How the top 2024 NHL Draft prospects are performing at the IIHF World Championship

Tuesday is the final day of round-robin play at the 2024 IIHF Men’s World Hockey Championship, with most of the playoff spots determined at this point.

So that means we’ve had a good chance to get an up-close-and-personal look at the talent pool this year leading into the 2024 NHL Draft. In terms of players eligible for the draft for the first time, there isn’t much to track unless you’re following Norway in particular. But like every year, there have been some impressive performances when the pressure starts to ramp up from some of the tournament’s youngest stars.

So with just three players going up for the draft for the first time, here’s a breakdown of everything you need to know:

Stian Solberg, D (Norway)

I was impressed when I saw Stian Solberg at the U-18 World Championship in 2023. He definitely had the jump in his step that made him one of the most impressive prospects outside of one of the top countries like Canada, Sweden, USA, Finland or Slovakia. But he was a kid back then – now, he looks like an experienced veteran at just 18 years old.

Solberg has truly impressed me despite one of the youngest players in the tournament – so much so that he’s going to be the biggest riser on my next NHL Draft rankings. And that’s not just because of how he’s playing at a two-week tournament – what we’ve seen from him over the past few months has been truly impressive. The Norwegian league isn’t too strong, but he was playing heavy minutes against men for the better part of the past three years, and that maturity has allowed him to flourish.

Solberg only got into two men’s team games before making his World Championship debut, and he impressed with goals against Czechia and Canada – two of the best teams in the tournament. He has gotten himself into trouble with some aggressive penalties, but to see him playing more than 23 minutes a night on a team fighting for survival is huge. He’s such a fluid skater at 6-foot-2 and 201 pounds. He has an excellent shot, but he also has a mean streak that makes him so difficult to beat in a 1-on-1 situation. It didn’t seem to matter who he battled against in this tournament – Solberg just doesn’t seem to lose many battles.

I think his lack of true offensive upside will hurt him, but I have been impressed with his powerful shot and his improved two-way game. He’s not an all-around defender, but he’s someone you could fit in a top-four sooner rather than later and be impressed with him. I think the first round is much more likely than it ever was.

Michael Brandsegg-Nygård, RW (Norway)

Brandsegg-Nygård has had a better tournament than his scoresheet might suggest. Not to Solberg’s level by any means, but he scored against Switzerland and Denmark and saw his ice time increase throughout the tournament. Norway still leaned heavily on the veterans, but Brandsegg-Nygård saw power-play time and got some tough matchups that he often looked quite impressive in.

It’s not surprising, either, given he played very well against men this year internationally. He entered the tournament with four goals in as many games in a year that also saw him put up a point-per-game at the World Juniors. Brandsegg-Nygård also had just under half a point per game in the second-tier Swedish league, leading all U-19 players with 18 points.

So watching him play well against men, even if the stats didn’t always follow, isn’t surprising. We’re seeing a player with an unbelievable release, great hockey IQ, excellent skating and good defensive play. Brandsegg-Nygård is extremely well-rounded, and maybe the lack of high-end numbers might not make him a sexy pick in the top 15, but the fact he’s so adaptable is impressive. I wish he’d use his frame to be more dominant physically because he’s actually built strong, but doesn’t use it enough to win battles.

But based on what I’ve seen, I’m happy. I think Brandsegg-Nygård does enough good things to be a valuable middle-six player one day, and this tournament was a solid showing in that respect.

Konsta Helenius, C (Finland)

After a disappointing showing at the U-18 World Championship, I was hoping for a decent showing at the world’s for Helenius. I knew his ice time was going to be limited as the youngest forward on the team, but after some great showings at the Euro Hockey Tour, I had high hopes.

Unfortunately, Helenius was the odd man out throughout most of the tournament. He sat out the first game before lining up on the first line in the second game, only to be a healthy scratch throughout most of the round-robin. He had an assist in 18:39 of playing time against Great Britain but played just 9:05 the next day and was out for the remainder of the tournament.

So, it’s been difficult to get a good read on him in Czechia. But I will say that I thought he did an excellent job of creating space for his linemates and making moves in tight. I wish he had more of a chance to finish the year off strong after having just an OK showing on home ice for the U-18s.

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How the top 2024 NHL Draft prospects are performing at the IIHF World Championship

Stian Solberg, D (Norway)

Michael Brandsegg-Nygård, RW (Norway)

Konsta Helenius, C (Finland)

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