2018 World Junior Hockey rosters and key players to watch

If you needed a warm-up to get into international hockey before the 2018 Winter Olympics, the best young players in the world will have you covered at the 2018 World Junior Championship tournament. The United States will be looking to defend its title on home ice in Buffalo after a thrilling victory in Montreal a year ago.

The World Juniors is an annual under-20 tournament featuring junior national teams full of top prospects. It’s a great chance to watch some extremely gifted players in an intense competition as they represent their countries. Even if it’s not quite star-studded like an NHL-backed Olympic tournament would be, the talent level will be high.

And for NHL fans, the tournament is always a stellar opportunity to keep up with the future of the game. Many of the players in Buffalo will go on to become NHL stars. If you want to get a leg up on your friends when discussing the 2018 draft, then following the World Juniors is a good place to start.

With that in mind, here’s a quick look at every team competing in the 2018 World Juniors, along with a key player to watch on each roster. NHL rights are included in parenthesis.

Forwards: Ryan Poehling (MTL), Brady Tkachuk, Josh Norris (SJS), Casey Mittelstadt (BUF), Joey Anderson (NJD), Kailer Yamamoto (EDM), Patrick Harper (NSH), Logan Brown (OTT), Kieffer Bellows (NYI), Riley Tufte (DAL), Trent Frederic (BOS), Max Jones (ANA)

Defensemen: Ryan Lindgren (BOS), Quinn Hughes, Adam Fox (CGY), Dylan Samberg (WPG), Scott Perunovich, Andrew Peeke (CBJ), Mikey Anderson (LAK)

Goaltenders: Jake Oettinger (DAL), Joseph Woll (TOR), Jeremy Swayman (BOS)

There are a lot of must-see talents on Team USA, including Mittelstadt, Norris, and Yamamoto, but Hughes stands out because you’ve probably never seen him before. The University of Michigan star is a top prospect for the 2018 NHL Draft and projects as a possible top-five pick. He’s undersized but makes up for it with amazing skating and puck handling. This will be the first chance for a lot of fans to see him up close, which should be exciting.

Forwards: Dillon Dube (CGY), Jonah Gadjovich (VAN), Boris Katchouk (TBL), Maxime Comtois (ANA), Taylor Raddysh (TBL), Tyler Steenbergen (ARI), Drake Batherson (OTT), Michael McLeod (NJD), Brett Howden (TBL), Sam Steel (ANA), Alex Formenton (OTT), Jordan Kyrou (STL), Robert Thomas (STL)

Defensemen: Jake Bean (CAR), Conor Timmins (COL), Cal Foote (TBL), Cale Makar (COL), Dante Fabbro (NSH), Kale Clague (LAK), Victor Mete (MTL)

Goaltenders: Carter Hart (PHI), Colton Point (DAL)

Team Canada lacks the usual star power you’d expect from the world’s biggest hockey powerhouse, but it’s still a solid roster full of top prospects. Thomas, the No. 20 overall pick in the 2017 draft, stands out given his scorching start in the OHL. The versatile center has 46 points in 27 games for the London Knights after averaging a point per game last season.

Forwards: Marcus Davidsson (BUF), Tim Soderlund (CHI), Glenn Gustafsson, Elias Pettersson (VAN), Linus Lindstrom (CGY), Fredrik Karlstrom (DAL), Alexander Nylander (BUF), Isac Lundestrom, Jesper Boqvist (NJD), Axel Jonsson Fjallby (WAS), Lias Andersson (NYR), Fabian Zetterlund (NJD), Oskar Steen (BOS)

Defensemen: Rasmus Dahlin, Erik Brannstrom (VGK), Timothy Liljegren (TOR), Linus Hogberg (PHI), Gustav Lindstrom (DET), Jesper Sellgren, Jacob Moverare (LAK)

Goaltenders: Filip Gustavsson (PIT), Filip Larsson (DET), Olle Eriksson Ek (ANA)

Get ready to hear his name over and over. Rasmus Dahlin. It’s a great name for a prospect so talented he’s like the Connor McDavid of defensemen. Dahlin already has a treasure trove of ridiculous highlights on YouTube, and he doesn’t turn 18 until April. The consensus projected No. 1 overall pick for the 2018 NHL Draft is a special prospect, and he’ll be a leader for Sweden despite being one of the youngest players on the team. Expect this to be a fun precursor to his leading role in Pyeongchang before he makes his NHL debut next fall.

Forwards: Vitali Abramov (CBJ), Andrei Altybarmakyan (CHI), Georgi Ivanov, Artur Kayumov (CHI), Klim Kostin (STL), Mikhail Maltsev (NJD), Artyom Manukyan, Alexei Polodyan, German Rubtsov (PHI), Marsel Sholokhov, Dmitri Sokolov (MIN), Andrei Svechnikov

Defensemen: Nikolai Knyzhov, Nikita Makeyev, Artyom Minulin, Dmitri Samorukov (EDM), Alexander Shepelev, Vladislav Syomin, Anatoli Yelizarov, Yegor Zaitev (NJD)

Goaltenders: Vladislav Sukhachyov, Mikhail Berdin (WPG), Alexei Melnichuk

There’s little doubt who will be the star player for Russia in Buffalo. Svechnikov is widely expected to be the first forward selected in the 2018 NHL Draft. The 18-year-old has 14 goals in 16 games with the OHL’s Barrie Colts this season and could be a prime contender to lead the tournament in scoring if Russia can make a deep run. Between Dahlin, Svechnikov, and Hughes, you’ll potentially be able to see the top three draft picks for next year.

Forwards: Juha Jaaska, Janne Kuokkanen (CAR), Otto Koivula (NYI), Kristian Vesalainen (WPG), Joona Koppanen (BOS), Eetu Tuulola (CGY), Eeli Tolvanen (NSH), Markus Nurmi (OTT), Aapeli Rasanen (EDM), Joni Ikonen (MTL), Aleksi Heponiemi (FLA), Jere Innala, Rasmus Kupari

Defensemen: Miro Heiskanen (DAL), Robin Salo (NYI), Eemeli Rasanen (TOR), Juuso Valimaki (CGY), Olli Juolevi (VAN), Urho Vaakanainen (BOS), Henri Jokiharju (CHI), Kasper Kotkansalo (DET)

Goaltenders: Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen (BUF), Lassi Lehtinen, Niilo Halonen

The Heiskanen hype train rolls into Buffalo this week. The Stars’ 2017 first-round pick is already playing a starring role in Finland’s top league at age 18 and will likely be the country’s top defenseman for the 2018 Winter Olympics in February. Heiskanen has elite-level NHL upside, and this will be his first chance to put it all on display for a North American audience.

Forwards: Filip Chytil (NYR), Filip Helt (STL), Martin Kaut, Krystof Hrabik, Petr Kodytek, Daniel Kurovsky, Jakub Lauko, Albert Michnac, Martin Necas (CAR), Radovan Pavlik, Kristian Reichel, Ostap Safin (EDM), Marek Zachar, Filip Zadina

Defensemen: Vojtech Budik (BUF), Jakub Galvas (CHI), Libor Hajek (TBL), Filip Kral, Radim Salda, Ondrej Vala (DAL)

Goaltenders: Milan Kloucek, Josef Korenar (SJS), Jakub Skarek

The Czech Republic boasts a pair of 2017 first-round picks in Chytil and Necas, but its best player may be Zadina, the 2018 draft-eligible prospect who projects as a potential top-five pick. He’s been adjusting to the North American game this season with 46 points in 32 games in the QMJHL, and NHL.com gives him a (likely unreasonable) comparison to Patrick Kane. This could be a breakout opportunity for the 18-year-old.

Forwards: Jacob Schmidt-Svejstrup, Valdemar Ahlberg, Christian Mathiasen-Wejse, Jonas Rondbjerg (VGK), Lucas Andersen, Nikolaj Krag (STL), Joachim Blichfeld (SJS), Daniel Nielsen, Andreas Grundtvig, David Madsen, Magnus Molge, Phillip Schultz, Christoffer Gath

Defensemen: Oliver Larsen, Malte Setkov (DET), Christian Larsen, Jakob Jessen, Jeppe Mogensen, Rasmus Heine, Lasse Mortensen

Goaltenders: Emil Gransoe, Mads Soegaard, Kasper Krog

One of just two Golden Knights prospects in the tournament, Rondbjerg will also likely be Denmark’s best player. The 2017 third-round pick is already playing a steady role with the Vaxjo Lakers in the SHL, Sweden’s top league, as an 18-year-old. He has seven points in 25 games this season.

Forwards: Erik Smolka, Samuel Bucek, Viliam Cacho, Filip Krivosik, Milos Kelemen, Adam Liska, Marian Studenic (NJD), Peter Kundrik, Adam Ruzicka (CGY), Samuel Solensky, Alex Tamasi, Milos Roman

Defensemen: Tomas Hedera, Martin Bodak, Martin Fehervary, Marek Korencik, David Matejovic, Michal Ivan, Vojtech Zelenak, Samuel Fereta

Goaltenders: David Hrenak, Jakub Kostelny, Roman Durny

Part of the dying breed of big-bodied power forwards, Ruzicka might’ve gone higher than No. 109 overall in the 2017 draft if he had been playing this well a year ago. The 6’4, 203-pound winger has a team-leading 20 goals and 142 shots on goal in 34 games for the OHL’s Sarnia Sting. He’ll be leaned on heavily on the power play for a team looking to improve upon last year’s eighth-place finish.

Forwards: Viktor Bovbel, Vladislav Ryadchenko, Alexander Lukashevich, Igor Martynov, Arseni Astashevich, Sergei Pishuk, Yegor Sharangovich, Ivan Drozdov, Vladislav Mikhalchuk, Maxim Sushko (PHI), Artyom Anisimov, Ilya Litvinov, Dmitri Grinkevich

Defensemen: Andrei Gostev, Vladislav Sokolovski, Dmitri Deryabin, Vladislav Martynyuk, Vladislav Yeryomenko, Dmitri Burovtsev, Vladislav Gabrus

Goaltenders: Dmitri Rodik, Andrei Grishenko, Vikita Tolopilo

Belarus has only one player whose rights are held by an NHL team, so it’s not difficult to pick which player to focus on. Sushko, the Flyers’ 2017 fourth-round pick, is a talented winger with 16 goals in 28 games for the OHL’s Owen Sound Attack this season. He’s not going to get much help in Buffalo, but he’s worth keeping an eye on.

Forwards: Nicolas Muller, Guillaume Maillard, Marco Miranda, Justin Sigrist, Ken Jager, Valentin Nussbaumer, Axel Simic, Sven Leuenberger, Nando Eggenberger, Philipp Kurashev, Andre Heim, Marco Cavalleri, Dario Rohrbach

Defensemen: Simon le Coultre, Davyd Barandun, Tobias Geisser, Nico Gross, Elia Riva, Tim Berni, Dominik Egli

Goaltenders: Matteo Ritz, Akira Schmid, Philip Wuthrich

Switzerland is a candidate for relegation by the end of this tournament, and its lack of potential NHL talent is a bit of a reason why. Nico Hischier is no longer around to carry this group, which finished seventh a year ago. The one guy who stands out is Geisser, a 2017 fourth-round pick by the Capitals who brings a ton of size (6’4, 201 pounds) and a big shot to the table.