GOOD NEWS: Three Vikings players who served as important 2024 components

GOOD NEWS: Three Vikings players who served as important 2024 components

We look at three players from each squad to keep a close eye on as the 2024 World Junior Championship gets underway in Sweden on Tuesday.

Macklin Celebrini, C: All the qualities you want in a franchise player are there in the anticipated first-overall choice in the 2024 NHL Draft. He possesses good vision and hands, good skating ability, and the incredible ability to finish with a shot that will sneak up on goalies. Celebrini is more productive at centre even though he can play on the flank. Given that Canada’s centre ice is a strength on their squad, it will be intriguing to watch how he is used. Once he gets the puck on his stick, he is a genuine two-way danger because of his unwavering pursuit of it.

Matthew Poitras, C. Poitras, who was last-minute loaned to Team Canada by the Boston Bruins, had surprised his NHL team by contributing to their first 27 games. Poitras is the most experienced NHL player in the competition going into this event, having accrued 13 NHL points. His perseverance and hard work have been the foundation of his success. He is a very intelligent player whose awareness lets him locate teammates in traffic while dodging opponents in their path.

Fraser Minten, C: The second-round selection of Toronto in the 2022 NHL draft, Minten had strong enough performance throughout training camp to justify a four-game regular season stint with the Maple Leafs. His trade to Saskatoon after his return to Kamloops made the Blades a genuine threat for a deep run into the spring. Because of his stature, physical advantage, and skill set, Minten may score points by taking advantage of the space he generates. And even if it may not be his strongest suit in this situation, he could be able to manage the added responsibility of playing both offensively and defensively against the greatest players in the opposition.

FINLAND TEAM

Konsta Helenius, C: Helenius, who is in his second season in Liiga, has advanced to the top six in a league of elite players. His 20 points and eight goals in 28 games are evidence of his exceptional talent and determination. Helenius, who is ranked among the top 10 picks in the 2024 NHL Draft, will have an opportunity to excel in Finland’s top six. He will be under a lot of pressure to perform well on a Finnish squad that lacks famous names but has a handful of players picked by the NHL.

Based solely on statistical projections, Helenius has the potential to rank among the top five draft-eligible Liiga players ever, with Aleksander Barkov’s 48 points from 11 years ago leading the list.

Kasper Halttunen, RW: One of the most divisive players selected in the 2023 NHL Draft, Halttunen excels at scoring goals. He was a second-round selection of the San Jose Sharks and led Finland’s U18 squad in April, finishing among the top three players in his nation. He has a superb release and shot. He has the ability to lift pucks in tight spaces and score from a distance. After 28 games in his first season with OHL London, he has scored 20 goals.

Jani Nyman, RW: Nyman, who is six feet four and weighs 210 pounds, is the quintessential Finnish power forward. Rejecting physical touch and shielding the puck are more important sources of power than making contact in the first place. He makes an intriguing study since he has consistently produced points throughout his career, erring more on the side of goal scoring than playmaking. Because he is ready to use a gun, he may be a useful power-play threat. His long-range shot is lethal and capable of beating goalies. Despite worries over his skating, he has managed to get 22 points and score 14 goals in 28 Liiga games this season.

GERMAN TEAM

Julian Lutz, LW: Lutz is the highest-ranked forward from Germany going into the competition. In the second round of the 2022 NHL Draft, the Arizona Coyotes picked him 43rd overall. Lutz’s transfer to USHL Green Bay has paid off, as he has scored 10 goals and amassed 23 points in his first 19 games. Standing at six feet three, he has the ability to play a strong game, winning board fights and battling through checks. Lutz is a playmaker with the composure, patience, and puck-protecting skills to create opportunities for points.

Kevin Bicker, LW: I formerly had Bicker in my top 32 rankings for the 2023 NHL Draft at the beginning of the previous campaign. As the season went on, Bicker’s performance declined. Still, the Detroit Red Wings felt highly enough of him to take him in the fifth round, 147th overall. Bicker began the season with Frankfurt in the DEL after an outstanding postseason campaign with Mannheim’s U20 squad. Despite playing less than half of the games in the German top division, Bicker has only scored one goal in 20 appearances, making the adjustment difficult. Bicker should be able to provide the Germans some offence since he is quick and has a strong work ethic.

Norwin Panocha, D: Ranked among the top three players in the nation at the 2023 U18 worlds, raising eyebrows along the way. In round seven of the 2023 NHL draft, the Buffalo Sabres took a chance on him, a six-foot-two, 195-pound player. QMJHL Chicoutimi selected Panocha with the 32nd pick in the 2023 CHL Import Draft. Still awaiting his first major-junior goal, he has 11 assists in his first 30 games with the Sags.

LATVIA TEAM

Dans Locmelis, C: The senior member of the Latvian team, Locmelis was selected by the Boston Bruins in the fourth round of the 2022 NHL Draft. Locmelis, who spent his formative years in Sweden’s Lulea system, is now an NCAA player for UMass-Amherst, where he has five points and four goals in 12 games. He has played for Latvia in IIHF competition seven times overall, including a trip with the men’s senior national team at the 2023 Worlds. This is his third world juniors campaign. Locmelis will likely lead Latvia’s top line and win all of the team’s crucial faceoffs.

Sandis Vilmanis, left-wing: The Florida Panthers selected Vilmanis in the fifth round of the 2022 draft; he is yet unsigned. After a stellar debut season in which he scored 20 goals and 45 points, he is now in his second season with OHL Sarnia. This season, Vilmanis has scored 10 goals and accrued 28 points in 30 games for the Sting. Vilmanis came up in the same system as Locmelis, although he briefly left his Swedish club to play for the national team in certain competitions. Vilmanis’ third world juniors will be this. Alongside Locmelis, he should make up a powerful tandem for Latvia’s front line.

Niks Fenenko, D: Fenenko, a top-ranked CHL player, is now in his third season with QMJHL Baie-Comeau. He has shown incredible consistency in his performance. With some offensive promise, Fenenko is a skilled skater who is expected to play on Latvia’s top duo. He gives the team some bite, and for the most of the competition, he plays defence well enough to see the best in his opponents. When the Drakkar picked Fenenko in the CHL Import Draft in 2021, he had the unique distinction of being the first Latvian to be selected first overall.

SWEDEN TEAM

Axel Sandin Pellikka, D: In the 2023 NHL Draft, Detroit picked ASP with the 17th overall pick. He was the most spectacular riser in the draft class from the beginning to the finish of the previous campaign. ASP is a graceful and easy skater who can walk the line in the attacking zone and avoid a forecheck by using his feet and outstanding puck handling. In 25 games with Skelleftea, he has scored nine goals for 13 points, demonstrating his remarkable development in the SHL. Despite being a young player, he contributed only one assist despite being a vital part of Sweden’s blue line previous season. It wouldn’t be shocking to see him perform well for one of the strongest teams in this competition after he was awarded the best player in the U18 Worlds.

Jonathan Lekkerimaki, RW: Over the last 18 months, the Canucks’ first-round selection—number 15 overall in the 2022 draft—has had a lot of ups and downs. During the previous season, he participated in 31 games for both the Djurgardens U20 and Allsvenskan teams, totaling only five goals. Considering that his signature stroke is a hard-hitting, precise elite shot, those stats are down. During his season-long loan at Orebro, he has shown his remarkable goal-scoring ability by tallying 10 goals in his first 24 appearances. He will have to spearhead the host team’s attacking attack as a 19-year-old.

C. Filip Bystedt: Bystedt, who was chosen by San Jose with the 27th overall choice in the 2022 draft, is expected to play a significant role for the Sharks in the future. He is a strong offensive player that plays hard, has good skating ability, and is large. Bystedt’s performance with Linkoping in 2022–2023 earned him the title of SHL rookie of the year. Bystedt played 43 games, averaging around 13 minutes each game, and finished with 20 points. With four goals and nine points in his first 26 games this season, he’s back at it. With 10 points in seven games at this tournament the previous year, he was perhaps Sweden’s finest player and will probably start at the top this time around.

TEAMS CISTA

Jiri Kulich, C: Buffalo picked him with the 28th overall pick in the 2022 NHL draft. Kulich made an astonishing adjustment from the professional league in his native Czechia to the AHL, where he promptly scored 24 goals on his way to a 46-point rookie season with Rochester. Kulich will participate in his third world junior tournament after making his NHL debut with the Sabres. He has scored nine goals and accrued 17 points in 14 games during his two prior outings. He is a skilful player who can shoot the ball quickly and accurately, and he ought to be a constant danger for his nation.

Eduard Sale, RW: Seattle selected him with the 20th overall selection in the first round of the 2023 NHL Draft. Sale was one of the most divisive players in the previous draft class, and his performance in this particular tournament probably sealed his fate in the first round. He moved from Czechia to play for OHL Barrie this season, with varying degrees of success. In 25 games, he has seven goals for 21 points. When he’s in the zone, he’ll go to filthy areas, compete fiercely, and utilise his excellent puck handling abilities to get the ball past opponents and into the goal. When he’s on, he’s a danger every time he touches the puck, but inconsistent effort undermines his skill set.

Adam Jiricek, D: Projected to go high in the first round of the 2024 NHL Draft, Adam Jiricek is an A-rated talent by NHL Central Scouting and the younger brother of Columbus first-round pick David. Except for the season he spent playing as a double underager in the U20 league in Czechia, the stats have never really tallied up for a player whose attacking potential is predicted. In 41 games, he scored 12 goals and 29 points there. Apart than that, he has consistently performed above his age group and is still a strong puck mover and defender. Although his season’s results have been inconsistent, this competition will significantly impact his June selection pick.