Introduction
With the World Junior Championships commencing tomorrow, part two of our two part series can be read below. Part one, which broke down the tournament as a whole, as well as gave team-by-team breakdowns can be found here.
| Name | Country | Position | Pick |
| Dawson Mercer | Canada | Forward | 2020 1st round (18th overall) |
| Jaromir Pytlick | Czech Republic | Forward | 2020 4th Round |
| Shakir Mukhamadullin | Russia | Defense | 2020 1st Round (20th overall) |
| Arseni Gritsyuk | Russia | Forward | 2019 5th Round |
| Alexander Holtz | Sweden | Forward | 2020 1st Round (7th overall) |
| Patrick Moynihan | United States | Forward | 2019 6th Round |
Players to Watch
Of course, all should keep a close eye on the six New Jersey Devils’ representatives at this tournament (see above). But, I want to focus on guys who the Devils may have a chance to select in the draft the coming years, as well as some NHL draftees who can make-or-break their respective teams.
Yaroslav Askarov
As mentioned above, Yaroslav Askarov is not only arguably the best player in this tournament, but also has a real shot at winning player of the tournament. As a team, Russia has an extremely inexperienced group, especially on defense. So, Yaroslav Askarov will certainly have his work cut out for him.
Askarov is an unreal talent. He plays for a KHL powerhouse SKA St. Petersburg and has a tremendous .962 save percentage and a 0.96 goals-against average in nine games this season. The Predators undoubtedly got a franchise netminder with the team’s 11th overall pick.
As was mentioned above, Askarov did struggle at last year’s tournament as he posted a meager .877 save percentage. However, this year expect much better and it is certainly safe to say that Team Russia will go as far as Yaroslav Askarov’s play takes them.
Spencer Knight
Much like Askarov, Spencer Knight will be the determining factor in how far the United States goes in this tournament. Team USA’s defense is inexperienced and not of the caliber it usually is, so Knight may have his work cut out for him.
There is no reason he will not be up to the task. Knight logged a stellar .931 save percentage at Boston College last year and followed that up with a .955 mark in four games this season.
Brad Lambert
By far the highest touted draft-eligible prospect in this tournament is Finland’s forward Brad Lambert. Interestingly enough, Lambert is not even eligible until the 2022 draft as he is only 16-years old.
Despite his age, Lambert already has 22 Liiga games under his belt. He started playing in Finland’s professional league at 15-years-old and has continued to do so at age 16. He currently has seven points in 18 games for JYP. Keep in mind, the Liiga is one of the most prestigious professional hockey leagues in the whole world, and he is playing in it at ages 15 and 16.
Lambert is regarded as a consensus top-five pick in the 2022 NHL Entry Draft. Many even consider him a top-three prospect with a shot to be taken first off the board. It is certainly going to be exciting to see him play at this year’s tournament for a fun Finland team.
Matthew Beniers
The highest touted 2021 NHL Draft eligible prospect is American Matthew Beniers. The 18-year-old played throughout the US Developmental Program where he was second on the U18 team in scoring last season. The University of Michigan product has six points in only eight games early on in the NCAA season.
It is unclear what type of role the 18-year-old will play for the United States. But, as a consensus first-rounder in the 2021 NHL Draft, with capabilities to crack the top-10, he will certainly be worth keeping an eye on.
Simon Nemec
One of Slovakia’s top players in this tournament is a 16-year-old., so he also is not eligible until the 2022 NHL Entry Draft. The six-foot-one defenseman currently plays for HK Nitra which plays in the top professional league in Slovakia. So, if you tune in to watch Slovakia play at all this tournament, keep your eyes on Nemec.
Nemec is projected to be an early first-round pick in 2022. Most have him currently projected inside the top-10. It is not too often you get to take a sneak peek of two top eligible prospects in a draft two years from now, but that is exactly the case in this year’s tournament.
Simon Knak
Simon Knak is the only player on this list that went undrafted in the 2020 NHL Entry Draft. Given he was ranked 128th by Future Considerations and 81st by NHL Central Scouting, it was a bit of a surprise. However, given his 2002 birth year, he still has a real shot at getting drafted this upcoming year. Which, in most cases, is rare once you already go undrafted once.
Knak is a right wing that plays in the WHL for the Portland Winterhawks. In limited ice time, he compiled 34 points in 49 games as well as a plus-13 rating last season. This year he plays in the NL (top professional Swiss hockey league) for HC Davos. He has four points in 11 games.
Given there are not many other prospects to keep an eye on for an extremely young Swiss team, Simon Knak is a good candidate to keep your eyes busy if you tune in to watch the Swiss play. If all goes well, he should be a mid-round selection in the 2021 NHL Entry Draft.
Overall Rankings and Predictions
Rankings
- Canada
- United States
- Sweden
- Russia
- Finland
- Czech Republic
- Switzerland
- Slovakia
- Germany
- Austria
Group Play Predictions
Bracket Predictions
Relegation Playoff:
Germany over Austria
Quarterfinals:
USA over Slovakia & Sweden over Switzerland.
Canada over Czech Republic & Finland over Russia.
Semifinals:
USA over Sweden.
Canada over Finland.
Medals:
Gold – USA
Silver – Canada
Bronze – Sweden
Player of the Tournament:
Spencer Knight
Conclusion
The World Junior Championships are always one of the more fun times of the year. This year features a lot of top-tier talent both consisting of NHL draftees and some elite 2021/2022 draft-eligible prospects.
Make sure to stay tuned to our social media pages for updates all tournament long. You can also listen to our most recent episode of Devils Army Cast where we discuss the World Junior Championship in-depth above.