2025 Hlinka Gretzky Cup: Scouting reports on over 90 NHL Draft prospects
The first major scouting event on the 2026 NHL Draft calendar is over and done with.
The Hlinka Gretzky Cup is one of the biggest prospect evaluations of the season, with eight of the world’s top hockey nations battling for gold in Czechia and Slovakia. USA ended up taking home the top spot, ending Canada’s three-year gold medal streak. Sweden finished with a silver, while Canada would have to settle for bronze after beating Finland.
Many, many notes were taken during the summer hockey affair. Like any tournament, you have to take it for what it is – a small sample of the bigger season-long picture. The Hlinka Gretzky is a fun tournament, but it’s still a summer showcase, and the non-refined hockey can reflect that.
If a draft prospect is not listed below, it means I didn’t have enough notes (or the player didn’t play enough) to include them. That’s not to say that they are a bad prospect, but it’s hard enough to write down notes on hundreds of prospects when there are two games playing at a time. Still, we tried to give you as much to chew on with the season set to begin in the coming weeks:
Canada
#31 Gavin Betts, G: Betts isn’t a big goaltender, so he has to be athletic to make a ton of stops. Fortunately for Canada, he looked up to the task every single game. Betts was Canada’s top goaltender at the selection camp, with his athleticism taking center stage. He was excellent against Finland and Czechia, two teams that kept him busy throughout. His first-half third-period effort against the Czechs was one of the top performances of any goalie over the past week.
#2 Cameron Chartrand, D: Chartrand will win you over by just being defensively sound. His offensive game is quite simple, but he gets in the way of pucks and pushes players around in front of the net. He plays with a lot of strength, and he has an active stick, too.
#3 Keaton Verhoeff, D: Verhoeff was Canada’s best defender during the round robin, but struggled in the semifinal game (and it proved costly). Overall, I was pleased with his game, as one’d expect from someone with his skill set. He’s big, skilled, skates well, and is defensively miserable to go up against. Verhoeff is still the projected No. 2 prospect for 2026, and this tournament showed everything he is capable of.
#4 Ryan Lin, D: Line started the tournament with five points in the first two games, putting him up in the scoring lead conversation. He was good, but not great the rest of the way, being a bit less effective than I was expecting he would after an incredible selection camp. But we expect better from someone like him because he sets the bar so high. His habits are great, his transition game is excellent and I have full faith he’ll become a star.
#5 Carson Carels, D: Carels was the least flashy defenseman on Canada – by design. The 6-foot-2 defender is an excellent skater who’ll shut you down with his pure speed, and he was arguably Canada’s best own-zone defender, too. Carels won’t impress you with his puck skill but he makes up for it with his great positioning and defensive reads.
#7 Giorgos Pantelas, D: Pantelas is a big defender who’ll give you little room to work with on the rush. He loves to get physical, and while that proved to be more difficult on the bigger ice, I thought he made up for it with his own-zone play reads. He plays a simple game – he never tries to outdo himself by playing outside his comfort zone. I think he’s a little bit faster than what we saw a year ago.
#25 Daxon Rudolph, D: Rudolph wasn’t the best flashiest defender on Canada, but I loved his own-zone game. He has great two-way awareness and looked more engaged with the puck at this tournament than he did for most of 2024-25. Rudolph does a good job of getting the puck down the ice while also being involved on the attack. I also think he’s a better skater than some people give him credit for.
#11 Tynan Lawrence, C: Lawrence is always looking to do something to positively impact a shift. He’s a playmaker who loves to scan open ice for opportunities. He also battles like a grinder around the net to win puck battles, too. Lawrence will be one of the first forwards taken this year because he rarely loses an individual shift. He was Canada’s best player by a mile in the semifinal – I think he’s going to be a shift-changing player in the NHL.
#12 Liam Ruck, RW: Ruck was one of Canada’s best wingers this week, which wasn’t too surprising given how impressive he looked at the selection camp. I love his work ethic, his defensive zone play and how mobile he is on the penalty kill. He’s an all-around player who might not be big but has all the tools to have a good NHL career. Ruck is the type of player you can pair with a shooter and make magic happen.
#14 Mathis Preston, RW: Preston loves rushing into open space, and he’ll exploit you if you give him even the smallest opening. He combines speed with skill and high hockey IQ, allowing him to generate quality chances consistently. Preston had one of the best showings of any Canadian player at this tournament, scoring a third-period hat-trick against the Swiss. He’s not going to have to wait long to hear his name called on draft day.
#15 Cooper Williams, C: Williams was a standout at selection camp but didn’t have much to show for at the main tournament. That was mostly due to low usage, but I didn’t notice him much until the bronze medal game (where he seemed much more refreshed than the others). Regardless, I like his hard shot release, and he does a good job of getting himself into scoring lanes.
#16 Ethan Belchetz, LW: Belchetz loves to create havoc anytime he can get involved physically. The power forward plays with a ton of skill and that proved to give the defenders some fits. He won just about every physical battle he had both offensively and defensively, allowing him to stay involved in the scoring race the entire week. Belchetz is going to be an absolute beast this year – I’d hate to go 1-on-1 with him because he can absolutely flatten anyone – and if he doesn’t need to, he’ll beat you with his quick hands.
#17 Alessandro Di Iorio, C: Di Iorio always seems to come alive when he dons the Canadian uniform. He does an excellent job of driving to the net and generating quality chances. He’s strong, but he can beat you with quick hands if he needs to. He feels so sneaky – like he does a great job of skating into the zone undetected, allowing himself to get into high-quality scoring situations.
#18 Beckham Edwards, LW: Edwards was a buzzsaw, chasing after opponents to steal pucks and generate chances. It always felt like he saved his best hockey for the third period, with his energetic nature allowing him to outlast opponents on the attack. He’s quick, smart and works his tail off every single shift.
#19 Adam Valentini, C: Valentini is so energetic, allowing himself to chase all game long without losing much pace. He can be a bit of a pain in the ass around the net because you can almost never keep up with his footwork. I love how he drives the middle of the zone, as well. I thought he had a great round robin in particular, and he looked as fast as ever in the semifinal after the day off.
#21 Pierce Mbuyi, LW: Mbuyi loves to use his speed and acceleration to create chances from himself, especially down the middle of the ice. He works hard for a smaller forward, too. He also sees the ice quite well, allowing him to make some passes even under pressure. We didn’t see him play too much in this tournament, but I still noticed his effort to steal pucks.
#22 Jean-Christoph Lemieux, LW: Lemieux missed a game due to an injury and never looked 100 percent when he returned. Still, you can see his speed and hockey sense that allowed him to win a lot of individual battles. I’ve seen better from Lemieux, especially when he was dominant physically and creatively at training camp.
#26 Markus Ruck, LW: I loved Ruck as a playmaker. While Liam was the more offensively minded twin, Markus chased after opponents and often got the puck where it needed to be. Ruck is a smart, hard worker who won’t score in the NHL, but he can fill a lot of roles in a lineup.
#27 Colin Fitzgerald, C: Fitzgerald will never be a producer in the NHL. Instead, he battles so hard and rarely loses a fight for the puck. He’s very difficult to stop around the net, and he has some good speed for a power forward, as well. I think his shot is still a work in progress and he can be a lackluster passer but he’s competitive and should have no issue cracking an NHL roster.
#29 Thomas Rousseau, RW: Rousseau had a quiet three points in the round robin, primarily as a play starter. He wasn’t too noticeable in my viewings but he held his own defensively and acted as a support player on every line he skated on.
Czechia
#30 František Poletín, G: Poletín is one of the top goaltending prospects in the draft, and he showed why at the Hlinka. The 6-foot-2 keper moves fluidly without much hesitation and he battles so hard down low. I really liked how he kept sending pucks away from danger. Poletín has built a reputation of some huge performances internationally and last week was no exception.
#3 Ben Reisnecker, D: Some guys make a career out of being a pain in the rear end to go up against. Reinsecker doesn’t do much with the puck, but he made it clear he’ll separate you from it if you give the opportunity to do so. Reisnecker is 6-foot-3, but he’s just built to knock guys down. He struggled in that third period against Canada but I thought he was really good against the Swiss.
#8 Jiri Kamlas, D: Kamas does a good job of defending on the rush and ensuring nobody can blast past him. His positioning is solid, and he has the speed to go back the other way, even late in a shift. I could see Kamlas continuing to play a ton of minutes throughout the year because he’s reliable. I’ll keep watching him throughout the year.
#14 Ondřej Ruml, D: Ruml played heavy minutes throughout the tournament, often being one of the better transition players on the Czech team. I like how he handles the puck and he’s a good skater, too. He rarely gets caught trying to do much rushing up the ice, and is quite good in his own zone. He can be a bit hot and cold but his defensive game is usually quite refined.
#21 Jaukb Vanecek, D: The Liberec defender started off strong but then was a bit less impactful in the tougher matchups. I was hoping for a bit more, but I still get the appeal. He’s strong, smart and carries the puck with so much confidence. I just want to see a bit more consistency in his shift-to-shift game, but there’s something here, for sure.
#16 Jiri Maxa, C: Maxa is quick and always wants the puck. Fortunately for him, nothing seems to bother him. He likes getting physical and going into every battle like his life depends on it. As new school, smaller players are required to be a lot more physical, Maxa’s fearlessness is appreciated. He played a lot but didn’t produce much – but the Czechs had issues scoring against tougher competition, anyway.
#18 Filip Novak, RW: You can’t deny that Novak likes to battle hard. He’s a solid skater who can shoot from everywhere and rarely lets off a bad release. Novak doesn’t make many mistakes under pressure, but he’ll force them out of his opponents. Novak is a strong two-way player who should be in the top 90 conversation heading into the draft.
#19 Jan Trefný, LW: There wasn’t a game where Trefný wasn’t looking to make something happen. He brings so much energy every shift (even though he’s just an average skater) and creates his own opportunities as a result. He likes to buzz around the blueline in an attempt to get a breakout pass or to knock the puck out of the zone. He’s on the smaller side so I’m curious how he’ll perform in the WHL.
#20 Dominik Řípa, RW: Řípa can often be found using his speed to chase after pucks, and he’s good away from the disk, as well. He can beat defenders with his quick hands but I’d like to see it a bit more consistently. I like his ability to read defenders and adjust his trajectory to try and exploit them, though.
#24 Vojtech Svancar, LW: Svancar was a big piece of Czechia early on, snagging a pair of assists to kick off the tournament. The undersized forward entered the tournament on a bit of a heater from exhibition play and stayed hot today with some great footwork and spatial awareness. Svancar has grown a bit over the past year and it feels like he played with something to prove.
Finland
#30 Aarni Riihimaki, G: Scouts were very split on Riihimaki heading into the tournament, saying he struggled for consistency. That was evident against Switzerland, where he allowed one of the weakest goals you’ll see in the closing stages of the game. Riihimaki is very quick and has a great glove hand (usually) but I didn’t like his one start at the Hlinka.
#31 William Gammals, G: Gammals was impressive throughout the tourney. He might be small but I love how he tracks pucks and doesn’t let players crashing the net phase him too much. I love how quick his hands are, but his leg work is even better. He’s hard to beat when you’re forcing him to move laterally because he covers the bottom of the net so well.
#2 Max Laatikainen, D: Born one day before the cutoff for the draft, Laatikainen has a bit of a longer runway. I thought he played fine, making some solid breakout passes while playing a reliable defensive game. It feels like everything he does is smooth – from his passes to the way he skates, both with and without the puck. I’ve seen him play better, but I like his defensive game right now.
#3 Samu Alalauri, D: One scout told me before the tournament to keep an eye on Alalauri, a potential top 60 pick. There’s nothing particularly special about him, but he has great hockey IQ and gets a lot of pucks into the slot. Defensively, he’s been impressive, too. The Finns looked lackluster in their own zone throughout most of the tournament but Alalauri seemed to always be near the top of his game.
#6 Juho Piiparinen, D: I liked what I saw from Piiparinen last week. He’s a fluid skater who takes up a lot of space and doesn’t let guys push him around. I liked how engaged he was at both ends just about every single game. At 6-foot-3, he takes up a lot of space, but he also has more skill than the average defender his size. His bread and butter, though, is his defensive zone play. He can make subtle moves with the puck that simply impress you.
#8 Julius Suominen, D: Suominen primarily played on the top pairing with Piiparinen, which proved to be a formidable pairing. Suominen moves quite well, allowing him to break up plays on the rush. I thought he did a good job of defending the middle, but he could get caught trying to do too much with the puck at times. Sometimes, simple is better – and when Suominen doesn’t try to play outside his skill level, he’s solid.
#9 Eelis Uronen, D: Uronen is a hard hitter for someone standing at just six-foot. Defensively, he did a good job of forcing opponents to the outside and displayed some good bursts of speed, too. Uronen isn’t too creative with the puck but he can get it out of the zone with ease – and, sometimes, that’s all you need.
#10 Anttoni Uronen, C: Uronen isn’t afraid to play on the edge, and that’s what we saw from him all tournament long. He likes to engage along the boards and will knock you down if you’ve pissed him off. I’d like to see him skate a bit quicker and make faster decisions under pressure, but he’s built to be a grinder.
#11 Wilmer Kallio, RW: Kallio had a solid tournament, serving as a puck-carrier on the second line for the most part. I liked him on the power play – whenever they needed a reset, Kallio regained possession, slowed things down, and then got the play moving again. A lot of his best plays are the simpler ones, such as the small touches on the rush to a quicker player, or how he draws defenders toward him before getting the puck to a shooter.
#12 Janne Karassari, LW: He’s your typical undersized energy winger. He was primarily utilized in a depth role, but I liked his speed and footwork on the rush. But that’s essentially all he did – he wasn’t too engaged in the offense.
#13 Oliver Suvanto, C: Suvanto influences the game in so many ways, from his backchecks, the way he takes lanes away and how he gets to the front of the net to try and make things happen. Suvanto was one of my favorite players in this tournament because it felt like he was always creating offense and making his linemates better.
#14 Viljo Kahkonen, C: Kahkonen is a decent fourth-line forward who plays a reliable two-way game. You won’t see many flashes of high-end skill, but he can hold his own while under attack and gets into scoring lanes to break them up.
#15 Rasmus Rinne, LW: Rinne was a ball of energy out there. Primarily used in a bottom-line role, it felt like he was always chasing after pucks and forcing turnovers. I liked him at the U-17s so I was a bit surprised he wasn’t used a bit more in Czechia. But I still loved how well he moved and how rarely he lost an individual battle.
#17 Jiko Laitinen, C: Laitinen does a good job of forcing turnovers and getting quick shots off. He did just that against Canada in the opener and then added another to close out the round-robin. He has a good one-timer, and isn’t afraid to make riskier passes if there’s a chance it could result in a quality goal.
#18 Oliver Torkki, RW: Torkki has been very inconsistent in my viewings. On one hand, he was invisible at the U-17 World Challenge, but seemed unstoppable at points as a playmaker in other national team action. In Czechia, I thought Torkki was good as a physical presence, but he did very little of note with the puck. I’ve seen better.
#19 Vilho Vanhatalo, RW: Vanhatalo was great against Canada but then played more of a two-way role the rest of the way. While his offensive game can be inconsistent, I appreciate how he utilizes his 6-foot-3 frame to bully opponents and drive to the net. I can see him becoming an NHL pick solely because of his large frame and powerful shot. If he can put it all together every night, he’ll be in good shape.
#20 Luka Arkko, RW: Arkko was a pest all week. He was always chasing after someone, trying to force a goal any way he could. He scored twice against Czechia to help the Finns silence the home crowd. I even liked him against the Swiss in a game where so few Finnish players seemed to do much. You love energy guys like that because they give it their all every game.
#21 Olli Wahlroos, LW: I caught Wahlroos a few times last year (his fun last name made it easy to remember him). I recall being concerned about his decision-making with the puck. But his offensive awareness has seemingly improved over time, allowing him to give the puck up far less and without many issues. He made some high-risk, high-reward plays in the tournament that paid off – I like that.
#27 Oscar Hemming, LW: I really liked Hemming’s tournament. He can be a bit invisible at times, but no forward seemed to have more luck taking space away in front of the net. Hemming was amazing in the semifinal, shooting from everywhere to get his team into the lead. Hemming is huge at 6-foot-4 and goaltenders had a difficult time looking past him. Hemming is going to be the guy to watch out of Finland for me – his size, skill, and hockey sense make him intriguing.
Germany
#30 Anton Röckl, G: If it wasn’t for Rockl, the game against the Slovaks would have been an utter disaster. He was the busiest player, having to deal with shots from just about everywhere and often with traffic in front, and he ended up with 45 saves. He’s small and likely won’t get drafted, but it was good to see him stand on his head.
#21 Darian Rolsing, D: It seemed like the only German player who wanted to shoot was Rolsing. The Wenatchee Wild defender stands tall at 6-foot-6, but he has shown some good offensive stylings at this tournament, as well. I’d say he was Germany’s best player overall, which wasn’t a huge bar given how ineffective they were at getting pucks on net. Regardless, I expect him to get drafted this year.
Slovakia
#30 Samuel Hrenák, G: Goaltending is always important for the Slovaks at a tournament like this, and Hrenák had to be busy. The 6-foot-4 goaltender rarely looked uncomfortable for the most part, moving fluidly while tracking pucks quite well. Hrenák, a Fargo Force draft pick, had some bright moments against Canada at the U-18s a few months back, but I felt like he looked more composed and dialed in last week.
#28 Jakub Floris, D: Floris is a big 6-foot-3 defender who prioritizes his defensive zone play. He doesn’t offer much in terms of puck movement or skill, but he has a big frame and wins most of his battles along the boards. I don’t think he skates well enough to get serious NHL Draft consideration, though.
#22 Adam Goljer, D: It wasn’t easy being a Slovak defender at this tournament, especially against a team like Sweden. But Goljer stayed calm, cool and collected and continued to battle throughout the rest of the game. Goljer is a smart defender who likes to get physical and he’s no slouch as a playmaker, either.
#17 Tobias Zvolensky, LW: Zvolensky is a big 6-foot-3 forward who likes to overpower anyone who tries to get in his way. He’s competitive in all the right ways – although I’m not sure he has the puck skills to be more than a bottom-six player on a team like this. He’s raw – I hope we see some flashes of skill during the year to get him on the draft radar.
Sweden
#1 Milo Tjärnlund, G: After getting just one start during the preliminary round, Tjärnlund earned the net for the semifinal – and it wasn’t pretty. He couldn’t seem to find his footing in the crease and allowed four goals in the first eight minutes before eventually shutting the Finns down in the end. Tjärnlund is hit or miss for me – he either is unstoppable or can’t stop anything.
#30 Douglas Nilsson, G: It’s not always difficult to win when your team takes full control. But Nilsson had some of the best numbers in the tournament, showing a level of calmness under pressure that you love to say. The 6-foot-4 goaltender has ideal size, but he’s also athletic for his frame, too. I love his footwork and how he deflects pucks to the outside.
#2 Axel Elofsson, D: I was really surprised with just how effective Elofsson was with the puck. The 5-foot-10 defender plays with a ton of skill and he loves exploiting opponents on the man advantage. He does shy away from physical games, which isn’t ideal. But you’ll have that when you’re on the smaller side. His lack of size will hurt his draft stock, but he was as skilled as any defenseman at this tournament.
#4 Malte Gustafsson, D: Gustafsson played a smart two-way game and had a few flashes of offensive brilliance. He’s huge at 6-foot-4 and does an excellent job of getting in the way of just about everyone. He likes to hit, and while that does get him in trouble at times, I like how he defends.
#5 Hjalmar Clithe, D: Clithe is more of a stay-at-home defender. He doesn’t get many puck touches but is capable of moving it if he needs to. He’s physically strong and can definitely fire off powerful shots, but his accuracy can be a bit all over the place.
#8 Ola Palme, D: Palme is a two-way defenseman who plays with significant pace. There were numerous occasions where he was able to rush out from behind his own net to help join the rush. Palme is strong, too, allowing him to win many puck battles.
#12 Marcus Nordmark, LW: Need offense? Nordmark’s your guy. Few players make moves like he does on the man advantage, and his ability to win individual battles consistently has allowed him to finish many quality plays. He exposes open space and has the speed and skill to be a difference-maker when it matters. Nordmark is a first-round talent who continued to improve as the tournament progressed. Nordmark was one of the best players in the tournament, bar none.
#14 Nils Bartholdsson, RW: Bartholdsson proved himself as one of the most effective playmakers this week, making many high-end passing plays that led to scoring chances. No winger has done a better job of getting the puck around defenders before getting it where it needs to be. He’s much more toolsy as a passer than I first thought, too.
#16 Oscar Holmertz, C: I was really looking forward to watching Holmertz, a projected first-round pick. He delivered, scoring twice in the opening game against Germany while punishing their goaltenders with his quick release over and over again. He rarely enters the zone without a game plan, allowing him to either rush in to shoot the puck or make a pass that often results in a quality chance.
#17 Elton Hermansson, RW: Hermansson just has the “it” factor. You rarely see him skating slowly and not trying to get something done. He’s always engaged around the net, and he can fire from anywhere. Hermansson was one of Sweden’s most notable forwards all tournament long and I can’t wait to see how he performs internationally the rest of the way.
#18 Adam Andersson, C: Andersson didn’t get enough praise for how much he did. He had a couple of points, killed penalties, performed well in the faceoff dot and used his speed to create chances. He had points in each of the three round-robin games despite never playing a significant role. That’s partly because he does such a good job of entering the zone to get a play started.
#20 Mikael Kim, C: Kim is always chasing after pucks, playing an impressive two-way game. He even had a few points over the week after doing a good job of driving through the middle to create chances. Even if it was mostly in spurts, I seemed to notice Kim doing something smart with the puck at least once every single period.
#21 Ludvig Andersson, RW: Andersson left me underwhelmed in his previous international action, but I liked his heads-up playmaking last week. He usually likes to shoot the puck, but he did a good job of utilizing his linemates, especially at speed. I also liked that he was often buzzing around the blueline to break up passes and try and create a chance the other way.
#25 Max Isaksson, LW: Isaksson impressed me at the U-17s a year ago, but I liked him more over the past week in Slovakia. He has a good work ethic and doesn’t back down from a physical challenge. Isaksson was also defensively responsible while landing a couple of decent hits, too. I like Isaksson as a support forward who won’t make many mistakes.
#28 Mans Josbrant, LW: It was a quiet week for Josbrant, who I have seen play better before. He blocked a few shots and kept getting sticks in the way of scoring lanes, but didn’t really do much to drive the play.
Switzerland
#1 Yannis Zambelli, G: Zambelli is small, but he makes up for it with his pure athleticism. He allowed nine goals to Canada, but that doesn’t tell the whole story. He made some incredible saves, and while he ultimately succumbed to the pressure in the third, Zambelli’s fluidity and competitiveness gave the Swiss a fighting chance against a hockey powerhouse. He isn’t big and can overcommit to shots a bit too much but I love how well he moves.
#30 Pascal Kunz, G: Goaltending was a bright spot for the Swiss this week, with Kunz having a pair of good showings. Kunz was great against the Finns, giving his team one last reason to cheer in the round robin. The Swiss were clearly outmatched in terms of skill, but Kunz seemed up for the challenge, thanks to his mobility and reaction times.
#4 Lennox Hirt, D: Hirt moves well for being a bigger defender. I like how refined physically he is, and it allows him to handle his own against top-level power forwards like Ethan Belchetz. His puck skills are a work in progress, though. That could hold him back from getting drafted.
#12 Yanis Lutz, RW: The Peterbourgh Petes forward did an excellent job of rushing the puck up the ice, and he has plenty of skill to boot. He’s a decent skater who might not get too engaged physically, but he’ll at least put in the effort to help out defensively. He’s an OK shooter but he’s more dangerous as a set-up guy. I could see him being taken late in the draft.
#13 Fabrice Bouvard, RW: Bouvard did a bit of everything for the Swiss. He finished with four points, but he also played on the penalty kill, power play and blocked some shots along the way. He’s not huge, but he’s strong, and it shows in how much power he puts behind his release.
#28 Clemens Troxler, C: Troxler had some decent showings with the U-18 team a year ago, and he had the opportunity to serve as Switzerland’s No. 1 center this year. Troxler is a two-way forward who came alive during the seventh-place game, scoring a goal and adding an assist to secure the win. He battles hard at both ends and skates well, too. I could see him becoming a late-round pick. Building up consistency is key.
USA
#35 Brady Knowling, G: It’s been a few years since the USA Hockey National Team Development Program had a goalie worth getting excited about. Could Knowling be the guy? He was great in his two starts during the round robin and then weathered the storm against Canada as best he could. He dealt with injuries last year and had to play catch-up, but I liked how quick he was laterally and that he never gave up on a rebound.
#3 Nick Bogas, D: Bogas was one of USA’s best all-around defenders. I thought he played great in the opener against Slovakia and continued staying relevant in his own zone the rest of the way. Even when he wasn’t driving the play from the blue line, you noticed him for his skating and hockey sense. I didn’t know too much about him before but I liked him last week.
#6 Will McLaughlin, D: McLaughlin had assists against Sweden and Canada, primarily playing third-pairing minutes. I thought he did a decent job of just getting in the way. Sometimes, that’s all your asking for from a defensive defender – just move yourself in front of someone else and see what happens. I could see a team taking a chance on him because he’s steady enough to be reliable.
#8 Nathan Bienstock, D: As a smaller defender (and USA’s seventh), it’s easy to overlook Bienstock. However, I really liked his tournament because he consistently found ways to put himself into physical situations. He made every shift count, shoving guys around and starting rushes from his own zone. Bienstock plays with skill, but as a 5-foot-8 defender, it’s not going to help his draft stock.
#9 Jack Hextall, C: Hextall was one of the smartest, most rounded players I watched in this tournament. He isn’t big, but he makes up for it with great hockey sense, speed, and superb puckhandling. I thought he played some of his most effective hockey early in the tournament but he was a catalyst on the power play and was even useful defensively. The USHLer just seemed to have the puck more than anyone in the American lineup.
#11 Blake Zielinski, RW: Zielinski was USA’s best player throughout the tournament and one of the best overall, period. He sees the ice so well, and he has the quick hands to make passes look so easy. I’ve consistently liked his play at this tournament – it feels like he has been everywhere on the attack while making his linemates more dangerous thanks to his high-end playmaking.
#12 Nikita Klepov, LW: Klepov was one of the USA’s primary shot generators throughout the tournament, so it was surprising that he didn’t have an offensive explosion. The smart, skilled winger is always buzzing, looking to make moves consistently in open ice. The Saginaw Spirit forward does a great job of getting the puck into the zone and starting opportunities. I’m excited to see how he develops in the OHL because he’s a truly promising prospect.
#13 Luke Puchner, LW: Puchner continued to get better as the tournament wore on, showing he can be more than just an energy guy. Puchner doesn’t shoot a lot but he makes the most of his passing opportunities every single night. I like how engaged he is physically despite being smaller, too. He saved his best performance for the semifinal, where he scored a goal and added an assist to give the USA the advantage midway through.
#15 Nolan Duskocy, RW: Duskocy primarily played as USA’s 13th forward. He was always looking to make a play and has the energy and skill to outwork opponents. He feels a bit underrated, but today’s game was easily the best I’ve seen from him because he was rarely not the best player on the ice.
#16 Joseph Salandra, RW: I was not too familiar with the Barrie Colts forward, but I liked what I saw from him all week long. He had plenty of shots on USA’s third line, and I was surprised he didn’t do more on the scoresheet. He plays with pace, he’s strong and he’s smart. I also like how aggressive he can be along the boards when he’s in a heated puck battle. There’s a lot to like.
#19 Shaeffer Gordon–Carroll, C: SGC moves well, has an accurate release and isn’t afraid to mix it up in open ice if you want to challenge him physically. I like the way he thinks the game at speed – he knows when it’s better for him to just do it all himself.
#21 Caden Harvey, RW: I criticized Harvey for not shooting a lot early in the tournament, and he then proceeded to score twice against the Germans. He has an excellent shot release and I just want him to use it more. I also like him as a playmaker – you won’t find him blindly passing the puck in hopes of getting something done. He knows what he wants to do and executes it.
#22 Brooks Rogowski, C: At 6-foot-7 and 227 pounds, it’s really, really, really difficult to miss Rogowski out there. He’s simply massive and he does a lot to remind you that every time he hits the ice. The Oshawa Generals forwards hit hard, but he doesn’t play an overwhelmingly physical game. Instead, he lets his hands and solid mobility do the talking. Teams love huge centers – I expect Rogowski to get drafted.
#23 Jaxon Williams, LW: I appreciate how he maintained a high level of scoring in high-quality opportunities, even when his ice time was limited. That’s something his father, Justin “Mr. Game 7” Williams, used to do during his NHL career. Williams wasn’t used much in important situations, but his speed and drive to the net were noticeable.
#24 Kalder Varga, RW: Varga is known for his speed and his shot and he showed that in spurts early on. He often creates opportunities for himself by the way he pushes through, beating bigger defenders with ease often. The University of Denver commit didn’t produce like I expected, but I still thought he had a good showing overall because he was rarely not involved in his line’s scoring opportunities.
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