2023 World Junior Championship: Top 10 NHL Prospects to watch

Steven Ellis
Steven Ellis
2023 World Junior Championship: Top 10 NHL Prospects to watch
Credit: (Photo by Steven Ellis/Daily Fac

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There are two types of fans of the World Junior Championship.

The most common are the ones that follow to cheer on their country. But there are also the ones that care more about where their NHL prospects are playing, and just want to watch them regardless of the country. And that’s what makes this event more popular than, say, the U-18 World Championship: the majority of the high-profile players are already affiliated with an NHL team, and some have even skated with their respective clubs.

I’m leaving off three players in particular – Shane Wright, Dylan Guenther and Brandt Clarke. All three were loaned directly from their NHL clubs and, at least in Guenther’s case, should return once the tournament ends. The first year of Guenther’s entry-level contract has already activated, so he’s a full-blown NHLer. The other two have been in the NHL all year other than the five-game conditioning stints in the AHL, so they’re still NHLers.

So, with that, here’s a look at 10 of the top NHL prospects to watch at the 2023 World Junior Championship in Halifax and Moncton from Dec. 26 – Jan. 5:

Luke Hughes, D, New Jersey Devils (USA)

Hughes finished the August tournament with six points in five games, playing the quarterfinal game injured after blocking a shot early. The 2021-22 season was one to remember, with a great World Championship showing and one of the best NCAA seasons of anyone, regardless of age. The New Jersey Devils prospect has followed it up with a similar near-point-per-game season at Michigan to become one of the NCAA’s top defensemen. Whether it be the power play, late-game situations or just overall top-pairing ice time against the tournament’s best players, Hughes will be one of the best players to watch, as expected. At 6-foot-2, he’s actually the biggest player on the blueline, too.

Simon Nemec, D, New Jersey Devils (Slovakia)

The second overall pick in 2022 is set to man the blueline after putting up 12 points in 24 games as an outstanding AHL rookie with the Utica Comets. Nemec isn’t your average prospect: he was a standout as a double undrafted underager in 2021, has two World Championship tournament appearances under his belt, and not only helped Slovakia make the 2022 Olympics but played a sizeable role en route to the nation’s first Olympic bronze in men’s ice hockey. Nemec is one of the best defensemen to come out of Slovakia in some time. With the Devils continuing to trend upward, he might not have many opportunities to represent them internationally in the future.

Logan Stankoven, C, Dallas Stars (Canada)

The 2021-22 season couldn’t have been much better for Stankoven. In the year after the Dallas Stars snagged him in the second round – yeah, I laughed at the other 31 teams that night, too – Stankoven was the WHL and CHL’s player of the year, had a WHL-leading 31 playoff points, had the best faceoff percentage at the WJC (72.84) and set up the winning goal for gold. This year? He’s on pace for over 120 points with Kamloops, so no big deal. Stankoven is one of the best prospects in the game today, and after making everyone look silly in Edmonton, he’s ready to take it up a notch in Halifax.

Olen Zellweger, D, Anaheim Ducks (Canada)

After leading all defensemen with 11 points in August, Zellweger is back and ready for more. He also led all WHL blueliners in points with 78 and won the league’s top defender trophy, further showing how much of a steal the Anaheim Ducks got in the second round in 2021. Clearly, his lack of size hasn’t slowed him down, and the Everett Silvertips blueliner should man the top pairing and first power-play unit.

Logan Cooley, C, Arizona Coyotes (USA)

Cooley enters the tournament on one of the biggest heaters of anyone. In his last 10 NCAA games with the University of Minnesota, he had 17 points, giving him 25 in 19 games. His play with the U-18 and U-20 team last season made him one of the most dangerous players to wear the red, white and blue, and the Arizona Coyotes prospect is clearly playing with house money right now.

Cutter Gauthier, C, Philadelphia Flyers (USA)

The Flyers are a long way from being a competitive NHL club, but once they are, you can bet on Gauthier being a big part of it. The fifth overall pick in 2022, the Swedish-born American winger has been ripping apart goalies with Boston College and was a dynamic scoring threat at the U-18 World Championship over the spring. All he does is generate scoring chances, and he’ll immediately step into USA’s top six and make an impact.

Joakim Kemell, RW, Nashville Predators (Finland)

After putting up 12 points at last year’s tournament, can Kemell up the stakes? He has been one of the best, if not THE best, Finnish forward nearly every single time he has played, and was Finland’s standout forward in the team’s exhibition action in November. He’s in his second season with JYP in the top Finnish league, and while he isn’t blowing things up offensively, his quick release has been quite useful. Kemell has one of the best shots among any prospect right now, and he’s ready to challenge for the scoring lead in Eastern Canada.

David Jiricek, D, Columbus Blue Jackets (Czechia)

Jiricek has been one of the best defensemen in the AHL this season, regardless of age. The Columbus Blue Jackets have let him simmer in Cleveland and he’s been excellent, so it’s only a matter of time until he’s fighting for a top-pairing role with the big club. There was no guarantee he’d be made available for Czechia, especially with Columbus’ injury issues this year. But since he will be,

Brennan Othmann, LW, New York Rangers (Canada)

With his good buddy Shane Wright by his side, Othmann will be right at home on Canada’s top line. Othmann made his presence known in August, throwing some big hits and putting up a point per game. He was starting to find his groove with the Peterborough Petes after getting traded by Flint in November, but his impact in pre-tournament action with Canada was undeniable. Othmann might not be the flashiest player – especially compared to Wright and Connor Bedard on his own line – but he’s the glue that keeps it all together, and his teammates adore him for that.

Fabian Lysell, LW, Boston Bruins (Sweden)

Lysell, one of the top scorers on the AHL’s Providence Bruins, has been electric this season. He scored twice at the summer tournament, but they were both absolute snipes. Lysell has a rocket of a shot, boasts the speed Lewis Hamilton in his prime and can wow you with his immense skill around the net. Sometimes, it feels like nobody can keep up with Lysell, which is a testament to his skill.

Other notables: Brad Lambert, RW, Winnipeg Jets (Finland), Chaz Lucius, C, Winnipeg Jets (USA), Jonathan Lekkerimaki, RW, Vancouver Canucks (Sweden), Liam Ohgren, LW, Minnesota Wild (Sweden), Jimmy Snuggerud, RW, St. Louis Blues (USA)

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