Takeaways From The 2012 WJC

 It almost goes without saying that this year's IIHF World Junior Championship was a magnificent tournament, but I'm still far from being over it, so I'll mention it as much as I can.  Hockey fans of all nations were reeling after every great hockey game put forth in Alberta over the past few weeks.  The competition was full of excitement, and took until the very last moment to be decided.  We all know that Sweden captured their first World Junior title since 1981, that this tournament that the Russians have returned back to prime form as an international threat again, and that U.S. had a more then disappointing showing (and I mean really disappointing,) but here are few more objective points, a "What We Learned", if you will, that must be mentioned following the conclusion if the 2012 World Junior Championship.

RED SCARE COMING TO D.C.

 Anyone with eyes could see Russian forward Yevgeni Kuznetzsov was the most commanding force on the ice for any team at the tournament.  Whether or not they used their eyes by looking at the scoresheet or his actual gameplay is the question. Kuznetsov led the entire tournament in points (13), and was a threat at all times to opponents.  Kuznetsov displayed his finishing touch, Bounty-soft hands, and eagle-like vision countless times, but everyone was so caught up in his performance in the present to recognize what this promising prospect holds for NHL hockey for the next few years...

 Kuznetsov is property of the Washington Capitals (selected 26th overall in 2010), who just happen to have his motherland's most destructive weapon sent overseas since the Cuban missile crisis, Alexander Ovechkin.  Quite convenient, unless you happen to be wearing a sweater that isn't "Rocking the Red".  Now, I'm not saying Kuznetsov is a lock for 52 goals and 54 assists in his rookie season with the Caps, but looking even a few years further into the future and Alex Semin's value fading, the possibility of Kuznetsov playing alongside Ovi on the right wing, or even following up The Great 8 on another line back-to-back would be a devastating combination to face.



NAIL DESERVES TOP SPOT

 Two months ago, the International Scouting Service (ISS) released their November 2012 NHL Draft Rankings, which had the previously considered unanimous #1 overall selection, Nail Yakupov, dropped to 2nd on their list, and fellow countryman Mikhail Grigorenko took over the top spot.  When the calender turned to December, the ISS stayed firm in their decision, and Grigorenko and Yakupov remained at #1 and #2 respectively for the second straight month, even though top analysts such as TSN's Craig Button and Bob McKenzie still had Yakupov as their projected top selection.  Well, if there's anything the ISS could have learned from this year's World Juniors, it's that Nail deserves to be the unanimous choice to go #1 at this year's draft in Pittsburgh.
 I understand that his teammate, Grigorenko, was banged up for just about all of the tournament, and I know Yakupov sustained a lower body injury in the gold medal game that has put him out indefinitely for an unknown period of time right now, but the fact of the matter is, Yakupov is the best player available.  He was tied for the tournament lead in assists (9), and you couldn't take your eyes off him every time he jumped over the boards.  Nail proved with his play on the ice that he deserves to regain his position atop all predraft rankings.

MIKA ZIBANEJAD IS FOR REAL
 As previously discussed in The Hart of Hockey's inaugural post, Mika Zibanejad has been a player surrounded by a lot of hype backed up by a resume that, well, quite frankly didn't seem to match up with all of that attention.  We were left asking questions like, "Did he really deserve to be taken early at 6th overall by Ottawa?" and "Where are these glowing reviews coming from without the half the stats?"  Well, now we know.

Zibanejad's golden goal in OT of the
championship game against Russia

 This kid is a gamer.  He is strong, smart, clutch, everything you could ask for in a 1st round draft pick.  Mika Zibanejad is for real.  In the gold medal game, it was fitting that he get the lone goal of the match in overtime, as he was the most visible and hardest working player in a Swedish uniform as the game dragged on.  He proved that he is the kind of player that you want to have on your team no matter if things are going well or everything seems to be going against you.  He gave the hockey faithful plenty of reason to believe that he can certainly develop into that same clutch player at the National Hockey League level.



A STAR IS BORN

Mrazek celebrates after his
52-save victory over the U.S.

 One of the brightest stars that glistened on the ice at this year's WJC didn't even make it to the semifinal round.  Look out, Jimmy Howard, because even though Ty Conklin isn't exactly challenging you for your job right now, in a few years Czech goalie Petr Mrazek sure will be.  The Ottawa 67's netminder and Red Wings prospect hasn't exactly set the world on fire with his stats in the OHL, but he has been improving as a goalie this season, and the hockey world was fortunate enough to see him in prime form this tournament.
 The spotlight may have shined a slight bit brighter on Andrey Makarov and Andrei Vasilevski with the success of the Russian squad, but Mrazek still received the IIHF Directoree Award for the Best Goalkeeper of the tournament and showed us all what a promising future this young man has.