2022 World Juniors Preview: Storylines, players to watch for Team Canada

Chris Peters
Chris Peters
2022 World Juniors Preview: Storylines, players to watch for Team Canada

The 2022 IIHF World Junior Championship promises to be a welcome respite from the litany of shutdowns, postponements and cancellations of so much of the hockey we had planned to consume this holiday season.

With the entire tournament field already in Alberta, having successfully tested out of their mandatory 48-hour quarantine upon arrival, it looks like the tournament will be a go. There is still some question about how many, if any fans will be let into the games, but the players are under strict protocols in order to protect the competition.

As a result, Canada will begin its quest for its third gold medal since 2015 and 19th overall in the tournament. Last year in Edmonton, playing inside a fanless bubble, Canada finished with the silver medal in a loss to the United States. Now they get another crack at the thing on home ice.

There are only three returning players from the team that fell just short – Kaiden Guhle, Cole Perfetti and Dylan Garand. Guhle is the team’s captain and Perfetti will also wear a letter while playing in a top-line role. Garand very well could handle starting duties for the team as he continues to battle for ice time with Sebastian Cossa.

Largely, however, Canada is going to be fresh faces hungry for their first opportunity to represent Canada in the tournament that has become a national institution. There’s no doubt that this club has the goods to compete and win gold on home ice, but the tournament field isn’t going to let the hosts just walk out of Edmonton with the most prized hardware.

Here’s a look at some of the storylines and players to watch as Canada looks to get back to the top of the World Junior podium.

Storylines

Open goalie competition: there are multiple strengths for this Canadian team, but in recent history one of those strengths has not been goaltending depth. This year, however, that is not the case at all. This might be the deepest trio of goalies Canada has taken to the tournament in the last few years, which is why it’s unclear as of yet which goalies will start.

It is at least assumed that Brett Brochu is going to be the No. 3 goalie. The undrafted London Knights netminder is about as good a No. 3 as you could ask for, though, as he’s been absolutely stellar in net in the OHL in his career. This season he has a .921 save percentage. The problem is he has two really accomplished guys in front of him.

New York Rangers prospect Dylan Garand has been outstanding throughout his junior career and was part of the team last year, though he only appeared in one game in relief. This season, he has a .932 save percentage for the Kamloops Blazers and is playing some of his best hockey overall.

However, there’s also 2021 No. 15 overall pick Sebastian Cossa, who has also put up ridiculous numbers over his WHL career and is having another strong season. His career .927 save percentage in 73 WHL games is almost as impressive as his general skillset. Cossa is a 6-foot-6 goalie who is explosive and athletic. It’s amazing to watch a person that large move as quick as he does.

Head coach Dave Cameron has a tough decision, but it’s the right kind of difficult decision. With Garand or Cossa, Canada should have a goalie they can not only trust, but expect to be strong enough to lead this team to a title.

Shane Wright, Connor Bedard take center stage: Two especially exciting prospects playing for Team Canada are the guys in the hunt to be the No. 1 pick in 2022 and 2023. Shane Wright, who is the consensus No. 1 for this year’s draft, appears poised to play as Canada’s No. 1 center. For Connor Bedard, one of the top candidates to go first in 2023, he may have to prove himself a bit more to earn a higher spot in the lineup, despite dazzling and forcing his way onto the roster during selection camp. The two are very special, very different talents who each played a key role in Canada’s gold medal win at last spring’s IIHF World Men’s U18 Championship.

Wright has more size and strength than Bedard and plays the game in a more cerebral way. His playmaking skills are high end, but he can shoot it just as well. He got off to a slow start in the OHL with Kingston this year, but really turned it up and now has 30 points in 22 games for the Frontenacs, where he is also the team’s captain. At last spring’s U18s, Wright had 14 points in just five games while playing through injury and illness throughout the tournament. It was at that showcase where he staked his vice grip on the No. 1 pick for this season with very few challengers.

Bedard, meanwhile, is an electric player to watch. He may have the best shot of anyone I’ve ever seen at his age in terms of the release, the deception and the explosiveness. He can score from anywhere on the ice and is just as dangerous on his backhand as he is on his forehand. Bedard also has good jump with some explosiveness in his skating that backs down defenders. At just 16 years old, Bedard hasn’t filled out yet and is slight compared to the older Wright, but there is nothing slight about his offensive game. Bedard scored 12 goals in his first 15 WHL games last season. He has 14 goals through 24 this season, with an additional 10 assists, to average a point per game. At that same U18 World Championship, he had seven goals and seven assists, matching the same amount of points Connor McDavid had at the same tournament at the same age. No one else has come close to what those two did at 15.

Both Wright and Bedard are special talents and neither would be on Team Canada’s roster if they couldn’t help the team win. The fact is, Wright may be more integral to the team’s chances this years, but if the offense falters even a little, look for Bedard to play a more prominent role.

Power, Guhle lead defensive group: Canada has an all-left-shot defensive corps which is probably not as big of a problem as it sounds. They took the players they felt were the best defensemen. On top of that, this D corps is going to be anchored by two exceptional prospects on the back end.

Owen Power, the Buffalo Sabres’ No. 1 overall pick in 2021, is going to log a ton of minutes and likely play on the top power-play unit. His offensive game has taken off in a significant way this season at the University of Michigan, which opens a lot of different ways for Canada to use him.

The other guy that is going to log massive minutes for Canada is returnee Kaiden Guhle. The Canadian captain is a brilliant skater and can play a physical game. He defends at a high level, but moves pucks well. There’s a good chance in the most crucial games for Canada, you’ll see one of Power or Guhle on the ice almost the whole game.

Who To Watch

The fact is, Canada has a bunch of high-end prospects that we’re going to be seeing in the NHL very soon. So watch all of them, but here are a few guys that I’ll be keeping a particularly close eye on as potential impact players for Canada.

Cole Perfetti, LW, Winnipeg Jets: Perfetti may end up being my pick for the tournament’s best forward because I think he’s going to put up a mountain of points playing on Canada’s top line. He is an elite playmaker with some of the best vision you’ll see. He made his NHL debut earlier this season, but has spent most of the year with the Manitoba Moose in the AHL.

Perfetti has been a key offensive player for the Moose with 15 points in 17 games. Additionally, Perfetti is a returning player from last year’s silver medal team. He had six points in the tournament, but will figure in a lot more prominently in this year’s event. Perfetti also won gold alongside Owen Power at the 2021 Men’s World Championship last spring. All of the experiences he’s picked up suggest he should have a big tournament.

Owen Power, D, Buffalo Sabres: He’s the No. 1 pick and it’s not often we get to see the No. 1 pick play in this tournament. They’re usually in the NHL, but Power wanted another year of development and he’s making the most of it. He also wanted to play in this tournament and certainly won’t let this opportunity pass him by. Power is having such a great year for Michigan in the NCAA, playing well at both ends and making a bigger impact on the score sheet. His mobility, size and range are all going to challenge players at this level.

Kaiden Guhle, D, Monreal Canadiens: Heavy are the shoulders that don the C for Canada at this tournament. Guhle is being given a great opportunity to lead, while also playing a substantial role for Canada. Expect him to log major minutes and play an integral role on the blue line. He should see PK time and probably get a lot of tough defensive matchups. This is the ideal situation for a player like Guhle to showcase the full complement of his skills.

Kent Johnson, LW, Columbus Blue Jackets: After arriving to camp late due to an illness, Johnson is ready to go and should be a significant piece of the puzzle for Canada. He’s one of the most dynamic players on their roster, with skill and playmaking abilities that are of a particular variety. After watching Trevor Zegras dominate this tournament last year, Johnson has the potential to have a similar impact. He’s got the same kind of flash and confidence that Zegras does and it’s helped lead to 23 points in 17 games as a sophomore at Michigan. He’s going to make players around him better.

Mason McTavish, C, Anaheim Ducks: McTavish has a chance to be one of the heart-and-soul players for Canada as he’s got the right mix of physicality and skill that will make him a handful to deal with for the opposition. He was a force for Canada at last year’s U18 World Championship and showed early this season that he can handle the physical game of the NHL. The Ducks sent him back to junior, which was a huge boost to Canada’s center depth and their versatility. McTavish can do just about anything you need him to.

Shane Wright, C, 2022 Draft Eligible: For all of the reasons listed above and because of the maturity he plays with, Wright is going to be asked to play a much larger role than underagers are often given on this team. Plenty have come before him and attempted to make a big impact, only to find the tournament more of a grind than they expected or to have their roles diminished. I don’t think Canada will do that this time and the way Wright plays probably wouldn’t let them anyway. Wright should be looked to as a source for offense.

Ridly Greig, C/W, Ottawa Senators: Similar to McTavish, I think Greig is going to be a major lead-by-example kind of player. He’s skilled, but has real tenacity and grit that should make him a thorn in the side of opposing defenses. Canada has the skill to play a pretty game, but some of those tighter contests may call for a little more sandpaper. Greig can bring that, while not sacrificing any offense at all. He has 28 points in 19 WHL games this year with the Brandon Wheat Kings, where he serves as the team captain.

Outlook

Canada’s chances to win this tournament are as good as anyone’s. They’re always going to be the betting favorite at the World Juniors and this team should be. They have the goaltending to potentially steal them games if need be, but that probably won’t be necessary against most opponents.

The Canadians are once again in a group that includes some of the weaker teams in the tournament. Both Austria and Germany are teams that could be locked in a battle to stave off relegation, while the Czech Republic and Finland are good teams but not on the same level as this Canadian outfit. The key is going to be managing adversity if and when it comes, which may not be until the medal round.

At last year’s World Juniors, Canada’s players talked about how surprised they were by Team USA’s game plan against them during the gold medal game and couldn’t really adjust quickly enough to handle it. They didn’t really get tested at any other point of the tournament, which left them more vulnerable than expected during the final. That was a valuable learning experience and something that the coaches I’m sure will be trying to contend with to make sure the team is prepared.

With their goaltending and potential for explosive scoring, Canada should be expected to be in the gold medal game, but the U.S., Russia and Sweden all have teams capable of knocking them off if they’re not careful. Nothing I’ve seen yet from the other countries, however, would move me off of my position that Canada will have the best team on paper heading into this tournament. Now they have to show it on the ice.

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