World Hockey Championship: Top NHL prospects to watch

Credit: Photo by Steven Ellis/Daily Faceoff

After months of preparation, the 2023 men’s World Hockey Championship is finally upon us.

The popular European-based event is definitely lacking a bit of the usual high-quality talent we’ve become used to. In the past three tournaments alone, we’ve seen David Pastrnak, Jason Robertson, Timo Meier, Mathew Barzal, Moritz Seider, Rasmus Dahlin, Nikolaj Ehlers, Nico Hischier and Jake Oettinger, among others. This year, more teams are taking a youthful approach, with the possibility of some extra talent showing up midway once the second round of the Stanley Cup playoffs comes to a close.

So luckily for the rest of us, there are some skilled young prospects ready to make their mark. From future NHL starting goalies, to high-scoring defensemen and top-six forwards, fans looking to get a glimpse of the next generation of hockey talent will be treated to one over the next few weeks.

The tournament takes place in Finland and Latvia from May 12-28, with the Finns looking to repeat on home ice after beating Canada for gold a year ago. Here’s a look at 17 prospects worth keeping an eye on:

Lane Hutson, D, USA (Montreal Canadiens)

It’s not uncommon for young defenders to start with limited minutes and get eased in. That’s exactly what I expect for Hutson, who, by the end, could very well be one of USA’s most important players. The Canadiens prospect was a revelation this year, putting up the best numbers by a U-19 NCAA defenseman in more than 30 years. He was a top 10 Hobey Baker finalist while setting records and winning awards on a seemingly daily basis. This will be his first time playing against pros, and he looked solid in USA’s exhibition contest against Germany – highlighted by a tremendous shootout goal. Get pumped, Habs fans.

Lane Hutson (MTL) during the exhibition shootout showed off his spectacular puckhandling ability. Mercy. pic.twitter.com/yzc0Zzr8Y5

— Chris Peters (@chrismpeters) May 9, 2023

Sean Farrell, C, USA (Montreal Canadiens)

Farrell is as creative as they get, and he’s also about to be leaned on heavily here for the Americans. He had six points at both the Olympics and World Championship last year while still a Harvard University student. Now, with six NHL games and a career-high 53-point college campaign to his credit, Farrell will look to be a leader on the Americans. He has good speed and knows how to use the extra ice to his advantage, and he does a good job of getting sticks on the shots and into the right position at the right time.

Matt Coronato, C, USA (Calgary Flames)

Coronato was USA’s fourth-line center against Germany, but expect him to force his way up the lineup. He showed bursts of smart decision-making with the puck and the effort was always there. He helped set up Rocco Grimaldi for a nice goal late in the game and had some other decent moments that unfortunately didn’t go anywhere. Coronato just turned pro a few weeks ago and got into some late-season contests with the Flames, but this will be a good test to get him up to speed before the summer hits. Flames fans are excited for a reason.

Carter Mazur, LW, USA (Detroit Red Wings)

Mazur was part of the dominant American line that saw him and Drew O’Connor combine for a couple of goals on Tuesday. Mazur’s previous experience with the Americans at the 2022 World Junior Championship was exceptional, and he continued with a tremendous NCAA season at the University of Denver. Add in a point-per-game rate through six AHL contests and Marzur means business.

Henry Thrun, D, USA (San Jose Sharks)

Thrun got a taste of pro hockey with the Sharks at the end of this season, and 2023-24 will be a nice transition year for one of the top college defenders last year. The worlds will be a significant moment for Thrun, who has represented the Americans at all the junior levels and now will taste the senior level for the first time. He looked good against Germany in the exhibition contest, playing top-four minutes. David Quinn has elected to use his young defensemen at this tournament in the past, so we’ll see what Thrun gets trusted with.

Ronnie Attard, D, USA (Philadelphia Flyers)

Attard didn’t find a way to crack the Flyers full-time after a solid 15-game stint in 2021-22. But he stood out positively during the exhibition contest, skating alongside Hutson and scoring the first goal before helping to set up the second one two minutes later. You notice when Attard is confident with the puck, and it seems like he liked the extra space European ice provided him.

Luke Tuch, LW, USA (Montreal Canadiens)

It’s great to see the Tuch brothers together, with Buffalo Sabres forward Alex Tuch likely expected to play a big role for the Americans. The younger brother will likely serve as the 13th forward, or even as an alternate once they fill out the roster, but it’s good to see him part of the team. The 21-year-old doubled up his offensive output in the NCAA this year with 20 points in 40 games, but it’s his defensive responsibility and physical, all-out play that make him a bit more valuable.

Devon Levi, G, Canada (Buffalo Sabres)

It’ll be interesting to see how Levi splits time with Montreal’s Samuel Montembeault, who was excellent in Canada’s one exhibition game against Hungary. Levi is a hotshot goalie prospect coming off a wild season, putting up tremendous numbers with Northeastern University before going 5-2-0 down the stretch in an effort to save Buffalo’s season. He’ll be in the NHL full-time next year, and this will be a good test to see what he can do against pros. Canada will likely flip between the two goalies before settling on a starter later on, but Levi – who has stolen the show every time he has represented Canada – is ready for prime-time duty.

Jesper Wallstedt, G, Minnesota Wild (Sweden)

Wallstedt is one of just a handful of NHL-affiliated players on the Swedes, but he’s also the youngest goalie by nearly a decade. So it’ll be interesting to see how the Swedes roll him out, especially with only one national team game this season. He looked good with a 22-save overtime win over Finland last week and was one of the best young goaltenders in the AHL, putting up decent numbers on a midpack Iowa Wild squad. It’s a bit crowded in Minnesota next year, but a great showing here could go a long way.

Marco Rossi, C, Austria (Minnesota Wild)

The 21-year-old still hasn’t cracked the Minnesota Wild full-time but has a pair of 50-point seasons with Iowa. This will be Rossi’s first men’s World Championship action after last appearing at the Olympic Qualifiers in 2021. He’s always been a key contributor to the Austrian attack and is the only forward on the team with NHL experience. Expect him to play at the top of the lineup as Austria hopes to avoid relegation.

Thimo Nickl, D, Austria (Pittsburgh Penguins)

The 6-foot-2 defenseman is no stranger to the Austrian national team, mostly playing a shutdown, physical role. He has been a mainstay with the team this year while spending the season with AIK in the second Swedish league, where he recorded eight assists and 69 penalty minutes. Nickl hasn’t announced a deal for 2023-24 yet and is still unsigned by the Penguins, so it’ll be interesting to see what happens next.

Frederik Dichow, G, Denmark (Montreal Canadiens)

There’s a changing of the guard in Denmark this year, and, if all goes well, Dichow will see some significant action. He was great in his lone Olympic start last year and had some decent efforts at the Deutschland Cup this season. Dichow played in the SHL full-time for the first time and showed some decent progress as a 21-year-old. A fifth-round pick by the Montreal Canadiens in 2019, Dichow is still a bit of a longshot, but he’s no stranger to standing out.

Andrei Buyalsky, C, Kazakhstan (Colorado Avalanche)

Colorado’s third-round pick in 2021, Buyalsky is coming off of his first full season with the University of Vermont. He had a decent output with 18 points, a decent total after skating in just three games the year prior. Buyalsky was part of the Kazakh team that qualified for consecutive top-division world juniors but hasn’t seen any national team action since early 2020.

Arturs Silovs, G, Latvia (Vancouver Canucks)

Silovs looks like a good value pick after going in the sixth round in 2019. He got his first taste of NHL action and looked decent, and then shared the starting duties in the AHL with some solid numbers. Silovs could fight to become Vancouver’s backup next year, a position that is wide open at this point. If he plays anything like he did a year ago when he put up a .952 save percentage through four games at this tournament, it’ll be hard to ignore him.

Dans Locmelis, C, Latvia (Boston Bruins)

Bruins fans like Locmelis, and now they’ll get their first taste of seeing him with the men’s national team. The University of Massachusetts commit had an interesting season of Swedish U-20 hockey, putting up 59 points to finish fourth in the league and first among NHL prospects. It would have been nice to see him play higher, but we’ll take what we get. This will be an excellent learning experience for Locmelis, who can lean on veterans like Martins Dzierkals, Rudolfs Balcers, Kaspers Daugavins and Ronalds Kenins.

Emil Martinsen Lilleberg, D, Norway (Arizona Coyotes)

A physical blueliner, Lilleberg saw his overall play and confidence improve as a second-year player in the SHL. This will be his third World Championship at 22, and second since the Coyotes drafted him in 2021. He has just one point at this tournament, instead acting as more of a in-your-face presence around the net, trying to keep the puck as far away as possible.

Ole Julian Bjørgvik Holm, D, Norway (Columbus Blue Jackets)

A 2020 fifth-rounder, Holm split the season between the AHL and ECHL to mixed results. He’s mobile for his 6-foot-3 frame, making it difficult for opponents to get near the net. There isn’t much offensive upside, but he can play a ton of minutes at this tournament if needed.

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