Good question... following.
Seems like each year a prospect or two really has his stock rise because of the WJC, like Kaprizov last year for example.
Any guesses on who it could be this year?
On a fantasy hockey break.
Good question... following.
I think Troy Terry has some real riser potential almost 2pt/gm in NCAA, pt/gm at last years tourney and if not for Keller would have gotten more attention. I'm expecting a big Tourny from him
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Terry's too old for the WJC.
ahh shit.. my bad
I'll use actual lists of potential players:
US -Max Gildon, Joe Woll, Ivan Lodnia -- Woll will be in tough to have the starting job over Oettinger, neither have looked spectacular in NCAA so far this year
Finland - Heponiemi can really put a stamp on what he's done in the WHL so far. Kupari & Ikonen -- all eyes will be on Tolvanen.
Sweden - Boqvist (drafted by NJ 2nd round) is one that really intrigues me. Another Boqvist on D intrigues me as well (potential top10 pick this year)
Canada - Kyrou & Lind are my picks for fast risers. Steenberger as wildcard to make the team and be this years Raddysh
Czech.. obviously Zadina could push himself into #3 prospect status
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Team Finland
If Eeli Tolvanen (NSH) and Aleksi Heponiemi (FLA) play together, one of them could easily win the tournament MVP award. Those two could be magical together. Aapeli Rasanen (EDM) has some history with Tolvanen, so he could have a big tournament if they are put back together.
Joni Ikonen (MTL), Kristian Vesalainen (WPG), Jesperi Kotkaniemi (2018) and Otto Koivula (NYI) have been playing against men in Finland, so they could explode when playing against players their own age. I believe Finland is also going to get Janne Kuokkanen (CAR) from the AHL. Jesse Puljujarvi (EDM) is also still eligible but I doubt we get him.
Miro Heiskanen (DAL) is an obvious candidate to be the best D-man in the tournament. Finland also has Olli Juolevi (VAN) who has been almost as good in the Finnish league, and Henri Jokiharju (CHI) and Juuso Valimaki (CGY) who have been great in the WHL. I'm not sure who their other D-men are going to be but Urho Vaakanainen (BOS), Eemeli Rasanen (TOR), Robin Salo (NYI), Tarmo Reunanen (NYR) and Markus Niemelainen (EDM) are definitely some names they'll consider.
Finland should have a great team - hopefully Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen (BUF) can stop some pucks.
Team Sweden
Elias Pettersson (VAN) is leading the SHL in points! That kid will truly dominate against U20 players. I'm also expecting a very good tournament from Lias Andersson (NYR) - they're both '98 kids, so this will be their last WJC. Jesper Boqvist (NJD), Marcus Davidsson (BUF) and Lukas Elvenes (VGK) could become household names at the WJC. Elvenes is almost a point-per-game player in the Allsvenskan (I just added him in one league because I doubt he's going to be available much longer).
Rasmus Dahlin (2018) could be Sweden's #1D as a 17-year-old. But that's not a bad thing - it just shows how good he is. Jacob Moverare (LAK) is having a solid season in the OHL. Erik Brannstrom (VGK) hasn't been producing much in the SHL yet but he should be one of their top D-men regardless. Can Adam Boqvist (2018) make the team? It would be very interesting to see him.
Will Sweden get Alexander Nylander (BUF) and Timothy Liljegren (TOR) from the AHL? That remains to be seen.
Sweden also has some solid options in goal: Filip Gustavsson (PIT), Filip Larsson (DET) and Olle Eriksson Ek (ANA).
Team Russia
I'm really hoping to see Klim Kostin (STL), Andrei Svechnikov (2018), Vitali Abramov (CBJ), German Rubtsov (PHI) and Dmitri Sokolov (MIN) on the Russian team but sometimes they just don't take these players who don't play in Russia. Some Russian names to keep an eye on: Nikita Popugayev (NJD), Andrei Altybarmakyan (CHI), Artur Kayumov (CHI), Mikhail Maltsev (NJD), Artyom Manukyan (undrafted) and Grigori Dronov (undrafted). These guys are mostly just sleeper prospects but some of them could become household names after the tournament.
Russia has some very interesting goalie options: Mikhail Berdin (WPG) and Maxim Zhukov (VGK) from the USHL, and Kirill Ustimenko (PHI) and Daniil Tarasov (CBJ) from their U20 league, the MHL.
Team Czech Republic
Filip Chytil (NYR) should be great for them assuming they can get him from the AHL. On a better team, he would be MVP candidate. They also have Martin Necas (CAR), Filip Zadina (2018) and Ostap Safin (EDM), so they could score some goals for sure. Libor Hajek (TBL) is the only 'D' name that comes to mind, so they probably lack the depth to go far but it's probably better than average team for Czech Republic if these five players are healthy and available.
Canada & USA
Canada and USA have too many names to list them all but I'm going to name two from each: Tyson Jost (COL) and Victor Mete (MTL), if Team Canada can get them, and Ryan Poehling (MTL) and Casey Mittelstadt (BUF) who have been great in NCAA this season.
JP, I think I try to rep you every couple days and continually get denied the opportunity--this is great stuff.
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In most international draft rankings, Rasmus Kupari is the higher ranked Finnish player for the 2018 draft but Jesperi Kotkaniemi is the one who has been by far the better player so far this season. Kupari is seen as a player with perhaps higher potential but I don't see him being ready to be an impact player at the WJC - I don't even know if he's going to make the team.
In fact, both FinnProspects and Finnish Junior Hockey rank Kotkaniemi 1st and Kupari 2nd right now:
https://finnprospects.com/ranking/pr...ing-3-2017-18/
https://finnishjuniorhockey.com/2017...018-nhl-draft/
And I would call Adam Boqvist a potential top-3 pick, not a potential top-10 pick. I would be shocked if he didn't go in the top-5, and he could definitely go 3rd overall. Here's a great article comparing him to Rasmus Dahlin: https://futureconsiderations.ca/vers...rasmus-dahlin/
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I think Adam Fox has a decent shot to have a coming out party as the PPQB on a strong American squad. Ryan Ellis is his best comparable in my view...
I'm expecting Boqvist to go 3 or 4. I think it'll depend on who's in the 3 spot as Tkachuk could go there. I've seen lists that have Boqvist at 10 and 8 and Kupari from 3 to 15 (same as with Bode Wilde, well 5-15). I think he's guaranteed to go top 10, but other risers and a team drafting for need over BPA could have him slide to 5/6. At worst I see him going #5 with Zadina & Tkachuk sliding up in in 3-4.
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Nick.
Suzuki.
ISS is surprisingly lost with another European D-man (Boqvist) just like they were last year with Heiskanen - I think it wasn't until April when they first had Heiskanen in their top-31. That's the only ranking I've seen where Boqvist has been outside top-5.
And yes, totally agree - Zadina and Tkachuk could go ahead of him, and the reason for that in my opinion is NHL readiness. Both of them are most likely ready to jump straight to the NHL because they're '99 kids whereas most of this draft group is born in 2000, they both have good size, and also because it's much easier for wingers to make the jump. But I don't see anyone else going before Boqvist because his upside is so high.
And as said, Kupari is ranked very high by international scouting groups but Finnish scouts seem to think Kotkaniemi is the better player between those two. But most importantly, Kotkaniemi is the better player right now and therefore his chances of playing at the WJC are much better. They don't select players to WJC teams based on potential, they select players based on who is better right now.
Jordan Kyrou will probably be the biggest riser (from Canada) if GM's aren't already familiar with him.