NHL Prospect Roundup: 10 Canadian World Junior snubs who are standing out

Credit: (Steven Ellis/The Nation Network)

It’s been about a week and a half since Canada was eliminated at the World Junior Championship on home ice – considered one of the most embarrassing performances they’ve ever had.

Naturally, people looked to the roster construction and pointed out the various flaws, especially at forward. Canada didn’t bring the 22 most talented forwards and defenders – and it bit them.

So, how have some of the team’s biggest snubs performed in recent weeks? Some were cut from selection camp, while others weren’t invited in the first place. It’s interesting that a few of the players mentioned below have managed to have explosive efforts against the Ottawa 67’s – the team Canadian coach Dave Cameron coaches in the OHL.

Let’s check in on how 10 notable prospects have looked over the past month:

Andrew Cristall, LW (Washington Capitals)

The Capitals were well represented at the World Juniors, with Ryan Leonard taking home MVP honors after helping the United States win gold. But could you imagine Team Canada with Cristall? The 19-year-old winger is one of the most skilled players in the CHL, playing at a 55-goal, 127-point pace this year. He just had a seven-point showing with his new club, the Spokane Chiefs, on Saturday. He had a whopping 60 points in 28 games with the Kelowna Rockets, a team that looks primed to miss the playoffs this year. Seriously, few WHLers in recent memory have been as dominant as Cristall with the puck. Granted, he had a quiet showing at the selection camp, but you have to think Cristall would have made it purely on merit had there not been a camp in the first place.

Liam Greentree, RW (Los Angeles Kings)

Need goals? Greentree can deliver. He’s on pace for 50 goals and 120 points as captain of the Windsor Spitfires, a team ready to go the distance in the OHL playoffs this year. Greentree had 21 points in 10 games from Dec. 12 – Jan. 5 – the start of selection camp until the gold medal game. Greentree was given so much credit for doing a lot of the heavy lifting for Windsor in a rebuilding season last year. Now, with the team chasing a title, Greentree is one of the top candidates to win league MVP honors while sitting tied for first in league scoring with 72 points.

Kieron Walton, C (Winnipeg Jets)

Walton is one of the OHL’s most fascinating young players – he’s a 6-foot-6 forward in the midst of an absolutely monster year in Sudbury. Even with the Wolves missing Quentin Musty – one of the league’s premier offensive threats – Walton has been playing at a 120-point pace after registering just 43 a year ago. A sixth-round pick in 2024, Walton has never played for Canada internationally but has been an absolute force as one of the most improved NHL prospects. Will that be enough for him to earn a look with Canada next year? We’ll see, but he’s tough as nails, and it’s good to see him earn love from fans and scouts alike this year. Heck, he could very well win the OHL scoring title this year.

Kevin He, LW (Winnipeg Jets)

He was born in Beijing, China, but his agent recently told Daily Faceoff’s Jeff Marek that he could play for Canada internationally. The 18-year-old winger is on pace for just under 50 goals and 100 points while also being one of the fastest skaters in the CHL. The competition to crack Canada would have been tough had Canada focused more on skill than having defined roles throughout the roster, but He has been one of the top prospects taken outside of the first round from 2024. Scouts were worried if He was only just going to be a speedster in the NHL – turns out, he’s quite good away from the puck, too – and he’s a big reason why the Niagara IceDogs are serious contenders.

Nick Lardis, LW (Chicago Blackhawks)

For as good of a goal-scorer as Lardis is, it always felt like he was a long shot to make Canada’s roster. But he should have at least been invited to camp, given he entered December at a goal-per-game rate with the Brantford Bulldogs. The 19-year-old winger is on pace to potentially be one of two 60-goal scorers in the OHL this year – and given Canada needed scoring help, they could have used someone like Lardis. He has 19 points in his past 12 games, so he’s still playing some fantastic hockey.

Beckett Sennecke, RW (Anaheim Ducks)

It was only a little ironic that Sennecke – one of Canada’s top players at selection camp – took home OHL player of the month honors on the same day Canada was eliminated in Ottawa. But the 6-foot-4 winger had nine goals and a whopping 22 points in eight games in December, which included four straight multi-point games to close out the month. Sennecke then rubbed salt in the wound with a pair of two-point games against Cameron’s Ottawa 67’s team this past weekend. There’s no way Canada leaves him off the roster next year, especially after watching him go on a 50-goal pace with the Oshawa Generals.

Zayne Parekh, D (Calgary Flames)

Canada could have definitely used Parekh’s play driving on the point. He had a rough selection camp – scouts weren’t shocked to see him get cut. But when Canada barely used Beau Akey, and then Matthew Schaefer went down with an injury, it was clear they could have used Parekh. The Saginaw Spirit defender had nine points in seven games after getting cut, which included a goal against Cameron’s Ottawa 67’s. Parekh isn’t likely going to sniff the 96-point total he had last year, but he’s still one of the best offensive defensemen in the CHL.

Denver Barkey, C (Philadelphia Flyers)

As his London Knights teammates struggled in Ottawa, Barkey was still finding ways to be productive. That included a five-assist effort against Sarnia on Dec. 31 – his second five-point game of the month after doing the same thing against, you guessed it, the Ottawa 67’s. Barkey has since registered two four-point games to kick off the first half of January, helping to get him on track to crack 100 points for the second straight year. Barkey had a quiet camp, for sure – but imagine if he was paired up with his good pal Easton Cowan in Ottawa.

Michael Hage, C (Montreal Canadiens)

Hage’s University of Michigan team didn’t play much during the WJCs. But he does have seven points over his past five games, including a pair of multi-point efforts against Wisconsin and Notre Dame. Hage has been one of the NCAA’s top freshmen with 24 points in 19 games, but he’s also shown improvement in his own zone and some decent improvements in overall top speed. If Canada truly takes their best roster possible next year, Hage is going to be a middle-six threat, but he has never skated for Canada in international competitions to date.

Matthew Wood, LW (Nashville Predators)

Wood was the only forward who entered camp as a returning player and didn’t make it. And if you watched camp, it was easy to see why – his skating just wasn’t good enough and he never seemed too involved in the play. He even took a bad penalty that halted Canada’s progress in one game – only to score the game-winning goal in the second U SPORTS bout. He immediately joined back with the University of Minnesota the night after being cut and registered an assist, and he now has six points in his past five games. It’s one of the best stretches of his college career, and helping to keep his point totals off after wilting a bit in November and early December.

SPONSORED BY bet365