Later on today, the 2021 World Juniors in Edmonton, AB, are going to kick off. So, I apologize for not getting this post out earlier! I’m near certain all of the big names that you should watch out for have been covered. I’m talking about the likes of Kirby Dach (pre-injury), Cole Caufield, Alexander Holtz, Rodion Amirov, Anton Lundell, Martin Chromiak, Marco Rossi, or Edmonton Oilers prospects Dylan Holloway and Philip Broberg.
So for this post, I want to introduce to you some players that might not get much ice time or put up a lot of points, but should, in theory, stand out in their limited appearances. Some of these players are eligible for the 2021 NHL draft and some won’t be drafted until 2022, but I’m very certain at some point you’re going to hear their names getting talked about.
If you’d like a more in-depth preview to the tournament this year as well as some fantastic profiles for the upcoming draft, please check out the $5 guide that Dan Stewart’s Draft Pro team has put together.
You can get that right here.
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*2021 Draft Eligible
**2022 Draft Eligible
- #24 Oskar Olausson (SWE)* – LW/RW – 6’2″ 181lbs – I recently watched some game video of Olausson and came away very impressed. He’s very fast and strong. His quickness off the start is suprisingly good for a kid his size. He injects himself into as many plays as possible on both sides of the puck and he’s a responsible two-way winger. The zip on his shot is stunningly good and I just look at him and see future NHL power winger. Even if he doesn’t develop into a pure goal-scorer, his work ethic and ability in the muck will allow him to contribute in other ways.
- “Olausson is not quite as physical as his older Swedish counterpart (Filip Forsberg). But there are other aspects of their game that mirror each other. Both have great shots and skating, are brilliant at effecting zone entries. The two would also both rather fire the puck than defer to a team-mate. They both shield the puck exceptionally well on the cycle and are dangerous on the rush, with hands and confidence. The two also share the ability to find space in danger areas. They also both play the game at a high-tempo, and can be effective penalty-killers. Forsberg is a slightly more natural play-maker though.” (source)
- #6 Semyon Chistyakov (RUS) – D – 5’11” 180lbs – I was really impressed with Chistyakov last year. He’s not a big guy but he stirs the drink for his teams. He’s offensively gifted but he’s also fearless and will take on all comers no matter the size. I dig his leadership abilities as being one of the older players on Team Russia. He really is a little Russian tank and I feel like this kind of player could really dominate a tournament like this.
- “He is willing to play a physical game. His low centre of gravity and his strength allows him to compete on the boards and in front of the net despite his lack of height. Chistyakov maintains good gap control and keeps his opponent in front of him. Forwards attacking his side of the ice need to keep their head up as he looks to land a big hit. He also is well positioned and uses his stick to break up passing plays. Once turnovers are created, Chistyakov starts the transition game quickly with a good breakout pass.” (source)
- #10 Matthew Beniers (USA)* – 6’1″ 174lbs – Beniers is the kind of player that inserts himself into every aspect of the game during each shift. It’s impossible not to notice him because he’s everywhere trying to make a difference, be that offensively or defensively. He demands the puck coming out of his own zone as he’s quite good at controlled zone entries. He so smart too, and because of that we’ll probably see him playing in every scenario for Team USA as well. He’s a fantastic two-way talent that some are projecting to be better than LA Kings first rounder Alex Turcotte.
- “Matthew displays high end hockey sense and instincts that allows him to be in the right place on the ice consistently. He is not a possession player as much as he is a quick strike player. He makes quick decisions with the puck due to his hockey sense and ability to think the game at another level”. [2019 Black Book]
- #5 Stanislav Svozil (CZE)* – D – 6’1″ 172lbs – The first I’d heard of Svozil was when I saw a tweet announcing he’d won the rookie of the year award in the Czech pro league as a 16yr old. I thought to myself, “You’ve got to be pretty good to do that at that age.” Then later one I saw he was drafted in the CHL import draft to Regina, the same team as wonderkid Connor Bedard. If Svozil is as good as the report below, players like Bedard (when they get to the WHL) and Jan Mysak will thrive having a defender who can get them the puck. Svozil has already had a couple of highlights in the preliminary games for the Czech team.
- “Svozil isn’t a big kid at 6-foot-0 and 172 pounds but he’s strong enough to fend for himself and doesn’t lose the puck on his stick often. He knows how to put pucks in the net and he’s responsible in his own zone” – (source)
- #18 Juraj Slafkovsky (SVK)** – RW – 6’4″ 220lbs – Look, this guy is 16yrs old and already 6’4″ and 220lbs… What in Sam’s Hell do they feed hockey players in Slovakia? I mean is this guy a relative of Zdeno Chara or what? All joking aside, Slafkovsky is slated to play alongside Martin Chromiak on his side’s top line and he is an elite goal-scorer. The release on this guys shot… It’s outstanding. The last time we saw a double underager with this kind of size dominate the World Juniors was Jesse Puljujarvi, no? And he ended up winning the tournament MVP eventually…
- “Capable of creating offense with slick hands in traffic, he has a soft touch on the puck, as well as great vision and offensive instincts. He plays a mature game with the puck and he is always aware of his passing options. He has a knack for taking away time and space and creating turnovers. He has a quick release on his wrist shot which makes him a threat from further out. But he can also be straight forward and drive to the net when needed. He has soft hands and can stickhandle in small spaces with ease.” (source)
- #8 Simon Knak (SUI)* – RW – 6’1″ 194lbs – Knak is a player you’ll appreciate for his tireless work rate and honest game. The Swiss don’t have a lot going for them at this year’s tournament but Knak will get his fair share of attention for being a very good disruptor in addition to most likely being his team’s generator of offense. Don’t get me wrong, he’s not some elite grinder, there’s high-end skill to go with that outstanding two-way game.
- “He works to get inside positioning on the puck and rushes up & down the ice to stay ahead of the play. He helped break many opposing rushes by supporting his defencemen with backpressure. In the offensive zone, he worked the walls and the front of the net. Overall, Knak looked like a highly engaged player”. -EliteProspects 2020 NHL Draft Guide
- #33 Brad Lambert (FIN)** – C – 5’11” 172lbs – Lambert is a direct rival to Shane Wright’s designation as best NHL prospect for the 2022 NHL draft. To say that he’s electrifying couldn’t be more of an understatement. He’s just so fast, strong, and smooth with the puck. I wonder if he could turn out to be a Sidney Crosby-lite kind of player with those kind of attributes?
- “He’s like watching a Nathan MacKinnon clone: Lambert is a dynamic two-way forward with incredible top-end speed, and it’s rare that someone manages to take the puck off him during a rush”. – Steven Ellis (SI.com)
- #2 Braden Schneider (CAN) – D – 6’2″ 210lbs – Team Canada doesn’t have a defenceman on their team that they can count on 100% to be a shutdown specialist. They’ve got offensive juggernauts like Jamie Drysdale and Bowen Byram to go with a plethora of high-end two-way d-men such as Just Barron, Thomas Harley, Kaedan Korczak ,and Jordan Spence. Kaiden Guhle would be the closest to Schneider, but I think by tournament’s end, the New York Rangers first-rounder in 2020 will have the pundits talking about how critical his presence was to Canada’s blueline. He’s the new Shea Weber for me.
- “He is an absolute behemoth of a dude at this level, imposing his will with thunderous hits, overpowering one-hand pushes, and crosschecks. He’s composed and doesn’t over-do the physicality or take needless penalties; enters every hit with his stick leading and doesn’t hit unless he can’t break up the play otherwise.” -EliteProspects 2020 NHL Draft Guide
Enjoy the tournament and have a wonderful holiday season!
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