World Juniors Preview
The 2023 World Junior Championship begins December 26th in Halifax and Moncton. With the majority of the top 2023 NHL draft prospects on display, this tournament is a much watch for hockey players and fans of all ages.
Team Canada
Coming into the tournament as the favorite, Team Canada is loaded with big time NHL prospects that will continue to be house hold names. Here is a quick look of how their roster shakes out.
Forwards
The forward group is dangerous as all four projected lines can absolutely score the puck. Brennan Othmann of the Peterborough Petes and first round selection of the New York Rangers is expected to play top 6 minutes with former OHL star now of the Seattle Kraken Shane Wright.
Draft Eligibles Adam Fantilli (Michigan) and Connor Bedard (Regina) will be some of the most talked about players this tournament as they are projected 1 and 2 in the 2023 NHL Draft.
Defense
Not only can the offensive group for Canada be explosive on offense, the defense can contribute equally to the score sheet. Former Barrie Colt and now LA Kings Defensemen Brandt Clarke and 4th round pick of Chicago Ethan Del Mastro are projected as the top pair for the Canadians.
Del Mastro and Nolan Allen of the Seattle Thunderbirds bring strong defensive play that will be needed to advance in the tournament, as the Canadian Goaltending is the biggest question mark.
Goaltending
Benjamin Gaudreau of the Sarnia Sting and 3rd Selection of the San Jose Sharks in the 2021 draft is expected to get majority of the stars. Despite Gaudreau's struggles this year in Sarnia posting only a 86.8 Save Percentage, Gaudreau is the type of goaltender that can get hot during a tournament. In the 2021 u18's he posted a 91.9 save percentage and a 2.21 GAA in 5 games, there should be more confidence surrounding him.
Projection
Team Canada behind above average goaltending of Benjamin Gaudreau will take home the Championship. This is the deepest team in the field by a wide margin and has been assembled properly unlike their rivals to the south...Team USA.
Team USA
Forwards
Up front Team USA is top loaded with forwards Jimmy Snuggerud (UMinn/STL 1st Rd), Logan Cooley (UMinn/AZ 1st RD) and Cutter Gauthier (BC/Phila 1st RD). After the top grouping of players the USA are filled with good depth and role players. The big question for Team USA is who is going to provide the secondary scoring. The omission of Sasha Pastujov (Sarnia/ANH 3rd RD) and OHL leading scorer Ty Voit (Sarnia/Tor 5th RD) seem to be spiteful team USA. On a team filled with former National Development Team alumni, USA better produce or they will continue to be critiqued for their decisions.
Defense
Small and fast is how USA selected their defensive core. There is no shortage of fire power from the blue line as Luke Huges (UMich/NJ 1st RD) highlights the defensive core. Players such as Sean Behrens (UDen/Col 2nd RD) will be asked to not only defend first teams' top pair but also contribute points in order for this team to be successful.
Goaltending
Kaiden Mbereko is expected to get the start in net and what a platform he has to showcase his abilities. Currently undrafted, the undersized 5'11 goaltender has posted a 92.7 save percentage in his freshman season for Colorado College.
For Team USA to be successful, Mbereko has to be the top story of the tournament.
Prediction
Overall, for Team USA there have been some head scratching decisions that make you wonder if winning this tournament is the priority. At best this team will finish second but more than likely they will be battling for the bronze. The lack of depth will come back to haunt them.
Quick Hits
Sweden will be missing several of their top prospects as injuries and players electing to stay with their current club have hindered their outlook on the tournament
Finland lacks the elite prospects that they have had in the past. Instead, the current roster assembled is filled with good future pros both in European leagues and in North America. This is the dark horse team.
Czechia’s biggest question mark is their goaltending as Nick Malik will not be returning. This team has the talent to make a deep run but if one of their new goaltenders does not step up it will be a quick exit.
Montreal leads all NHL teams with 6 prospects on World Junior Championship rosters, followed by Arizona, Chicago, Minnesota, New Jersey, and NY Rangers with 5 each.