a first-round pick, but his offensive game just didn’t develop as expected, perhaps due to his health. Thus, it was great to see him healthy at this event and playing at a high level as one of Czechia’s top players and defenders. He looked good in the defensive end and likely left scouts with a positive lasting impression before the draft.

Samuel Urban - Goaltender - Slovakia

Without a doubt, Urban was one of the key reasons why Slovakia was able to go from relegation to a top four finish this year. He had a really strong finish to the year in the USHL (with Sioux City) and was consistently excellent at this tournament when Slovakia needed him most. Even in the semifinals against the United States, when he was pulled, he was great and kept the game from being even more lopsided. He likely secured a draft selection with his play, something that was not guaranteed heading into the tournament.

Dalibor Dvorsky - Center - Slovakia

Much like Otto Stenberg, Dvorsky has had an up and down year leading to wide fluctuations in his draft ranking. However, he put the Slovaks on his back at this tournament; he was the team’s offense. His play at both ends and his vision with the puck were standout qualities. A well-rounded player, Dvorsky appears to have a number of different paths available to him as an NHL player. Improving his skating still appears to be needed, but you cannot argue with the results. He unquestionably raised his stock at this tournament.

Juraj Pekarcik - Wing - Slovakia

One of the main surprises of the tournament, Pekarcik did more than just ride the coattails of Dvorsky. He drove play too and made Dvorsky better by giving him a skilled winger to play with. A bigger forward, Pekarcik was excellent around the net and showed an ability to play through traffic. His competitiveness was admirable, and he looks like he has some runway to develop into a skilled power forward at the pro level in North America.

Kasper Halttunen - Wing - Finland

As mentioned with a few other players in this piece, the U18’s were a huge event for Halttunen, who had a disappointing season playing in Finland. Certainly, the big, power winger did what he needed to do at the tournament to impress scouts, even if Finland had a somewhat underwhelming result. Finland’s offense flowed through him. He may not have done enough to draw back into the first round, but he likely also silenced some critics with strong play.

2023 IIHF U18 WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP – McKeen’s Scouting Team Predictions

McKeens Scouting Team — Thu, 20 Apr 2023 22:57:05 +0000

PORRENTRUY, SWITZERLAND - APRIL 20: Canada's Macklin Celebrini #17 clears the puck while Sweden's Gustaf Felix Unger Sorum #18 defends during Preliminary Round - Group A action at the 2023 IIHF Ice Hockey U18 World Championship at Raiffeisen Arena on April 20, 2023 in Porrentruy, Switzerland. (Photo by Chris Tanouye/IIHF)

While the IIHF U18’s are already a day into the action, it’s not too late for a little prognostication. The McKeen’s team has come together to offer their predictions for the tournament.

Medal Predictions:

Gold:

Canada (5)

United States (5)

Silver:

United States (5)

Canada (4)

Sweden (1)

Bronze:

Sweden (8)

Canada (1)

Finland (1)

Who Will Win Tournament MVP:

Will Smith (2)

Ryan Leonard (1)

Colby Barlow (1)

Andrew Cristall (1)

Eduard Sale (1)

Gabe Perreault (1)

Kasper Halttunen (1)

Lukas Dragicevic (1)

Who Will Win Best Defenseman:

Axel Sandin Pellikka (6)

Lukas Dragicevic (2)

Aron Kiviharju (1)

Cole Hutson (1)

Who Will Win Best Goaltender:

Trey Augustine (7)

Michael Hrabal (2)

Carson Bjarnason (1)

What will be the surprise of the tournament?

“Slovakia: The Slovaks are back in the elite division after four long years. The current team is not as deep and talented as the squad that won silver at the 2021 Hlinka Gretzky Cup, but it's still definitely an above-average Slovak team that is able to upset some of the favorites. As usual, the overall result will rely heavily on goaltending, but if Samuel Urban finds his 2022 HGC form, Slovakia shouldn't be worried about bad results. D Maxim Štrbák and F Dalibor Dvorský are the two key names on the team, however, they are not the only intriguing players. The offense looks strongl with interesting players such as Juraj Pekarčík, František Dej, Roman Kukumberg or the 2025 NHL Draft prospect Tomáš Pobežal. The Slovaks aim to be a fast and hard-playing team, which is always fun to watch.” (Matej Deraj)

“Team: While the Finnish team is lacking on top-end talent relative to the rest of the medal contenders, there tends to always be one team that just puts it all together and plays greater than the sum of its parts. They could knock someone like Canada or Sweden out if either team comes in overconfident. Player(s): Noel Nordh should be getting a lot of opportunities for Sweden and has the size and skill necessary to really step up against this age group. Caden Price has had an up and down season but always tends to put it on in best-on-best competitions, and I fully expect him to end up the #1 defender for Canada by tournament's end.” (Sam McGilligan)

“I think Trey Augustine might be a surprise here. So many people will pay attention to this tournament focused on the glut of star forwards on Team USA, while there is a very real chance that Augustine ends up stealing the show. Obviously, this is a somewhat volatile pick for surprise of the tournament, but I fully believe that if he puts forth the type of starring performance he is capable of, it will definitely be considered the surprise of the tournament given how focused so many are on other elements of Team USA.” (Ethan Hetu)

“Noah Dower Nilsson - Dower Nilsson is a player that has fallen off the radar, but his game has many attributes that translate well at the next level. He has a motor that is always running and is not afraid to challenge the dirty areas on the ice. If Dower Nilsson can follow up on his J20 Nationell at this WJC, it could bump his draft stock significantly.” (Mark Dube)

“I think that the underagers in this tournament will dominate. Celebrini, Eiserman, Kiviharju, Catton, etc. are all regarded as high picks for the 2024 NHL Draft and are potentially better than a lot of the 2023 class at this tournament. I think this will be the chance for that draft class to show that it is going to be a very high-quality group.” (Joely Stockl)

“Latvia - The quarterfinals is where the always pesky Latvians will exit the tournament, but don't be surprised when they come out on top in their preliminary round match-ups with Switzerland and Norway.” (Chapin Landvogt)

“Carson Bjarnason will be a rock for Canada between the pipes, and put him in wider conversation to be the first goalie taken in the 2023 draft.” (Derek Neumeier)

“Celebrini really impresses and becomes the clear-cut number one pick for next year.” (Jeremi Plourde)

“Martone moves his way up the Canadian lineup after great performances early.” (Chase Rochon)

“The way I see the tournament unfolding, I think we’ll end up with either Slovakia or Czechia playing against Finland in the quarterfinals. I think both of these teams can pull off the upset in that scenario, coming off of an unquestionably more difficult group. They will be battle tested and while I do believe Finland has a strong overall team, in a one game scenario, I see them especially ripe for an upset without elite offensive playmakers.” (Brock Otten)

Which draft prospect will raise his stock the most?

“Calum Ritchie. I think he will have a breakout offensively after ending the season on a high note with a strong performance against Ottawa in round one of the OHL playoffs. Playing with Barlow likely, they will be able to feed off of each other and Ritchie will have a gifted goal scorer on his wing, unlike his situation in Oshawa. I hope Ritchie feels compelled to take some risks offensively in this tournament and really hone in on his skills. I think this tournament has the potential to be a difference maker in Ritchie's draft stock, if he is stellar offensively, I think he firmly puts himself in that 15-25 pick range. This is Ritchie's time to shine, he was fantastic at the Hlinka and at the CHL Top Prospects game, pretty much every game that he didn't play in Oshawa, so I think this is his time.” (Joely Stockl)

“Dalibor Dvorský: Dvorský has been falling in the rankings the whole year and now he has a chance to redeem himself. He'll be the undisputed offensive leader and key forward on Team Slovakia. Dvorský is used to playing against older players, he has spent his last three seasons either in a men's or a U20 league. Competing against players of his age should improve Dvorský's production and release his true offensive potential.” (Matej Deraj)

“Sticking with U.S. prospects, I think Aram Minnetian has a strong opportunity here. The U.S. team is obviously stocked to the brim with star forwards, but in terms of this draft class, the crop of defensemen doesn't have nearly the same sort of standout. Minnetian seems in line to receive a significant opportunity on the U.S. back end, and if he can seize it he could really build some momentum to move up draft boards.” (Ethan Hetu)

“Kasper Halttunen - He was a fantastic underager at last year's tournament. He did some heavy lifting at the U20 level in Finland this winter, but was a non-factor in 27 Liiga games, offensively speaking. Thus, his stock has dropped. His body size, hands, and skating have not. His team will need someone to step up to the plate and he's about the most prime of candidates to do so.” (Chapin Landvogt)

“Andrew Cristall is going to score a ton of points here. There's a lot of faith in him in the public eye, but I think teams are skeptical and they aren't inherently wrong for doing so. This can really be an event where he can be THE guy producing for Canada and show what he can do when consistently playing alongside top end players.” (Sam McGilligan)

“Matthew Wood - Wood has quietly amassed some impressive numbers playing in his first year at the University of Connecticut (35-11-23-34), which was good enough to lead the team in scoring as a 17-year-old. Look for Wood to increase his draft stock at this tournament by using his deadly shot against unsuspecting goaltenders.” (Mark Dube)

“Emil Jarventie, I feel like he could really shoot up his draft stock a ton after somewhat of an underwhelming season. He should get a lot of ice time and exposure with the Finnish team.” (Jeremi Plourde)

“Matthew Wood. He will be a Top 6 force for Canada, be one of the leading scorers in the tournament, and will assuage a lot of the concerns that scouts have about his skating ability.” (Derek Neumeier)

“Calum Ritchie re-emerges as first rounder after producing at a lower level this season.” (Chase Rochon)

“I’m giving you two answers. The first is Carey Terrance. Standing out consistently in Erie was difficult this year. However, he’s got a great chance at the U18’s, playing alongside Oliver Moore. Those two are electric skaters and I think are going to be a difficult pairing to contain. The second is Tom Willander on Sweden. While Sandin-Pellikka and Lindstein have gotten a lot of the coverage this year (Lindstein early, Sandin-Pellikka lately), I believe it is Willander’s game that could translate the best to the NHL level, and I think his play at this tournament helps secure a spot in the first round in Nashville.” (Brock Otten)

Which draft prospect are you most intrigued to see perform at the tournament?

“Again, I have to give you two. The first is someone in my neighborhood, Cal Ritchie. For one, I’m unsure if he’s completely healthy. So, I’m curious to see how that unfolds. Secondly, he’s performed very well in events outside of the OHL this year (Hlinka/Gretzky, CHL Top Prospect’s Game), so let’s see if that trend continues. It’s a big event for him to prove to scouts that he should be a first-round selection. The second is Riley Heidt. I say this without him being named to team Canada at the current moment. But as of writing this, the Seattle Thunderbirds are on the verge of eliminating the Prince George Cougars…. Canada just happens to have an open roster spot still available. He could pay large dividends for the team.” (Brock Otten)

“For me, it would have to be Matthew Wood. He's been one of my favorite players throughout this whole process, but as I've grown to appreciate his game, his skating has (as one might expect) remained a major area of concern. Part of the reason I've been so enamored with him has been because he's played so well in the NCAA at such a relatively young age. Getting the chance to see him against his peers in a best-on-best setting is something I'm extremely interested to watch, because thus far most of my time watching him has been against players older than him. I'm genuinely very excited about the opportunity this tournament provides to evaluate him in a different environment.” (Ethan Hetu)

“Eduard Šalé - The Czech forward had a great tournament last year with nine points in six games as an underager. Šalé played well at the last World Juniors where the Czech ended up getting a silver medal, so he should thrive against his peers. Although his season in the Czech top tier league was a bit shaky, the U18 tournament should be a great opportunity to find his groove. I'm looking forward to seeing him play as the expected offensive leader of the Czech team.” (Matej Deraj)

“Macklin Celebrini - It's been an underage USHL season for the ages for Celebrini. Now he joins a Team Canada that is already pretty stacked up front with established CHL talent. He'll have plenty of skill to work with and little pressure to be any type of go-to guy. The situation is ripe for the possible 2024 first overall draft pick to give us all a glimpse of what exactly we can reckon with in the future.” (Chapin Landvogt)

“I am intrigued to see Otto Stenberg of team Sweden. I was a huge fan of him at the World Jr A Challenge and in the video that I have watched of him. I may be higher on him than most people, but I am excited to see him compete with the rest of this draft class. I think he has the potential to be the X factor for team Sweden.” (Joely Stockl)

“Lukas Dragicevic. He is immensely talented, but still has a ton of work left to do off the puck, and his effort level looks awful at times. It's hard to gauge how much of my concerns about him from this season were connected to his team and their situation, so I'm curious to see how he does in an entirely different environment.” (Derek Neumeier)

“Lukas Dragicevic - Dragicevic absolutely blew the lights off the WHL in scoring as a defenseman (68-15-60-75), finishing 4th among all defensemen, as a draft eligible player. The U18 WJC will give him a chance to display his defensive play and possibly assert himself a better draft ranking.” (Mark Dube)

“Tanner Howe, I have had some question marks regarding how good Bedard really makes him look, so playing without him will be intriguing to see.” (Jeremi Plourde)

“Colby Barlow has a last chance to prove to me that his game is at a level that can and will be successful at the next level.” (Chase Rochon)

“I still have so many questions about Matthew Wood, so I'm looking forward to seeing him in a new environment.” (Sam McGilligan)