ROSTERS, SCHEDULES, PREVIEWS, AND PREDICTIONS
Oh, it's the most wonderful time of the year! With the holiday season almost over, we're about to unwrap Malmö, Sweden chasing gold medals and national pride.
one of the greatest gifts of all: World Junior hockey. Yes, it's the same present every year, like socks from grandma, but unlike those socks, the IIHF's annual tournament manages to maintain enough charm to keep us elated year after year. This year will likely be no different, as the best junior age hockey talent on Earth will be in
Here we've compiled every team's roster, round robin schedule, and a preview of what to expect from them over the next two weeks in Sweden.
There's two groups with five teams each, and it's worth mentioning that this is the first time that the top FOUR teams from both groups will advance to a single-elimination quarterfinal. Previously, only the top three countries would advance and the top team from the group would have a first round bye. Now, every squad will have to win three straight games with their championship dreams on the line if they want to go back home with gold around their necks.
Unlike the NHL, overtime and shootout wins are scored differently than regulation wins. A victory in regulation is worth three points, an overtime/shootout victory worth two points, an OT/shootout loss only one point, and, of course, a loss in regulation gets you a big fat goose egg towards the group standings.
Now that those technicalities are out of the way, we can finally take a look at the teams that will be competing against each other.
GROUP A
No.
|
Player
|
Pos.
|
Current
Team
|
Height
|
Weight
|
NHL Rights
|
1
|
G
|
Saginaw Spirit
|
6’0”
|
185
lbs
|
DET
|
|
2
|
D
|
Erie Otters
|
6’2”
|
216
lbs
|
NYI
|
|
3
|
D
|
Owen Sound Attack
|
6’0”
|
190
lbs
|
COL
|
|
5
|
D
|
Barrie Colts
|
6’3”
|
216
lbs
|
2014
|
|
7
|
D
|
Prince Albert Raiders
|
6’0”
|
183
lbs
|
WPG
|
|
8
|
D
|
Edmonton Oil Kings
|
6’3”
|
212
lbs
|
NYI
|
|
10
|
F
|
Chicoutimi Saguenéens
|
5’10”
|
174
lbs
|
MTL
|
|
11
|
F
|
London Knights
|
5’10”
|
203
lbs
|
VAN
|
|
14
|
F
|
Portland Winterhawks
|
5’11”
|
176
lbs
|
PHI
|
|
15
|
D
|
Portland Winterhawks
|
6’0”
|
203 lbs
|
PIT
|
|
16
|
F
|
Guelph Storm
|
6’1”
|
205 lbs
|
CBJ
|
|
17
|
F
|
Erie Otters
|
6’0”
|
185 lbs
|
2015
|
|
19
|
F
|
Portland Winterhawks
|
5’9”
|
165 lbs
|
WPG
|
|
21
|
F
|
Oshawa Generals
|
6’1”
|
190 lbs
|
PHI
|
|
22
|
F
|
Rimouski Océanic
|
6’4”
|
216 lbs
|
TOR
|
|
23
|
F
|
Kootenay Ice
|
6’1”
|
183
lbs
|
2014
|
|
24
|
D
|
Minnesota Wild
|
6’0”
|
183
lbs
|
MIN
|
|
25
|
F
|
London Knights
|
6’3”
|
212
lbs
|
CBJ
|
|
26
|
F
|
Edmonton Oil Kings
|
6’0”
|
198
lbs
|
OTT
|
|
27
|
F
|
Halifax Mooseheads
|
5’11”
|
185
lbs
|
TB
|
|
28
|
F
|
Val-d’Or Foreurs
|
6’5”
|
205
lbs
|
DET
|
|
31
|
G
|
Halifax Mooseheads
|
6’1”
|
176
lbs
|
MTL
|
Schedule:
vs Germany - Thursday, Dec. 26, 7:30 a.m. ET
vs Czech Republic - Saturday, Dec. 28, 11:30 a.m. ET
vs Slovakia - Monday, Dec. 30, 11:30 a.m. ET
vs United States - Tuesday, Dec. 31, 11:30 a.m. ET
The Great White North always has the highest expectations heading into the World Juniors, but they've now gone four years without a gold medal. They even missed the podium completely last year, despite having a loaded roster due to the NHL lockout. Now, Canada has shaken things up looking to alter its fortunes with a largely inexperienced group when it comes to this tournament.
Griffin Reinhart, Jonathan Drouin, and goalie Jake Paterson are the only returning players from last year's team, but many of the players Canada selected to this team have international experience.
Griffin Reinhart will be counted on the be the leader of the Canucks' defense corps, that is once he returns from a three-game suspension he must serve from an incident that occurred in last year's tournament. Until then, the heaviest workload will fall on Mathew Dumba, who narrowly escaped a suspension of his own after kneeing Sweden's Erik Karlsson in pre-tournament play.
On paper, Canada looks like they have the best blue line in Malmö, but as Canadian forward Charles Hudon would remind you, the game isn't played on paper. Still, they have assembled a good balance of puck-movers and some more defensively responsible types. Expect to see Chris Bigras and Adam Pelech used as shut-down d-men, and a lot of Derrick Pouliot manning the point on the power play. Pouliot has near perfected the art of the man advantage during his time in Portland, and head coach Brent Sutter will look for that skill to translate to success in this competition.
Drouin, third overall pick by Tampa Bay in the 2013 draft, was an unexpected offensive dynamo for the Canadians last year, but has struggled in the eyes of Sutter through pre-tournament exhibitions. He'll likely produce big numbers early on against weaker opponents during round robin play, but if he gets stumped against the top defense pairings of top teams again, Canada could be in big, big trouble.
Of course, all eyes will be on Connor McDavid, the first 16 year old to make Canada's world junior team since some bum named Sidney Crosby. McDavid is the best prospect in 10 years, and his speed and playmaking ability could be the x-factor for Canada on the wider international playing surface.
One final fun thing to look for will be Canada's 2014 draft eligible players, Sam Reinhart and Aaron Ekblad. The two of them are considered to be No. 1 and No. 2 on most scout's lists for the upcoming draft. Last year, No. 1 and No. 2 competed head-to-head with Seth Jones (USA) and Nate MacKinnon (CAN), but now we will see that dynamic play out with the two top prospects pulling the same sweater over their heads.
Don't expect Canada to miss elimination play, especially with the expanded quarterfinal format. However, with the way they've fallen apart the past few years, it would be far from unthinkable to see them miss the championship game altogether again.
No.
|
Player
|
Pos.
|
Current
Team
|
Height
|
Weight
|
NHL Rights
|
1
|
F
|
Medicine Hat Tigers
|
6’2”
|
187
lbs
|
PHX
|
|
2
|
G
|
HC Viktovice
|
5’10”
|
170
lbs
|
||
4
|
D
|
Saskatoon Blades
|
6’4”
|
201
lbs
|
||
5
|
F
|
HC Zlin
|
6’0”
|
181
lbs
|
||
7
|
D
|
KLH Chomutov
|
6’2”
|
185 lbs
|
||
9
|
F
|
Södertälje
|
6’0”
|
168
lbs
|
2014
|
|
10
|
F
|
KLH Chomutov
|
6’2”
|
174
lbs
|
||
11
|
D
|
Victoriaville Tigres
|
6’0’
|
194
lbs
|
||
12
|
D
|
HC Plzen
|
5’9”
|
205
lbs
|
||
13
|
F
|
Bili Tygri Liberec
|
6’3”
|
203
lbs
|
2015
|
|
15
|
F
|
Linköpings
|
6’0”
|
181
lbs
|
2014
|
|
16
|
F
|
Kitchener Rangers
|
6’3”
|
213
lbs
|
DAL
|
|
18
|
F
|
HC Karlovy Vary
|
6’0”
|
183
lbs
|
||
22
|
F
|
Sparta Praha
|
5’11”
|
176
lbs
|
||
24
|
F
|
Red Deer Rebels
|
6’1”
|
185
lbs
|
||
25
|
F
|
KLH Chomutov
|
5’11”
|
157
lbs
|
||
26
|
F
|
Rimouski Océanic
|
6’0”
|
181
lbs
|
||
27
|
D
|
Tri-City Americans
|
6’3”
|
190 lbs
|
||
28
|
F
|
Sparta Praha
|
6’3”
|
203
lbs
|
||
29
|
D
|
Rimouski Océanic
|
6’0”
|
176
lbs
|
WPG
|
|
30
|
G
|
Tappara
|
6’0”
|
165
lbs
|
Schedule:
vs United States - Thursday, Dec. 26, 11:30 a.m. ET
vs Canada - Saturday, Dec. 28, 11:30 a.m. ET
vs Germany - Monday, Dec. 30, 7:30 a.m. ET
vs Slovakia - Tuesday, Dec. 31, 7:30 a.m. ET
This is Radek Faksa's year. Faksa has a big fat "C" written on his sweater over his heart for the Czechs and this could be a great opportunity for the rest of the world to notice his capabilities. There was a large contingent of scouts and executives in the Dallas Stars organization that thought he was ready to contribute at the NHL level in September. It was not to be, but now he's here and coming in as the unquestioned leader of the Czech Republic.
Joining Faksa on the offensive side of the puck will be Jakub Vrána and the man-child Pavel Zacha. Two of the younger players on the Czech roster, Vrána and Zacha are also two of the most threatening. Zacha is one of the three 1997 birth year players in the entire tournament. The other two are Slovak defenseman Eric Černák and Canadian forward Connor McDavid.
Another youngster with great offensive talent is the 2014 draft eligible and electryfying David Pastrňák. Dominik Simon is also one of the teams alternate captains and will likely be a force on offense as well.
The Czechs suffered big losses on the offensive side of the puck, though. No more Tomáš Hyka, no more Dmitrij Jaškin, no Matĕj Beran, and no Tomaš Hertl. Needless to say, those are some tough punches to take and the Czech scoring will likely suffer as a result.
On the other hand, the defense looks very solid. Jan Koštálek and Petr Šidlik are the two returning members from last year's World Juniors, and boy, are they solid. Perfect? No, but solid? You bet. Backing them up will be two other players from the CHL: David Nĕmeček and another alternate captain, bruising Michael Plutnar. Rounding out their blue line is Patrik Marcel and Libor Šulák. If they stay healthy, the Czech Republic might have the most underrated defense in Malmö.
No.
|
Player
|
Pos.
|
Current
Team
|
Height
|
Weight
|
NHL Rights
|
1
|
G
|
Shawinigan Cataractes
|
5’10”
|
181
lbs
|
||
3
|
D
|
London Knights
|
6’0”
|
181
lbs
|
||
5
|
D
|
EV Ravensburg
|
6’3”
|
220
lbs
|
||
6
|
F
|
Wenatchee Wild
|
5’10”
|
170
lbs
|
2014
|
|
7
|
D
|
Minnesota Wilderness
|
5’10”
|
185
lbs
|
||
8
|
F
|
Odessa Jackalopes
|
5’10”
|
165
lbs
|
||
11
|
F
|
Medicine Hat Tigers
|
6’0”
|
165
lbs
|
||
12
|
D
|
Adler Mannheim
|
6’3”
|
205
lbs
|
||
13
|
F
|
EHC München
|
5’11”
|
207 lbs
|
||
14
|
D
|
Düsseldorfer EG
|
6’3”
|
183 lbs
|
||
15
|
F
|
Prince Albert Raiders
|
6’2”
|
209 lbs
|
2014
|
|
16
|
D
|
EV Landshut
|
6’0”
|
187 lbs
|
2014
|
|
17
|
F
|
Cedar Rapids RoughRiders
|
6’0”
|
181 lbs
|
||
18
|
D
|
Green Bay Gamblers
|
5’11”
|
181 lbs
|
2014
|
|
20
|
F
|
FASS Berlin
|
6’0”
|
174
lbs
|
||
21
|
F
|
Sudbury Wolves
|
5’11”
|
174
lbs
|
||
22
|
F
|
Aberdeen Wings
|
6’0”
|
185
lbs
|
||
25
|
F
|
Regina Pats
|
6’0”
|
155
lbs
|
2014
|
|
27
|
F
|
Eisbären Junior s Berlin
|
6’0”
|
176
lbs
|
||
29
|
G
|
EV Duisburg
|
5’11”
|
181
lbs
|
||
30
|
G
|
EC Salzburg II
|
6’1”
|
198
lbs
|
2014
|
Schedule:
vs Canada - Thursday, Dec. 26, 7:30 a.m. ET
vs Slovakia - Friday, Dec. 27, 9:00 a.m. ET
vs United States - Sunday, Dec. 29, 9:00 a.m. ET
vs Czech Republic - Monday, Dec. 30, 7:30 a.m. ET
Leon Draisaitl. That's really all I can say to you. Germany's only hope to win at all and stave off relegation rests on the shoulders of Leon Draisaitl. Germany got lambasted in all of their match-ups in last year's return to the premier level of the World Junior Championship, and yet Draisaitl still managed to get six points in six games.
Now a year older, wiser, and stronger, Draisaitl will look to do it again for his country despite drawing just about all of the attention from the opposition's top defenders. But hey, he's done it before. He's also a sure-fire first rounder at the NHL Draft this summer, but his position on the lists of many scouts has slowly fallen this season despite putting up 51 points in 33 games in the WHL so far. Look the best competition in the world to bring out the best play from Draisaitl as he will also use this tournament as a chance to get back in pro scouts' good graces.
Draisaitl's best chance at success will run through Dominik Kahun, a playmaking forward with the Sudbury Wolves who was not taken at the last draft. If Kahun and Draisaitl are lined together, they could give other teams more trouble than good ol' Deuschland managed to stir-up last year.
Like Draisaitl was last year, Maximilian Kammerer was good enough to make this year's squad with another full season to go before he's even draft eligible, but Kammerer lacks the offensive flair Draisaitl flaunts so effortlessly at times. Still, keep an eye on him.
The Germans will get back their goalie from their last appearance in the tournament, Marvin Cüpper. Unfortunately, Cüpper's "experience" was an experience to forget. His save percentage was rock bottom (.874%) and his goals against average was sky high (5.37). Of course, most of that is due to playing behind a bad team, while some of it can still be attributed to the fact that Cüpper isn't all that good.
Though their defense has good size and offense seems slightly improved, the Germans look like a lock to play in the relegation round in a week.
|
No.
|
Player
|
Pos.
|
Current
Team
|
Height
|
Weight
|
NHL Rights
|
|
1
|
G
|
Orange 20 Bratislava
|
6’0”
|
181
lbs
|
|
|
|
2
|
G
|
HC Slovan Bratislava
|
5’11”
|
176
lbs
|
|
|
|
4
|
D
|
Orange 20 Bratislava
|
6’0”
|
194
lbs
|
|
|
|
5
|
D
|
Orange 20 Bratislava
|
6’1”
|
187
lbs
|
|
|
|
6
|
D
|
Karlovy Vary
|
6’4”
|
205
lbs
|
|
|
|
7
|
D
|
Orange 20 Bratislava
|
6’0”
|
187
lbs
|
|
|
|
9
|
F
|
Orange 20 Bratislava
|
5’10”
|
163
lbs
|
|
|
|
10
|
F
|
Gatineau Olympiques
|
6’0’
|
194
lbs
|
MTL
|
|
|
12
|
F
|
Karlovy Vary
|
5’10”
|
156
lbs
|
|
|
|
13
|
D
|
Orange 20 Bratislava
|
6’0”
|
192
lbs
|
|
|
|
14
|
D
|
Orange 20 Bratislava
|
6’3”
|
203
lbs
|
2015
|
|
|
15
|
F
|
HC Banska Bystrica
|
5’10”
|
181 lbs
|
|
|
|
17
|
F
|
Orange 20 Bratislava
|
6’3”
|
201
lbs
|
|
|
|
18
|
F
|
Orange 20 Bratislava
|
5’10”
|
185
lbs
|
|
|
|
19
|
D
|
Orange 20 Bratislava
|
5’10”
|
174
lbs
|
|
|
|
20
|
F
|
HC Slovan Bratislava
|
6’0”
|
198
lbs
|
CBJ
|
|
|
21
|
F
|
Orange 20 Bratislava
|
5’11”
|
181
lbs
|
|
|
|
22
|
F
|
Asplöven
|
6’2”
|
196 lbs
|
BOS
|
|
|
25
|
F
|
Orange 20 Bratislava
|
5’10”
|
194
lbs
|
|
|
|
26
|
F
|
Orange 20 Bratislava
|
6’1”
|
174
lbs
|
|
|
|
27
|
D
|
Orange 20 Bratislava
|
5’10”
|
168
lbs
|
|
|
|
28
|
F
|
Orange 20 Bratislava
|
6’4”
|
176
lbs
|
2014
|
|
|
30
|
G
|
Orange 20 Bratislava
|
5’10”
|
185 lbs
|
|
Schedule:
vs Germany - Friday, Dec. 27, 7:30 a.m. ET
vs United States - Saturday, Dec. 28, 7:30 a.m. ET
vs Canada - Monday, Dec. 30, 11:30 a.m. ET
vs Czech Republic - Tuesday, Dec. 31, 7:30 a.m. ET
Slovakia is in a tough spot in terms of its development recently. Yes, they still have plenty of stars at the NHL level today, but in this tournament, not so much. The Slovaks aren't coming off of a particularly strong performance at the World Juniors, either (a decisive eighth place.) So here they are this year, looking even weaker than before.
It's unfair to completely rag on Slovakia. They do have Marko Daňo, who used the last World Juniors as a coming out party that catapulted him to a first round pick in a particularly deep 2013 NHL Draft. Daňo just scores. It's what he does. But if there's no one to get him the puck, his job becomes even more difficult. Daňo will ultimately lead Slovakia in all major offensive categories, but it won't come easy. Martin Reway isn't a bad player either, but he didn't provide much for the Slovaks at the previous World Juniors. That said, he does have eight points in just three games in a Slovakian sweater so far this year, so maybe he could be McGarrett to their Daňo after all.
Their goaltending was bad last year, and it doesn't look much better now.
Their defense had many flaws, and though it's largely a new group, little has improved.
The Slovakian blue line does have one particularly interesting name on it: Eric Černák, one of the rare '97 birth years at the tournament. Already six-foot-three and 203 lbs., now's the perfect chance to get acquainted to the rest of his game.
Worst case scenario for Slovakia in this tournament is dropping their game to Germany and being forced to stave off relegation. Best case scenario is getting the 4A seed for the quarterfinal round and getting squashed by whatever powerhouse exits Group B with the top seed. Either way, this is shaping up to be an ugly year for this team.
No.
|
Player
|
Pos.
|
Current
Team
|
Height
|
Weight
|
NHL Rights
|
2
|
D
|
University of Minnesota
|
6’2”
|
197
lbs
|
NYR
|
|
3
|
D
|
Boston College
|
6’2”
|
207
lbs
|
FLA
|
|
4
|
D
|
University of Denver
|
5’11”
|
175
lbs
|
COL
|
|
6
|
D
|
Colorado College
|
6’3”
|
195
lbs
|
CAR
|
|
7
|
D
|
Boston University
|
5’9”
|
175
lbs
|
BOS
|
|
9
|
F
|
University of Michigan
|
6’1”
|
205
lbs
|
WPG
|
|
10
|
F
|
Boston University
|
5’10”
|
176
lbs
|
SJ
|
|
11
|
F
|
Miami University
|
5’11”
|
185
lbs
|
WSH
|
|
13
|
F
|
Notre Dame
|
5’9”
|
170 lbs
|
CHI
|
|
14
|
F
|
Notre Dame
|
5’11”
|
185 lbs
|
WSH
|
|
15
|
F
|
USNTDP
|
6’1”
|
191 lbs
|
2015
|
|
16
|
D
|
Boston College
|
6’2”
|
207 lbs
|
NJ
|
|
17
|
F
|
University of Wisconsin
|
6’2”
|
196 lbs
|
ANA
|
|
19
|
F
|
Québec Remparts
|
6’0”
|
210 lbs
|
TB
|
|
21
|
F
|
Plymouth Whalers
|
5’11”
|
190
lbs
|
CHI
|
|
22
|
F
|
University of Minnesota
|
6’2”
|
200
lbs
|
LA
|
|
23
|
F
|
Albany Devils
|
6’1”
|
215
lbs
|
NJ
|
|
25
|
F
|
University of Denver
|
6’1”
|
185
lbs
|
OTT
|
|
26
|
F
|
Minnesota State
|
5’11”
|
175
lbs
|
NSH
|
|
28
|
D
|
Hershey Bears
|
5’11”
|
190
lbs
|
WSH
|
|
29
|
G
|
London Knights
|
6’6”
|
220
lbs
|
PHI
|
|
32
|
G
|
Providence College
|
6’5”
|
215
lbs
|
CGY
|
|
35
|
G
|
Boston College
|
6’3”
|
190
lbs
|
2014
|
Schedule:
vs Czech Republic - Thursday, Dec. 26, 11:30 a.m. ET
vs Slovakia - Saturday, Dec. 28, 7:30 a.m. ET
vs Germany - Sunday, Dec. 29, 9:00 a.m. ET
vs Canada - Tuesday, Dec. 31, 11:30 a.m. ET
The reigning gold medalists will have quite a hill to climb if they want to repeat as world champs in 2014. In fact, it'd be slightly misleading to call this team medalists, plural, since the U.S. only has two returning skaters and their back-up goalie from last year's team.
The back-up is now the starter, and there is a lot expected of Jon Gillies. His six-foot-five frame takes up a lot of space in net, but his overall game has a few question marks. He's far from the agile, freak athlete types typically produced over in Sweden where this tournament will be played, but yet he still has great technique that puts his big body in position to get in the way of the puck. If he is caught off angle, though (which is rare,) or caught in a scramble in front, there's a good bet the puck is going in.
The other two returning players are Riley Barber and Ryan Hartman. Barber was an unexpected source of offense throughout the whole tournament for the Americans last year, and now he's among the country's top scorers in the NCAA. He's also landed the honor of being named the captain of Team U.S.A. Hartman, on the other hand, is a gritty, mean, physical force despite not being born with a massive physique.
The rest of the offense is filled out by a lot of two-way hockey players like Notre Dame's Tommy DiPauli. Adam Erne will likely have a starring role in the American offense, and don't be surprised if young gun and 2015 draft prospect Jack Eichel turns out to be an impactful forward for the stars and stripes.
The only way to aptly describe the United States' defense is with only one word: balance. American brass was very careful to find the perfect player types to mesh together instead of throwing together an all-star blue line. The U.S.'s search for the best possible d-pairings even left immensely talented defensemen like Brett Pesce and Anthony DeAngelo on the outside of hard roster cuts. What they have now aren't any stand-out Seth Jones or Jacob Trouba-types, but a collection of carefully selected defenders.
Connor Carrick from the AHL's Hershey Bears is your offensive defenseman and will create plenty of scoring chances. Ian McCoshen is more than just a large body. He is a good skater on the rush and has had a lot of success on the man advantage in the past with his passing ability and booming shot. Brady Skjei and Steve Santini will be asked to play very strict, shut-down roles in their own end, a style of play those two can thrive in, especially Santini. The rest of the defense all fall somewhere in the middle of all of that.
If Gillies can hold up in goal, the U.S. can make a legitimate run to the top of the podium again, despite losing a vast majority of its star-studded roster from a year ago.
GROUP B
After an incredibly disappointing 2013 World Juniors where they went from gold medal contenders to a seventh place finish, Finland is back and in a position to right their wrongs. Keep in mind, the U.S.A. had aseventh place to gold turnaround from 2012 to 2013, but Finland has a long way to go if they want to follow in the Americans' footsteps.
Finland has lost top 2014 prospect Kasperi Kapanen to injury, and just a few months ago, most people would have expected to see Olli Määttä to be loaned to the Finns, but now he's logging over 20 minutes a night as a 19 year-old rookie with the Pittsburgh Penguins. They won't have the services of those two guys, and believe they would have been a major help, but defenseman Rasmus Ristolainen made his way overseas to join the team after recently recovering from a concussion.
Ristolainen's calming presence on the blue line cannot be understated. He can do just about everything. He'll log the most ice time of anyone else on the team, use his large body to knock around opponents and keep them away from his team's crease, he can clear the puck and start the breakout with ease, just like he did at the last World Juniors, and he can man the point on the power play, too. Everyone else on Finland can just follow suit, and play their game with a little more comfort.
Julius Honka, a 2014 NHL Draft prospect, has been fantastic thus far in his first season with the Swift Current Broncos of the WHL, and adds much needed depth and some offensive flair to the Finnish defense corps, something they appeared to lack last year, in retrospect.
On offense, the Finns will also be getting back Teuvo Teräväinen, except he'll be wearing the "C" on his chest this time around. Teräväinen had 11 points in last year's tournament, the most of any returning player. He has the chance to emerge as a real superstar in the tournament. He's even shown great chemistry with his linemates in pre-tournament play, Saku Mäenalanen and Artturi Lehkonen, two other incredibly gifted offensive players. The bottom half of the Finnish offense, however, isn't quite as promising, especially after the loss of Kapanen.
In net, there's a good chance Finland has the tournament's dark horse pick for best goalie, Juuse Saros. An unimposing five-foot-ten, Saros fell to Nashville in the fourth round of the 2013 draft, and ever since he's done nothing but dominate the Finnish Liiga. Only 18 years-old playing against grown men, he's put up a lowly 1.71 goals against average and .930 save percentage. Saros now brings his impressive athleticism and incredible compete level to the international stage between the pipes for Finland.
Hello, Norway, and welcome to the big time! You've battled your way from the lower ranks of junior hockey to earn a spot with the big dogs, replacing relegated Latvia. Now you get to play in a group with Sweden, Russia, Finland, and Switzerland... Have fun!
Look, the Norwegians got the toughest draw out of any team, and their schedule doesn't help their cause, either. Every team in the tournament has at least one back-to-back, but Norway has two. Maybe it's a for of rookie hazing, or maybe the IIHF thought they could handle it since they appear to have all hit the genetic jackpot.
Seriously, read the measurements for some of these kids. Even many of the shorter players are built like brick houses, so you know they won't be getting pushed around physically. Norway's problems may not come from a lack of strength, but rather a lack of talent.
The Norwegians don't have many serious offensive threats other than their only NHL-drafted player, Markus Søberg. A very energetic player, Søberg has shifty hands and a high hockey IQ, not mention awesome skating ability. If anything happens for Norway on the offensive side of the puck, you can bet it will run through Søberg.
Other than that, scouts will use this tournament as a chance to get a look at Norway's 2014 draft eligible prospects, Andreas Klavestad and Martin Rønnild, and even 2015 draft eligible sparkplug Ludvig Hoff. Hoff, a very skilled player, only made the team as a replacement when veteran Eirik Salsten went down with an ankle injury in pre-tournament play. Hoff, still a very skilled player, but newly 17, may find himself in a tough spot playing against competition this tough, but then again, there's really only one way to find out for sure. Let 'em play.
The Russians are in a position to do some major damage at this year's tournament. After winning bronze in their home country last year, Russia has retained several key players from that squad. Mikhail Grigorenko, 12th overall pick in the 2012 NHL Draft is back for his third World Juniors and will be expected to be among the tournament's leading scorers when it's all said and done. Fellow Sabres prospect and hulking defenseman Nikita Zadorov impressed earlier this year in his brief stint in Buffalo. Lastly, Andrei Vasilevski is also playing in his third World Juniors, and is probably the best goalie going into the tournament.
Threatening scoring, solid defense, and elite goaltending is always a good recipe if you want win championships.
But this Russian team's strengths don't just come from it's old faces. Newcomers like Ivan Barbashev will play a significant role, too. Barbashev, the team's only player that hasn't yet been available at an NHL draft, plays a strong two-way game and brings great leadership to the locker room despite his youth.
Pavel Buchnevich is another fresh face, and a bit of an enigma, that could be the difference for Russia one way or another at the end of the tournament. His speed is top notch, and he'll forecheck like a devil, too. Combine that with his deft stickhandling and he's a perfect player for international ice. However, he hasn't improved his defensive game a bit since he was drafted last summer. Hopefully his inefficiencies in his own end don't cost his team too much in important contests.
Barbashev and Buchnevich are strong additions, no doubt, but there's a few more new players on the team, too. The Russians are so deep, that filling those final roster spots became so tightly contested that 2014 draft eligible flashy forward Vladimir Tkachev couldn't even come close to the final cut.
There's no real weakness on this team. If you nitpicked, you might say the bottom three defenders are average at best on as grand a stage as the World Juniors, but if that's your lone grievance with the team, they're doing pretty darn well for themselves.
Gold- Sweden
Silver- Canada
Bronze- Russia
4. Finland
5. U.S.A.
6. Switzerland
7. Czech Republic
8. Slovakia
9. Germany
10. Norway
No.
|
Player
|
Pos.
|
Current
Team
|
Height
|
Weight
|
NHL Rights
|
1
|
G
|
Lahti Pelicans
|
6’1”
|
183
lbs
|
NSH
|
|
4
|
D
|
TPS
|
5’11”
|
179
lbs
|
||
5
|
D
|
Rochester Americans
|
6’3”
|
207
lbs
|
BUF
|
|
7
|
D
|
Jokerit
|
6’3”
|
198
lbs
|
DAL
|
|
8
|
F
|
Kärpät Oulu
|
6’3”
|
185
lbs
|
NSH
|
|
9
|
D
|
Swift Current Broncos
|
5’11”
|
174
lbs
|
2014
|
|
10
|
F
|
JYP Jyväskylä
|
5’9”
|
170
lbs
|
||
11
|
F
|
Lukko
|
6’2”
|
192
lbs
|
||
12
|
D
|
Kärpät Oulu
|
6’0”
|
196
lbs
|
NYI
|
|
13
|
D
|
Kärpät Oulu
|
6’1”
|
185
lbs
|
||
15
|
D
|
HPK
|
6’0”
|
174
lbs
|
||
18
|
F
|
KalPa
|
5’9”
|
168
|
||
19
|
D
|
Kingston Frontenacs
|
6’3”
|
209
lbs
|
NSH
|
|
20
|
F
|
Jokerit
|
5’11”
|
176
lbs
|
CHI
|
|
21
|
F
|
Jokerit
|
5’9”
|
161
lbs
|
||
22
|
F
|
Kingston Frontenacs
|
6’0”
|
190
lbs
|
TB
|
|
25
|
F
|
Tappara
|
5’8”
|
157
lbs
|
||
26
|
F
|
TPS
|
5’8”
|
161
lbs
|
||
28
|
F
|
KalPa
|
5’11”
|
159
lbs
|
MTL
|
|
29
|
F
|
Tappara J20
|
5’11”
|
185
lbs
|
||
30
|
G
|
HIFK
|
6’2”
|
183
lbs
|
||
31
|
G
|
HPK
|
5’10”
|
180
lbs
|
NSH
|
Schedule:
vs Norway - Friday, Dec. 27, 11:30 a.m. ET
vs Sweden - Saturday, Dec. 28, 9:00 a.m. ET
vs Russia - Monday, Dec. 30, 9:00 a.m. ET
vs Switzerland - Tuesday, Dec. 31, 12:00 p.m. ET
After an incredibly disappointing 2013 World Juniors where they went from gold medal contenders to a seventh place finish, Finland is back and in a position to right their wrongs. Keep in mind, the U.S.A. had aseventh place to gold turnaround from 2012 to 2013, but Finland has a long way to go if they want to follow in the Americans' footsteps.
Finland has lost top 2014 prospect Kasperi Kapanen to injury, and just a few months ago, most people would have expected to see Olli Määttä to be loaned to the Finns, but now he's logging over 20 minutes a night as a 19 year-old rookie with the Pittsburgh Penguins. They won't have the services of those two guys, and believe they would have been a major help, but defenseman Rasmus Ristolainen made his way overseas to join the team after recently recovering from a concussion.
Ristolainen's calming presence on the blue line cannot be understated. He can do just about everything. He'll log the most ice time of anyone else on the team, use his large body to knock around opponents and keep them away from his team's crease, he can clear the puck and start the breakout with ease, just like he did at the last World Juniors, and he can man the point on the power play, too. Everyone else on Finland can just follow suit, and play their game with a little more comfort.
Julius Honka, a 2014 NHL Draft prospect, has been fantastic thus far in his first season with the Swift Current Broncos of the WHL, and adds much needed depth and some offensive flair to the Finnish defense corps, something they appeared to lack last year, in retrospect.
On offense, the Finns will also be getting back Teuvo Teräväinen, except he'll be wearing the "C" on his chest this time around. Teräväinen had 11 points in last year's tournament, the most of any returning player. He has the chance to emerge as a real superstar in the tournament. He's even shown great chemistry with his linemates in pre-tournament play, Saku Mäenalanen and Artturi Lehkonen, two other incredibly gifted offensive players. The bottom half of the Finnish offense, however, isn't quite as promising, especially after the loss of Kapanen.
In net, there's a good chance Finland has the tournament's dark horse pick for best goalie, Juuse Saros. An unimposing five-foot-ten, Saros fell to Nashville in the fourth round of the 2013 draft, and ever since he's done nothing but dominate the Finnish Liiga. Only 18 years-old playing against grown men, he's put up a lowly 1.71 goals against average and .930 save percentage. Saros now brings his impressive athleticism and incredible compete level to the international stage between the pipes for Finland.
No.
|
Player
|
Pos.
|
Current
Team
|
Height
|
Weight
|
NHL Rights
|
1
|
G
|
Lørenskog
|
6’0”
|
183
lbs
|
||
2
|
D
|
Brynäs
|
5’10”
|
176
lbs
|
||
3
|
D
|
Tingsryds AIF J20
|
6’4”
|
220
lbs
|
||
4
|
D
|
Islanders Hockey Club
|
6’2”
|
194
lbs
|
||
6
|
D
|
Frisk Asker
|
6’0”
|
185
lbs
|
2014
|
|
7
|
D
|
Sparta Sarpsborg
|
6’2”
|
198
lbs
|
||
10
|
F
|
Vålerenga U20
|
5’11”
|
190
lbs
|
2015
|
|
11
|
F
|
Vålerenga
|
6’0”
|
190
lbs
|
||
12
|
D
|
Storhamar
|
6’5”
|
209
lbs
|
||
13
|
F
|
Mora
|
6’4”
|
204
lbs
|
||
14
|
F
|
Mariestad BoIS
|
6’2”
|
176
lbs
|
||
15
|
F
|
Sparta Sarpsborg
|
6’3”
|
231
lbs
|
||
16
|
F
|
Växjö Lakers J20
|
6’0”
|
194
lbs
|
||
18
|
F
|
Sparta Sarpsborg
|
6’0”
|
176
lbs
|
||
19
|
F
|
Brynäs J20
|
6’0”
|
187
lbs
|
2014
|
|
21
|
F
|
Lørenskog
|
5’9”
|
187
lbs
|
||
22
|
F
|
Frölunda J20
|
6’0”
|
174
lbs
|
CBJ
|
|
23
|
D
|
Manglerud
|
6’0”
|
179
lbs
|
||
25
|
G
|
Stjernen
|
6’1”
|
183
lbs
|
||
26
|
F
|
Viking Hockey
|
5’10”
|
175
lbs
|
||
27
|
F
|
Lillehammer
|
5’10”
|
192
lbs
|
||
28
|
F
|
Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds
|
6’5”
|
194
lbs
|
||
29
|
F
|
Viking Hockey
|
6’0”
|
183
lbs
|
Schedule:
vs Russia - Thursday, Dec. 26, 9:00 a.m. ET
vs Finland - Friday, Dec. 27, 11:30 a.m. ET
vs Sweden - Sunday, Dec. 29, 11:30 a.m. ET
vs Switzerland - Monday, Dec. 30, 1:00 p.m. ET
Hello, Norway, and welcome to the big time! You've battled your way from the lower ranks of junior hockey to earn a spot with the big dogs, replacing relegated Latvia. Now you get to play in a group with Sweden, Russia, Finland, and Switzerland... Have fun!
Look, the Norwegians got the toughest draw out of any team, and their schedule doesn't help their cause, either. Every team in the tournament has at least one back-to-back, but Norway has two. Maybe it's a for of rookie hazing, or maybe the IIHF thought they could handle it since they appear to have all hit the genetic jackpot.
Seriously, read the measurements for some of these kids. Even many of the shorter players are built like brick houses, so you know they won't be getting pushed around physically. Norway's problems may not come from a lack of strength, but rather a lack of talent.
The Norwegians don't have many serious offensive threats other than their only NHL-drafted player, Markus Søberg. A very energetic player, Søberg has shifty hands and a high hockey IQ, not mention awesome skating ability. If anything happens for Norway on the offensive side of the puck, you can bet it will run through Søberg.
Other than that, scouts will use this tournament as a chance to get a look at Norway's 2014 draft eligible prospects, Andreas Klavestad and Martin Rønnild, and even 2015 draft eligible sparkplug Ludvig Hoff. Hoff, a very skilled player, only made the team as a replacement when veteran Eirik Salsten went down with an ankle injury in pre-tournament play. Hoff, still a very skilled player, but newly 17, may find himself in a tough spot playing against competition this tough, but then again, there's really only one way to find out for sure. Let 'em play.
No.
|
Player
|
Pos.
|
Current
Team
|
Height
|
Weight
|
NHL Rights
|
1
|
G
|
Stalnye Lisy Magnitogorsk
|
5’10”
|
201
lbs
|
||
4
|
D
|
Loko Yaroslavl
|
6’1”
|
190
lbs
|
||
5
|
D
|
Stalnye Lisy Magnitogorsk
|
6’4”
|
192
lbs
|
||
6
|
D
|
Spartak Moscow
|
6’2”
|
207
lbs
|
PHI
|
|
7
|
D
|
Lokomotiv Yaroslavl
|
6’1”
|
187
lbs
|
||
8
|
D
|
Avtomobilist Yekaterinburg
|
6’7”
|
229
lbs
|
||
9
|
F
|
Salavat Yulayev Ufa
|
6’3”
|
187
lbs
|
EDM
|
|
10
|
F
|
Neftekhimik Nizhnekamsk
|
6’4”
|
198
lbs
|
EDM
|
|
11
|
F
|
Metallurg Novokuznetsk
|
6’2”
|
198 lbs
|
||
12
|
F
|
Moncton Wildcats
|
6’0”
|
174 lbs
|
2014
|
|
14
|
F
|
Kuznetskie Medvedi
|
6’0”
|
195 lbs
|
||
15
|
F
|
Dizel Penza
|
5’11”
|
176 lbs
|
||
16
|
D
|
London Knights
|
6’4”
|
201 lbs
|
BUF
|
|
17
|
F
|
Avto Yekaterinburg
|
5’11”
|
190 lbs
|
||
18
|
F
|
Traktor Chelyabinsk
|
6’0”
|
181
lbs
|
||
19
|
F
|
Severstal Cherepovets
|
6’1”
|
161
lbs
|
NYR
|
|
20
|
G
|
VMF-Karelia St. Petersburg
|
6’4”
|
194
lbs
|
||
21
|
F
|
VMF-Karelia St. Petersburg
|
5’8”
|
159
lbs
|
||
22
|
D
|
Dynamo Moscow
|
6’2”
|
176
lbs
|
||
23
|
F
|
Baie-Comeau Drakkar
|
6’1”
|
192
lbs
|
LA
|
|
25
|
F
|
Buffalo Sabres
|
6’3”
|
190
lbs
|
BUF
|
|
27
|
F
|
Lokomotiv Yaroslavl
|
5’10”
|
168
lbs
|
||
30
|
Andrei
Vasilevski
|
G
|
Salavat Yulayev Ufa
|
6’4”
|
201
lbs
|
TB
|
Schedule:
vs Norway - Thursday, Dec. 26, 9:00 a.m. ET
vs Switzerland - Saturday, Dec. 28, 1:00 p.m. ET
vs Finland - Monday, Dec. 30, 9:00 a.m. ET
vs Sweden - Tuesday, Dec. 31, 8:00 a.m. ET
The Russians are in a position to do some major damage at this year's tournament. After winning bronze in their home country last year, Russia has retained several key players from that squad. Mikhail Grigorenko, 12th overall pick in the 2012 NHL Draft is back for his third World Juniors and will be expected to be among the tournament's leading scorers when it's all said and done. Fellow Sabres prospect and hulking defenseman Nikita Zadorov impressed earlier this year in his brief stint in Buffalo. Lastly, Andrei Vasilevski is also playing in his third World Juniors, and is probably the best goalie going into the tournament.
Threatening scoring, solid defense, and elite goaltending is always a good recipe if you want win championships.
But this Russian team's strengths don't just come from it's old faces. Newcomers like Ivan Barbashev will play a significant role, too. Barbashev, the team's only player that hasn't yet been available at an NHL draft, plays a strong two-way game and brings great leadership to the locker room despite his youth.
Pavel Buchnevich is another fresh face, and a bit of an enigma, that could be the difference for Russia one way or another at the end of the tournament. His speed is top notch, and he'll forecheck like a devil, too. Combine that with his deft stickhandling and he's a perfect player for international ice. However, he hasn't improved his defensive game a bit since he was drafted last summer. Hopefully his inefficiencies in his own end don't cost his team too much in important contests.
Barbashev and Buchnevich are strong additions, no doubt, but there's a few more new players on the team, too. The Russians are so deep, that filling those final roster spots became so tightly contested that 2014 draft eligible flashy forward Vladimir Tkachev couldn't even come close to the final cut.
There's no real weakness on this team. If you nitpicked, you might say the bottom three defenders are average at best on as grand a stage as the World Juniors, but if that's your lone grievance with the team, they're doing pretty darn well for themselves.
No.
|
Player
|
Pos.
|
Current
Team
|
Height
|
Weight
|
NHL Rights
|
1
|
G
|
Mora
|
6’5”
|
212 lbs
|
OTT
|
|
3
|
D
|
Djurgårdens
|
5’11”
|
192
lbs
|
CHI
|
|
4
|
D
|
Brynäs
|
5’11”
|
159
lbs
|
WSH
|
|
5
|
F
|
Frölunda
|
5’10”
|
176
lbs
|
TOR
|
|
6
|
D
|
Linköpings
|
5’9”
|
187
lbs
|
||
8
|
D
|
Djurgårdens
|
6’2”
|
192
lbs
|
BOS
|
|
9
|
F
|
Leksands
|
6’2”
|
190
lbs
|
MTL
|
|
10
|
F
|
Frölunda
|
6’1”
|
187
lbs
|
CBJ
|
|
13
|
D
|
Colorado College
|
6’2”
|
190
lbs
|
MIN
|
|
14
|
D
|
MODO
|
6’2”
|
207
lbs
|
PHI
|
|
15
|
F
|
Frölunda
|
5’11”
|
181
lbs
|
MTL
|
|
16
|
F
|
Milwaukee Admirals
|
6’2”
|
194
lbs
|
NSH
|
|
18
|
F
|
Erie Otters
|
6’1”
|
179
lbs
|
WSH
|
|
19
|
F
|
Carolina Hurricanes
|
6’0”
|
192
lbs
|
CAR
|
|
20
|
D
|
Mora
|
5’10”
|
172
lbs
|
||
23
|
F
|
Québec Remparts
|
6’1”
|
174
lbs
|
ANA
|
|
26
|
F
|
Frölunda
|
6’0”
|
170
lbs
|
CAR
|
|
27
|
F
|
Frölunda J20
|
6’2”
|
194
lbs
|
2014
|
|
28
|
F
|
Luleå
|
6’0”
|
176
lbs
|
||
29
|
F
|
Skellefteå
|
6’3”
|
196 lbs
|
PIT
|
|
30
|
G
|
Brynäs J20
|
6’4”
|
198
lbs
|
2014
|
|
35
|
G
|
Erie Otters
|
6’2”
|
203
lbs
|
CBJ
|
Schedule:
vs Switzerland - Thursday, Dec. 26, 1:00 p.m. ET
vs Finland - Saturday, Dec. 28, 9:00 a.m. ET
vs Norway - Sunday, Dec. 29, 11:30 a.m. ET
vs Russia - Tuesday, Dec. 31, 8:00 a.m. ET
Sweden has it all at this World Junior Championship. They might have the most experienced team, they have enough offensive weapons to make the U.N. nervous, one of the better goalies in the tournament, and home ice advantage for every game. The Swedes took home silver in Ufa, Russia last year, and now they're bringing back a lot of the same to the ice this winter.
Not one, but two NHL teams were willing to loan forwards to Sweden for the tournament, a luxury that comes once in a blue moon. Carolina's Elias Lindholm and Nashville's Filip Forsberg headline an incredibly talented attack. Now, technically Forsberg is on loan from Nashville's AHL club, Milwaukee, since he spent two games there after recovering from a concussion, but he's an NHL-level talent nonetheless.
Jacob de la Rose is back for another tour with the World Junior team as well after an impressive showing at the 2013 tournament, and he's already shown some chemistry with newcomer André Burakovsky. De la Rose is expected to come in and have an even greater impact on the offensive side of the scoresheet than he had last year, but Burakowsky could be an even greater threat. He has blazing speed, a sniper's shot, and incredible touch around the net. His electric offense could put Sweden over the top, especially when other teams will have to worry about several other beastly forwards wearing the Tre Kronor.
Also on Sweden's offense will be Anton Karlsson, a top prospect for the 2014 draft. He'll likely fall into a depth player's role, but he should handle that just fine, since he's demonstrated good defense and a strong checking game in the past, too.
All of the d-men are great skaters, and I'm using the phrase "great" sparingly. Take Minnesota prospect Gustav Olofsson for example. There's a guy with little to no offensive skill, but has tremendous mobility that helps him stay in position and handle fleet footed opponents. The only concern on the blue line might be that there could be too many puck-moving, rush-leading guys and one too few players that can be relied on in a defensive defenseman's mode. Then again, if the puck is never in their zone, that shouldn't become a problem.
Puck possession will be the name of the game for the Swedes. They have enough quick strike ability to score in bunches if they have to, but finding themselves in a run-and-gun format could prove to be their downfall. If Sweden just hangs onto the puck and makes smart decisions, there's almost no defense for what they're capable of accomplishing.
No.
|
Player
|
Pos.
|
Current
Team
|
Height
|
Weight
|
NHL Rights
|
1
|
G
|
ZSC Lions Zurich
|
5’10”
|
172
lbs
|
||
5
|
D
|
Everett Silvertips
|
6’4”
|
200
lbs
|
SJ
|
|
6
|
D
|
Kloten Flyers
|
6’2”
|
195
lbs
|
||
7
|
D
|
EHC Biel
|
6’2”
|
181
lbs
|
2014
|
|
9
|
D
|
SC Bern
|
5’11”
|
185
lbs
|
||
10
|
F
|
North Bay Battalion
|
5’11”
|
192
lbs
|
||
12
|
D
|
EHC Biel
|
5’9”
|
163
lbs
|
||
13
|
F
|
SC Bern
|
5’9”
|
176
lbs
|
||
15
|
F
|
Québec Remparts
|
6’2”
|
198 lbs
|
TOR
|
|
16
|
F
|
ZSC Lions Zurich
|
6’0”
|
190 lbs
|
||
17
|
F
|
HC Davos
|
6’0”
|
187 lbs
|
||
19
|
F
|
Västerås J20
|
6’1”
|
183 lbs
|
||
20
|
G
|
GCK Lions Zurich U20
|
5’11”
|
165 lbs
|
||
21
|
F
|
SC Bern
|
5’8”
|
181 lbs
|
||
22
|
F
|
EV Zug
|
6’0”
|
187
lbs
|
||
23
|
F
|
HV71 J20
|
5’9”
|
175
lbs
|
2014
|
|
25
|
F
|
HC Lugano
|
6’3”
|
192
lbs
|
||
26
|
F
|
Rouyn-Noranda Huskies
|
5’9”
|
165
lbs
|
||
27
|
D
|
Plymouth Whalers
|
6’0”
|
185
lbs
|
2014
|
|
28
|
F
|
HC Lugano
|
6’1”
|
185
lbs
|
||
29
|
D
|
HC Davos
|
6’3”
|
190
lbs
|
||
30
|
G
|
SC Bern U20
|
5’10”
|
181
lbs
|
Schedule:
vs Sweden - Thursday, Dec. 26, 1:00 p.m. ET
vs Russia - Saturday, Dec. 28, 1:00 p.m. ET
vs Norway - Monday, Dec. 30, 1:00 p.m. ET
vs Finland - Tuesday, Dec. 31, 12:00 p.m. ET
We have a little rule of thumb at The Hart of Hockey, a motto, if you will, when it comes to discussing the Swiss in international competition. If you're at all familiar with this blog, you'll notice the recurrence of the phrase, "Never underestimate the Swiss." Get used to it, especially this year, since both the World Junior and Olympic teams are in positions to pull upsets in major competition again.
At the last World Juniors, Switzerland was classic Switzerland, winning only one game against a lowly opponent, and then narrowly losing to all three other opponents in group play for three OT losses, and then gave Russia a legitimate scare in the first game of the elimination round. The wins-losses may not appear all that impressive (1-1-3,) but the Swiss were a threat to every opponent on every night of the tournament last year. Now this time around, one could argue the Swiss are just as good.
The losses of Sven Andrighetto, the team's leading scorer, Lino Martschini, and Tanner Richard, are certainly significant, and an early December injury to Minnesota Wild prospect Christoph Bertschy doesn't help either. However, Switzerland is leading one of the most mature groups in the tournament onto the ice. The Swiss have also added Toronto draft pick Fabrice Herzogg and an offensive threat in Kevin Fiala, a 2014 draft prospect who's nearly a point-a-game player in the SuperElit right now. Look for undrafted Vincent Praplan to make in impact, as well.
On defense, Switzerland is retaining Mirco Müller, who was a revelation for the Swiss in last year's tournament. Müller will lead out an otherwise largely inexperienced defense. Phil Baltisberger, draft eligible for the first time this year, is the only other returning d-man, and will probably see the opponents' top forwards every game. Watch for Yannick Rathgeb on that blue line, too, one of a few youngsters to earn a spot on the Swiss roster.
Melvin Nyffeler will tend goal yet again for the land of milk and honey. Nyffeler was as impressive as anyone bearing a white cross on his chest last year, and even worked his way to the top five in the tournament's goalies in save percentage (90.24%.)
They have a tough draw playing in the same group as Finland, Russia, and host Sweden, but barring an unthinkable collapse, Switzerland will advance to the elimination round, where they will lie in wait to attempt another not-so-surprising upset of a higher seeded team.
Never underestimate the Swiss.
FINAL PREDICTIONS
Final Standings:Gold- Sweden
Silver- Canada
Bronze- Russia
4. Finland
5. U.S.A.
6. Switzerland
7. Czech Republic
8. Slovakia
9. Germany
10. Norway
Leading Scorer:
Sweden: André Burakovsky
Best Defenseman:
Canada: Mathew Dumba
Best Goalie:
Finland: Juuse Saros
Most Impactful Player on Each Team:
Canada: Bo Horvat
Czech Republic: Radek Faksa
Finland: Juuse Saros
Germany: Leon Draisaitl
Norway: Martin Vaakanainen
Russia: Andrei Vasilevski
Slovakia: Marko Daňo
Sweden: Andre Burakovsky
Switzerland: Mirco Müller
Most Impactful Player on Each Team:
Canada: Bo Horvat
Czech Republic: Radek Faksa
Finland: Juuse Saros
Germany: Leon Draisaitl
Norway: Martin Vaakanainen
Russia: Andrei Vasilevski
Slovakia: Marko Daňo
Sweden: Andre Burakovsky
Switzerland: Mirco Müller
USA: Jack Eichel
