2016 Draft Prospects: WJC Edition
The 2016 IIHF World Junior Championship begins on 26 DEC 2015 from Helsinki, Finland. Here are profiles on several key draft-eligible prospects representing their respective countries in the tournament.
No. 12 Julien Gauthier
Team/League: Val-d’Or Foreurs (QMJHL)
Position: Right Wing
Shoots: Right
Height/Weight: 6’4 224 lbs
Born: October 15, 1997, Pointe-aux-Trembles, QC
The Draft Analyst Rankings (1st Half / 2nd Half / Final): 7th / NA / NA
Summary: Team Canada’s sole 2016 draft eligible, so saying he deserved it would be a massive understatement. He’s one of the QMJHL’s top snipers, and has been for quite some time, especially in comparison with his age group. And even though his stat line would make Tom Seaver proud (29-8-37, 30 gp), he’s definitely a two-way player who can be used in all game situations. Gauthier is extremely intelligent and will identify defensive gaps in a hurry, so opposing coaches would be remiss if they didn’t devise a scheme to get this kid away from the slot, where’s he’s been nothing short of murderous on netminders. We think he’s a top-10 pick right now, and even fourth-line duty at the WJC’s shouldn’t hurt him in that regard.
No. 28 Yegor Rykov
Team/League: SKA 1946 St. Petersburg (MHL)
Position: Defenseman
Shoots: Left
Height/Weight: 6’2 207 lbs
Born: April 14th, 1997, Vidnoe, Russia
The Draft Analyst Rankings (1st Half/2nd Half/Final): NR / NA / NA
Summary: Bruising overage two-way defender who we felt should have been drafted last year but has somewhat regressed with some horrid international showings; namely the recent Super Series with the CHL. He’s got some leadership qualities and can play either the left or right side, but we were surprised to see him struggle with foot speed and controlling the play in the face of relentless pressure. We didn’t rank him in our Top-250 because we think the ship might have sailed after getting looked over a year ago. A strong WJC would change that.
No. 18 Rasmus Asplund
Team/League: Farjestad (SHL)
Position: Center
Shoots: Left
Height/Weight: 5’10 180 lbs
Born: December 3rd, 1997, Filipstad, Sweden
The Draft Analyst Rankings (1st Half/2nd Half/Final): 30th / NA / NA
Summary: Hybrid forwards with the ability to play in any role under any system should get more love than those who simply know how to score. Asplund is a terrific two-way forward who as an 18 year old earned sporadic promotions to Farjestad’s top-6. He’s received decent ice time in the SHL, which helped him earn a spot on Sweden’s U20 team, where he was dominant in the dot at the recent Four Nations in Finland. He can skate like the wind, shoot and owns a quick set of hands, — things that seem to make him stand out wherever and whenever he plays.
No. 16 Carl Grundstrom
Team/League: MoDo Hockey (SHL)
Position: Left Wing
Shoots: Left
Height/Weight: 6’0 194 lbs
Born: December 1st, 1997, Umeå, Sweden
The Draft Analyst Rankings (1st Half/2nd Half/Final): 29th / NA / NA
Summary: Outstanding two-way forward who hits, blocks shots and causes a ton of havoc on the forecheck. What separates Grundstrom from your typical hard-working forward is that he’s highly creative with the puck once he steals it from you. He’s had a solid SHL season by rookie standards (2g, 7a in 27 gp, 13:14), and he’s been a fixture on the U20 tour for quite some time. Grundstrom was one of Sweden’s top players at last August’s U20 Four Nations Cup, where he was among the leaders in scoring.
No. 19 Alexander Nylander
Team/League: Mississauga Steelheads (OHL)
Position: Left Wing/Right Wing
Shoots: Right
Height/Weight: 6’0 176 lbs
Born: March 2nd, 1998, Calgary, AB
The Draft Analyst Rankings (1st Half/2nd Half/Final): 6th / NA / NA
Summary: Explosive player in both speed and scoring ability, the son of former NHL set-up man Michael Nylander is not necessarily cut from a similar cloth; he’s shifty, elusive and creative like his dad, but he’s also a sniper with a quick release who can murder you in the transition game. Nylander showed he didn’t mess around with the disc while playing on the flank of Sweden’s top line at the Hlinka — he loves to shoot the puck and it shows. He’ll likely flank his older brother William — a Maple Leafs’ first rounder in 2014.
No. 12 Alex DeBrincat
Team/League: Erie Otters (OHL)
Position: Right Wing/Center
Shoots: Right
Height/Weight: 5’7 160 lbs
Born: December 18, 1997, Detroit, MI
The Draft Analyst Rankings (1st Half/2nd Half/Final): 18th / NA / NA
Summary:An outstanding goal scorer whose number of critics dwindles by the day. A spot of the WJC team is quite fitting for DeBrincat, who was cut from the NTDP and later overlooked in the OHL Priority Selection. What he’s done since is quite remarkable; he was the 2015 OHL Rookie of the Year, and enters the tournaments leading the CHL with 33 goals in just 30 games. He can play all three forward positions, but he’ll most likely fit in on Auston Matthews’ right flank. DeBrincat is an excellent skater with all-world-hands and can stickhandle in and around anybody. He’s quick to jump into openings, so look for him to take advantage of the bigger sheet of ice. Remember, he’s only 5’7, so he should be easy to spot.
No. 34 Auston Matthews
Team/League: Zurich Lions (NLA)
Position: Center
Shoots: Left
Height/Weight: 6’0 200 lbs
Born: September 17, 1997, Scottsdale, AZ
The Draft Analyst Rankings (1st Half/2nd Half/Final): 1st / NA / NA
Summary:This will be the second WJC go-around for the 2016 draft’s consensus top prospect, who is having a fine season with the ZSC Lions while playing against adults in Switzerland’s premier league. Matthews is a dynamic talent who simply has no flaws, as he can either beat you with the finesse game, or grind you down into pencil shavings during battles in the trenches. He’s got a “Follow Me” approach to puck possession, and you’ll be hard pressed to see a zone entry where he’s not in complete control of the situation. He was the top scorer at the U18’s last April and is expected to carry the offensive load for the U.S. throughout the competition.
No. 7 Matt Tkachuk
Team/League: London Knights (OHL)
Position: Left Wing
Shoots: Left
Height/Weight: 6’1 188 lbs
Born: December 11, 1997, St. Louis, MO
The Draft Analyst Rankings (1st Half/2nd Half/Final): 4th / NA / NA
Summary: Tkachuk will likely play on Team USA’s top line alongside center Auston Matthews and right wing Alex DeBrincat, but he’s far more familiar with Matthews after they were both linemates on last year’s NTDP squad which took home U18 gold. The son of former NHL all-star Keith Tkachuk, Matt currently leads the Ontario Hockey League with 45 assists in 29 games — and is quite easily considered one of the 2016 draft’s top eligible prospects. He’s a good skater, but his playmaking, vision and hockey sense are his high-value traits. Don’t expect him to be in a pass-first mode in Helsinki, however, as he was Matthew’s favorite pass target most of last year.
No. 4 Chad Krys
Team/League: Team USA U18 (NTDP)
Position: Left Wing
Shoots: Left
Height/Weight: 5’11 183 lbs
Born: April 10th, 1998, Ridgefield, CT
The Draft Analyst Rankings (1st Half/2nd Half/Final): 39th / NA / NA
Summary: Explosive and reliable are two words that immediately come to mind when describing this Boston University-bound puck rusher, who is the NTDP’s best defender and top minute eater. Krys is a warrior who will do whatever it takes to finish the job, to include block shots and take a hit to move the puck safely. The larger ice surface should allow a creative blueliner like Krys to dictate the tempo, as he’s considered one of best skilled blueliners available. Recent exhibitions against physically mature college opponents should serve him well in Helsinki, but dealing with the elite of 1996 and 1997-born prospects is a challenge he’s yet to experience.
No. 25 Charlie McAvoy
Team/League: Boston University (Hockey East)
Position: Defenseman
Shoots: Right
Height/Weight: 6’0 205 lbs
Born: December 21st, 1997, Long Beach, NY
The Draft Analyst Rankings (1st Half/2nd Half/Final): 32nd / NA / NA
Summary: Nassau County native who was thrust into a significant role for David Quinn’s Terriers after injuries hurt his defense corps. Although only a freshman, McAvoy has been logging big minutes in what has turned out to be a bit of a rebuilding year for BU. Nevertheless, McAvoy has done relatively well, running the top power play unit and helping jump start the offense when it stagnates. He’s got the potential to be an on-ice General thanks to really good instincts and a penchant to explode up the ice if he catches opponents napping. He’s no stranger to international tournaments either, as he was a linchpin for last season’s NTDP Under-18’s.
No. 11 Simon Stransky
Team/League: Prince Albert Raiders (WHL)
Position: Left Wing
Shoots: Left
Height/Weight: 6’0 170 lbs
Born: December 21, 1997, Ostrava , Czech Republic
The Draft Analyst Rankings (1st Half/2nd Half/Final): 25th / NA / NA
Summary: It’s one thing to make your national team as a brand new 18 year old. It’s a whole different ballpark when you make the Czech National Team as a brand new 18 year old who plays in the Canadiaan Hockey League. Stransky, a star playmaker for the WHL’s Prince Albert Raiders, is one of the circuit’s top set-up guys, and does so from the wing. He’s an above average skater, but he has excellent awareness and poise under pressure. Stransky is also an extremely accurate with his passes, which he will delay and delay until the timing is just right. Stransky was the 24th overall pick in the 2014 CHL Import Draft, and is second on his team in scoring with 11 goals and 21 assists in 30 games.
No. 25 Filip Hronek
Team/League: HC Hradec Kralove
Position: Defenseman
Shoots: Right
Height/Weight: 6’0 165 lbs
Born: September 17, 1997, Scottsdale, AZ
The Draft Analyst Rankings (1st Half/2nd Half/Final): 1st / NA / NA
Summary: Late-1997 birthday who performed extremely well at each of the two U20 Four Nations tournaments he participated in, especially when you consider his age. He’s played well in the Czech Republic’s top league but without the benefit of a consistent shift. Hronek, a late-1997 puck mover with a cannon of a shot, displays a fine touch and razor-sharp instincts while utilizing jukes, dekes and head fakes to open clogged passing and shooting lanes. He can wow you with a lot of flash, even no-looking a perfect feed through a maze of sticks to set up a scoring chance. His set-ups on the power play are excellent; he lays the puck flat and in perfect position for either a one-timer or touch pass.
No. 29 Patrik Laine
Team/League: Tappara Tampere (Liiga)
Position: Right Wing
Shoots: Right
Height/Weight: 6’4 206 lbs
Born: April 19, 1998, Tampere, Finland
The Draft Analyst Rankings (1st Half / 2nd Half / Final): 3rd / NA / NA
Summary:Laine is the best pure goal scorer available for the 2016 NHL Draft, a claim we feel he validated while playing (and sniping) against older competition in either Finland’s Liiga or for their Under-20 team. He’s a big deal in Finland, and we think this WJC, on his home turf no less, should spread his growing notoriety well into North American hockey circles. Laine (pronounced Line-ah) is simply a beast who gets off a world-class shot with accuracy, and does so either static or on the go. He’s rebounded from a shoulder injury to stay a top-six regular for Tappara, averaging almost 17 mins a game and firing a mind-numbing 136 shots in just 24 games — 40 in just four December contests! Try to stop him all you want; he’s going to get his chances. The question now is whether or not the teenage goalies he’ll face in Helsinki will be up to the challenge.
No. 9 Jesse Puljujarvi
Team/League: Karpat Oulun (Liiga)
Position: Right Wing
Shoots: Right
Height/Weight: 6’3 200 lbs
Born: May 7th, 1998, Älvkarleby, Sweden
The Draft Analyst Rankings (1st Half/2nd Half/Final): 5th / NA / NA
Summary:The stage will be set for Finland’s version of “McEichel”, as both Patrik Laine and Puljujarvi — two likely top picks in the 2016 Draft — will join forces for the greater good of their homeland. While both young men have done well as youngsters in Finland’s elite league, Puljujarvi’s road to Helsinki has been a tad bumpier, as he’s been shuffled from line to line after being a top-line mainstay earlier in the year. Regardless, he’s such a fun player to watch and his overall game is a bit more polished than the afporementioned Laine. But we don’t want to buy into the competition or media hype — Puljujarvi’s an outstanding power forward with a great touch who is guaranteed to bring you out of your seat several times.
No. 4 Olli Juolevi
Team/League: London Knights (OHL)
Position: Defenseman
Shoots: Left
Height/Weight: 6’2 185 lbs
Born: May 5th, 1998, Helsinki, Finland
The Draft Analyst Rankings (1st Half/2nd Half/Final): 9th / NA / NA
Summary: Juolevi is a phenominal playmaker from the backline, and making the Under-20 squad was a huge accomplishment when you consider the options Team Finland had. The transition from Europe to the Ontario Hockey League was as seamless as you can get, as he leads all OHL rookie defenseman in scoring while quarterbacking a very potent London power play. Juolevi has very good mobility, but his offensive instincts and overall hockey sense makes him one of the top defenders available come June. He’s also an excellent passer and likes to stretch them out.
No. 27 Filip Lestan
Team/League: HV71 (SHL)
Position: Left Wing/Right Wing
Shoots: Left
Height/Weight: 6’4 190 lbs
Born: November 26th, 1997, Zilina, Slovakia
The Draft Analyst Rankings (1st Half/2nd Half/Final): 169th / NA / NA
Summary: A Swedish League bruiser who screams “project forward” and is probably the most undisciplined draft-eligible playing in Helsinki. He’s a strong lad with a grind-it-out mentality, and when he’s engaged in clean play, he can actually wear the heck out of opponents and wire a pretty hard shot. The issue is this kid can’t stay out of the box for the life of him, and the WJC is the last place to play Russian Roulette with the whistle-happy officials the IIHF generally provide.
