2022 WJC Participants By NHL Team
The 2022 World Junior Championships will get underway from Edmonton and Red Deer, Alberta on Sunday. As is the norm and to be expected from the top U-20 competition in the world, the World Junior tournament field is loaded with drafted NHL talent. While most nations don’t have the prospect depth to form a roster completely composed of NHL prospects and those that do have opted to include some younger, future draft picks, there are still a whopping 106 drafted players on WJC rosters. Nine of ten WJC have at least one current NHL prospect and six of those nine have at least ten draft picks. Those players come from 30 of the NHL’s 32 teams, with the Carolina Hurricanes leading the way with ten prospects. While enjoying the WJC action in the coming days, keep track of who may one day be playing at the highest level:
Anaheim Ducks (4):
F Mason McTavish, Canada
D Ian Moore, USA
F Sasha Pastujov, USA
D Olen Zellweger, Canada
Arizona Coyotes (1):
F Dylan Guenther, Canada
Boston Bruins (1):
F Fabian Lysell, Sweden
Buffalo Sabres (4):
F Jakub Konecny, Czechia
D Nikita Novikov, Russia
D Owen Power, Canada
F Isak Rosen, Sweden
Calgary Flames (1):
F Matt Coronato, USA
Carolina Hurricanes (10):
F Nikita Guslistov, Russia
D Aleski Heimosalmi, Finland
D Ville Koivunen, Finland
D Scott Morrow, USA
F Zion Nybeck, Sweden
D Joel Nystrom, Sweden
F Alexander Pashin, Russia
F Vasily Ponomarev, Russia
G Nikita Quapp, Germany
D Ronan Seeley, Canada
Chicago Blackhawks (4):
G Drew Commesso, USA
D Wyatt Kaiser, USA
D Michael Krutil, Czechia
F Landon Slaggert, USA
Colorado Avalanche (1):
F Oskar Olausson, Sweden
Columbus Blue Jackets (4):
F Kent Johnson, Canada
D Samuel Knazko, Slovakia
F Martin Rysavy, Czechia
D Stanislav Svozil, Czechia
Dallas Stars (4):
F Mavrik Bourque, Canada
F Daniel Ljungman, Sweden
F Logan Stankoven, Canada
F Albert Sjoberg, Sweden
Detroit Red Wings (8):
G Jan Bednar, Czechia
G Sebastian Cossa, Canada
D Simon Edvinsson, Sweden
F Carter Mazur, USA
F Theodor Niederbach, Sweden
F Redmond Savage, USA
D Donovan Sebrango, Canada
D Eemil Viro, Finland
Edmonton Oilers (2):
F Xavier Borgault, Canada
D Luca Munzenberger, Germany
Florida Panthers (5):
F Elliot Ekmark, Sweden
D Kasper Puutio, Finland
F Mackie Samoskevich, USA
F Ty Smilanic, USA
F Justin Sourdif, Canada
Los Angeles Kings (6):
F Martin Chromiak, Slovakia
D Brock Faber, USA
D Helge Grans, Sweden
F Samuel Helenius, Finland
D Kirill Kirsanov, Russia
F Kasper Simontaival, Finland
Minnesota Wild (6):
F Marat Khusnutdinov, Russia
D Carson Lambos, Canada
F Pavel Novak, Czechia
D Ryan O’Rourke, Canada
D Jack Peart, USA
G Jesper Wallstedt, Sweden
Montreal Canadiens (3):
D Kaiden Guhle, Canada
F Oliver Kapanen, Finland
F Jan Mysak, Czechia
Nashville Predators (4):
G Yaroslav Askarov, Russia
F Simon Knak, Switzerland*
D Anton Olsson, Sweden
F Fedor Svechkov, Russia
New Jersey Devils (4):
F Alexander Holtz, Sweden
D Luke Hughes, USA
G Jakub Malek, Czechia
D Shakir Mukhamadullin, Russia
New York Islanders (0)
New York Rangers (4):
F Brett Berard, USA
F William Cuylle, Canada
G Dylan Garand, Canada
F Kalle Vaisanen, Finland
Ottawa Senators (5):
F Ridly Greig, Canada
F Roby Jarventie, Finland
D Tyler Kleven, USA
G Leevi Merilainen, Finland
D Jake Sanderson, USA
Philadelphia Flyers (3):
D Emil Andrae, Sweden
F Elliot Desnoyers, Canada
D Brian Zanetti, Switzerland*
Pittsburgh Penguins (3):
G Joel Blomqvist, Finland
G Calle Clang, Sweden
F Kirill Tankov, Russia
St. Louis Blues (3):
F Tanner Dickinson, USA
D Leo Loof, Sweden
F Jake Neighbors, Canada
San Jose Sharks (1):
F William Eklund, Sweden
Seattle Kraken (2):
F Matthew Beniers, USA
D Ville Ottavainen, Finland
Tampa Bay Lightning (0)
Toronto Maple Leafs (3):
F Roni Hirvonen, Finland
F Matthew Knies, USA
D Topi Niemala, Finland
Vancouver Canucks (1):
F Dmitry Zlodeyev, Russia
Vegas Golden Knights (4):
F Jakub Brabenec, Czechia
D Lukas Cormier, Canada
F Jakub Demek, Slovakia
G Jesper Vikman, Sweden
Washington Capitals (1):
F Oskar Magnusson, Sweden
Winnipeg Jets (4):
F Nikita Chibrikov, Russia
F Chaz Lucius, USA
F Cole Perfetti, Canada
F Daniel Torgersson, Sweden
*Switzerland roster pending finalization on Sunday; team has been in COVID-19 quarantine since Thursday but will be ready to begin tournament and participate as schedule, the Swiss announced.
NHL To Shut Down From December 22-25
The outbreak of COVID-19 cases across the NHL has finally come to a head. The league has announced they will postpone the five games remaining on December 23, essentially lengthening the holiday break from December 22-25. Teams will report back to their facilities on December 26 and games will resume the following day.
While many of the games originally scheduled for the rest of this week have already been postponed, the early shutdown will mean that the five games still on the docket for Thursday, December 23, will now be postponed as well. That includes Flyers-Penguins, Capitals-Islanders, Stars-Blackhawks, Lightning-Coyotes, and Kings-Knights. The two games scheduled for tomorrow, Capitals-Flyers and Lightning-Knights, will proceed as scheduled before operations are suspended on Wednesday.
Rather than hold to the initial holiday break of December 24-26, players and staff will return to action a day early to resume testing. In addition to games, practice, and all other team activities being suspended during the shutdown, testing will also not occur, but the league will be eager to check in on its players before returning to action. Friedman notes that all players and staff will require a negative COVID test before re-entering team facilities.
With even more games being postponed and the mounting pressure on the NHL and its players to pull out of the 2022 Winter Olympics, with rumors abound that this decision has already been made, Bally Sports’ Andy Strickland reports that the league will be forced to use the planned Olympic break to instead make up the numerous games they have lost over the past couple of weeks. The league could address this plan and Olympic intentions when announcing the shutdown.
Snapshots: Eichel, Ducks, Chychrun, Everberg
Though complete or accurate information is not always available, one of the best things about major trades can be comparing the actual exchange to the alleged offers made by those teams who could not complete the deal. The Jack Eichel trade was one of the more prolonged negotiations in recent memory resulting in a sizeable return for the Buffalo Sabres: Alex Tuch, Peyton Krebs, a first-round pick, and a second-round pick. While it is safe to assume that nearly every team in the NHL kicked the tires on Eichel at some point in time, the combination of the Sabres’ asking price, Eichel’s contract, and the conversation surrounding his neck injury and preferred treatment thinned the list of suitors considerably toward the end of the saga. However, one of the other teams believed to be in the mix right until the end were the Anaheim Ducks. So why didn’t they best the Vegas Golden Knights’ offer?
On Sportsnet’s “32 Thoughts” podcast, Elliotte Friedman spoke about what he heard was the Sabres’ asking price from the Ducks, and it explains why Anaheim didn’t pull the trigger. Friedman reports that Buffalo requested Trevor Zegras, Jamie Drysdale, and two first-rounders to part with Eichel. Go back three years and that’s equivalent to asking for four first-round picks, including two top-ten picks. Zegras and Drysdale are already so much more than that, too. The super-skilled center, 20, and slick defenseman, 19, are already key pieces of a resurgent Ducks team, who hope to build around the duo and keep them in Southern California for years to come. Even for a player of Eichel’s caliber, giving up Zegras – who could end up being a younger version of Eichel – and Drysdale, not to mention two more first-round picks, is just too much and not nearly equal to what Buffalo eventually got from Vegas. Friedman also adds that the Ducks’ doctors were never quite comfortable with Eichel’s requested disc replacement surgery, which was of course a lynchpin in any potential trade. It just wasn’t a match for the star center and Anaheim, though they could both be better off for it.
- Jakob Chychrun‘s trade availability still exists, for whatever reason, and Friedman reports that a number of teams are interested in the talented, young Coyotes defenseman, as they should be. He notes that teams are starting to get serious as Arizona has not backed off of their willingness to move the 2016 first-round pick. However, one team that has fallen out of the running are the Edmonton Oilers, even though Friedman and colleague Jeff Marek both feel that he would be a great fit. Defense is a long-term need for the Oilers, but Friedman went so far as to say that Chychrun definitively will not end up in Edmonton. It is unclear if the asking price or cap complications forced the team’s hand or if they merely soured on him amidst a down year. Other teams continue to circle as the ‘Yotes dismal season wears on and Chychrun, forced into the No. 1 role on a blue line that was completely dismantled in the off-season, unsurprisingly struggles. Yet, the 23-year-old is just one season removed from recording 41 points in 56 games and is averaging almost 25 minutes per night, which are impressive enough to overcome his ugly -29 mark so far this year.
- Dennis Everberg burned bright but fast in the NHL. The Swedish forward was just an undrafted kid when he joined the Colorado Avalanche in 2014-15, quickly earned a roster spot, and recorded 12 points in 55 games as an unheralded rookie. Yet, as loudly as he made his entrance, Everberg quietly made his exit. He was held scoreless in 15 games with the Avs in his sophomore campaign and, though he was stellar in the AHL, opted to return overseas following the season. Everberg made a short-lived comeback attempt in 2018-19 with the AHL’s Manitoba Moose, but left the team after just 11 games. Now back in Sweden, the 29-year-old Everberg is one of the more consistent scorers in the SHL. With back-to-back 32-point seasons, Everberg is playing at the same pace this year with 19 points in 26 games. The two-way forward also carries a +36 rating in his SHL career. Rather than try again in North America or elsewhere in Europe, Everberg has realized that he has a good thing going with the league leaders, Rogle BK. The team has announced a five-year extension for Everberg, keeping him under contract through the 2026-27 season and into his mid thirties. This likely means that the capable forward will play out his days at home in Sweden.
Seattle’s Adam Larsson Enters COVID Protocol
The names continue to pile up in Seattle. The latest addition to the COVID Protocol is defenseman Adam Larsson, the team announced. The Kraken have already seen their next two games postponed, with Tuesday’s match-up with the Arizona Coyotes delayed by an announcement earlier today based on the already existing cases in the Seattle locker room.
Larsson becomes the fourth player and third defenseman in three days to enter the protocol for Seattle. Since they played last on Saturday against the Edmonton Oilers – who are dealing with considerable COVID issues of their own – the Kraken have lost Jamie Oleksiak, Carson Soucy, and now Larsson from the blue line, as well as Yanni Gourde and Riley Sheahan up front. With this many COVID placements over so short a time, the outbreak likely isn’t over in Seattle either.
The Kraken play next in one week, on Monday the 27th, on the road against the nearby Vancouver Canucks. If Larsson has tested positive he will miss a minimum of ten days and will still be out of the lineup by that point. The team would be missing their overall and shorthanded ice time leader. It would be a difficult loss for a club that is still looking to find their stride.
COVID Notes: Islanders, Oshie, Danault
The New York Islanders have added two more names to the NHL COVID Protocol ahead of their matinee on Sunday afternoon. Veteran forward Matt Martin and rookie defenseman Robin Salo have been placed in the league’s protocol, the Isles announced. They join Mathew Barzal in the protocol, with Kyle Palmieri and Ryan Pulock still sidelined due to injury. For a team still unable to hit their stride this season, the losses of a checking forward and depth defenseman still hurt as the team cannot afford to be so short-handed if they want to start winning games.
- The COVID Protocol list is getting longer and more talented every day for the Washington Capitals. T.J. Oshie is the latest addition, the team announced today. The star forward joins fellow top-six scorers Nicklas Backstrom and Evgeny Kuznetsov, as well as Nic Dowd, Garnet Hathaway, and Trevor van Riemsdyk in the protocol. Yet, the Capitals are moving forward with their game against the Los Angeles Kings on Sunday night.
- The Kings will also be down a man on Sunday due to Coronavirus, as center Phillip Danault has been added to the COVID Protocol, the team announced. They too have a star-studded COVID list, with Drew Doughty and Calvin Petersen also sidelined due to the virus.
Winnipeg Places Blake Wheeler On Long-Term Injured Reserve
The Winnipeg Jets have been missing captain Blake Wheeler for more than a week with an undisclosed lower-body injury, but there had been no update on the club as to how long he might remain out. Context has now arrived, as the team has announced that Wheeler has been placed on Long-Term Injured Reserve. The Jets have recalled forwards Kristian Reichel and C.J. Suess to help backfill the forward corps in Wheeler’s absence.
Wheeler was initially injured on December 10 against the Vancouver Canucks in a collision in front of the net. Wheeler went down holding his knee and in obvious pain. The initial belief was that Wheeler could miss multiple weeks with the undisclosed injury and the move to LTIR would back that up that timeline, if not extend it.
Although Wheeler has only one goal on the season, far from normal for the experienced scorer, he still has 17 points in 22 games, making him the third-best per-game scorer for a Jets team that is struggling to meet expectations this season. Currently sitting in sixth in the Central Division and outside of the playoff picture, Winnipeg will be hard-pressed to turn their season around with Wheeler sidelined and will be hoping for a speedy recovery.
Toronto Maple Leafs Sign Ty Voit To Entry-Level Contract
The Toronto Maple Leafs have come to terms on an entry-level deal with one of their most recent draft picks. The team has announced a three-year entry-level contract with forward Ty Voit, a fifth-round pick in the 2021 NHL Draft. PuckPedia reports that the deal carries an $835K AAV.
Voit, 18, is an example of a player whose draft stock likely fell too far as a result of a missed 2020-21 season. An OHL product who did not play last year due to the league’s COVID-19 shutdown, opinions varied greatly on Voit ahead of the draft, with some believing he could go as high as the second round and other believing a third or fourth round grade was more likely, but falling to Toronto in the fifth round was a surprise.
A puck possession specialist with strong skating and stick skills, Voit recorded 28 points in 49 games in his first OHL season and it should have been expected that this production would improve once Voit had the chance to take on a top-six role with the Sarnia Sting. That is exactly what has happened this year, as Voit has already surpassed his first season with 29 points in 24 games. The Maple Leafs see the upside in the young forward and have moved forward with getting him under contract.
AHL Shuffle: 12/19/21
The recent string of postponements in the NHL due to COVID-19 has slowed transactions across the league, but with most of those teams still playing also dealing with COVID absences, along with normal recalls and reassignments, there is still plenty going on. Keep up with the shuffle right here:
Atlantic Division
- The Detroit Red Wings have reassigned defenseman Dan Renouf to the AHL’s Grand Rapids Griffins. The 27-year-old has split his season between the two clubs, and while he has been held scoreless in four games with Detroit, Renouf is actually averaging a career high in time on ice per game. The experienced defender, who plays a reliable defensive game, will continue to be a recall option for the Wings this year.
- A trio of forwards have been promoted to the Montreal Canadiens, the club announced. Alex Belzile, Rafael Harvey-Pinard, and Lukas Vejdemo will serve as reinforcements for a forward corps that is inundated with injuries. Belzile has played in eight games this season, though held scoreless, while Vejdemo played in seven games last year. This would be the NHL debut for Harvey-Pinard should he draw into the lineup on this recall.
Metropolitan Division
- The Washington Capitals are bringing in a homegrown product for the first time. The team announced that forward Joe Snively has been recalled from the AHL’s Hersey Bears. A Herndon, VA native and former member of the Washington Little Caps program, Snively was a standout at Yale and has improved offensively in each of his three pro seasons, highlighted by a red hot start to the current AHL campaign with 22 points in 21 games. If Snively can find a permanent role on the Capitals roster, he could be a fan favorite in the making.
- Jake Christiansen‘s first stint with the Columbus Blue Jackets is over, and without having made his NHL debut. The team has announced that the young defenseman has been reassigned to the AHL’s Cleveland Monsters. Despite a strong start to the season with 18 points in 21 games, Christiansen served only as an (unused) depth option during his recall rather than actually playing. With continued results, it would be hard to imagine that Christiansen doesn’t get a second chance soon.
- He’s getting his chance, brought back up later in the day on an emergency recall from Cleveland.
- The Carolina Hurricanes have returned a trio of forwards to the AHL’s Chicago Wolves. Veterans Josh Leivo, Andrew Poturalski, and C.J. Smith will head back to the minors, but each has NHL experience, including at least one game with the ‘Canes this season, and will continue to be top recall options for Carolina. Later in the day, the team also reassigned Jack Drury to Chicago after scoring his first NHL goal during his call-up.
- With Jesper Bratt out of the lineup due to an undisclosed illness, the New Jersey Devils recalled forward Chase De Leo from the Utica Comets today. De Leo has no points in two games with the big club this season but has been spectacular with three goals and 13 assists in 16 games with Utica. It’s his first season in the Devils organization.
Central Division
- With their next game postponed, the Chicago Blackhawks don’t play again until Thursday. As a result, a pair of young players will head back to the AHL to get in some game action. NBC Sports’ Charlie Roumeliotis reports that Josiah Slavin and Ian Mitchell have been reassigned to the Rockford IceHogs. Mitchell has played in six NHL games this season, while Slavin has suited up for nine.
- Forwards Jan Jenik and Blake Speers are on their way up to the NHL level, recalled by the Arizona Coyotes. The pair have seen a combined three NHL games this season but with zero points in extremely limited roles. Jenik is having a solid but unspectacular season in the AHL, while Speers has struggled with the Tuscon Roadrunners as well. Yet, both will get a second chance with the ‘Yotes.
- After placing captain Blake Wheeler on long-term injured reserve this morning, the Winnipeg Jets recalled forwards Kristian Reichel and C.J. Suess from the Manitoba Moose. If Reichel gets into a game during his call-up, it will be his NHL debut. The undrafted Reichel is in his fourth season with the Jets organization, and he has five goals and seven assists in 25 games with Manitoba this year. Suess, a fifth-round pick back in 2014, has four goals and eight assists in 23 games with the Moose.
Pacific Division
- The Los Angeles Kings are making a swap in net. With Calvin Petersen currently in the NHL COVID Protocol, the Kings had been using Jacob Ingham as the backup to Jonathan Quick. However, L.A. has made a change before Ingham could even see any action. The team announced that the 21-year-old has been reassigned to the AHL’s Ontario Reign, with veteran Garret Sparks being recalled in his place.
This post will be updated throughout the day.
Blackhawks’ Brett Connolly To Face Player Safety Hearing
It was a scary scene in Dallas on Saturday night as forward Tanner Kero had to be taken off the ice on a stretcher early in the first period following a vicious collision along the boards. Kero was unconscious when he left the ice, surrounded by the entire Stars roster, but fortunately the team announced shortly thereafter that he was “conscious, alert, and responsive.” Kero was transported to an area hospital for further evaluation and treatment. There has been no further update from the team.
The guilty party in the incident was Blackhawks forward Brett Connolly. The physical winger hit Kero along the boards as the puck was being cleared out of the Stars’ defensive zone. Though the puck was near Kero, he did not have a reasonable opportunity to play it. Connolly’s check was unexpected and blindsided Kero (video). Connolly received a five-minute major for interference and a game misconduct as a result.
However, that may not be the end of his discipline. The NHL Department of Player Safety has announced that Connolly will face a hearing today to further evaluate the play in question. While Connolly did already serve essentially a full-game suspension, having been handed a game misconduct just a few minutes into the contest, there is reason to believe that an actual suspension could still be coming. The severity of Kero’s injury could be taken into account, as could the optics of the interference call – hitting a defenseless player. The counter argument is that Connolly has no history with Player Safety. A decision should arrive later today.
College Hockey Round-Up: At The Break
The holiday break has arrived in the NCAA hockey ranks as final exams and winter vacations will keep the college product off the ice for majority of nights over the next couple of weeks. Between now and December 28, only eight games will take place, all of which are non-conference match-ups. Play will return with a bang later this month as a trio of holiday tournaments featuring the likes of No. 3 Michigan, No. 4 Western Michigan, No. 16 Providence College, No. 20 Boston College, and more will lead us into the new year. Before conference play returns in full force later in January, fans can also enjoy NCAA standouts at the World Junior Championships.
Where We Stand
The Mavericks of Mankato reign supreme atop the NCAA rankings once again. No. 1 Minnesota State has entered the portion of their season every year where they dominate their WCHA opponents in nearly every game. The team is 12-2-2 in conference play and on a five-game win streak that includes sweeps over No. 18 Michigan Tech and Bemidji State. While strength of schedule is always a question for Minnesota State, as long as they keep winning it may be tough to knock them from the top spot given their strong results in non-conference play earlier this season.
The No. 2 Quinnipiac Bobcats likely feel that they deserve the top spot however. Quinnipiac is second only to No. 9 Cornell in winning percentage and have played seven more games than the Big Red. Their record is ahead of Minnesota State’s and their scoring margin is just behind, despite arguably a more difficult schedule. The caveat here is also strength of schedule though, as the Bobcats current five-game winning streak has come against the likes of St. Lawrence, RPI, Union, and LIU and they have not beaten a ranked team since October 22.
Of course, star-studded No. 3 Michigan will remain a threat, but the Wolverines have not been as invincible as some believed. Michigan dropped a game to No. 17 Ohio State this past weekend and No. 11 Minnesota the weekend before that. With five members of their roster expected to miss the next two games, including a match-up with No. 4 Western Michigan, due to participation in the World Junior Championship, the pressure is on for the Wolverines. Of course, come tournament time there will be no greater threat, regardless of Michigan’s final ranking.
No. 4 WMU is one of the biggest surprises in college hockey this season with six wins against ranked opponents, but the Broncos have a buzz saw awaiting them in the second half with ten consecutive games against NCHC elite in No. 5 North Dakota, No. 6 Minnesota Duluth, No. 7 St. Cloud State, No. 8 Denver, and then North Dakota once more. It’s an impossible schedule, but Western Michigan hopes to prove it belongs at the top of the rankings by coming away with a winning record. Of course, all of these teams have to play each other over the remainder of the season. The NCHC is the deepest and most talented conference in the NCAA this year, but that infighting could keep any of those programs from landing a top seed in the tournament.
No. 9 Cornell could be a sneaky candidate to make a second-half run to a top spot. The Big Red already league the NCAA is winning percentage and are second in goals per game and tied for third in scoring margin. While Cornell has played fewer games than all of the top teams due to the Ivy League’s late start and their strength of schedule suffers from some of the same weaknesses as fellow ECAC standout Quinnipiac, Cornell is statistically elite and has a chance to prove themselves as a top team when they face North Dakota on the road once they return from break.
As for Hockey East, the historic conference is definitely in a down year. No. 15 UMass Lowell leads the conference standings, but just went 0-1-1 against No. 12 UMass two weeks ago. The defending champs are right behind their satellite rivals, but far from the team they were a year ago. No. 13 Northeastern quietly has the best overall winning percentage in Hockey East, but their only statement wins came against slumping No. 16 Providence College last weekend. Barring a chance in trajectory in the second half, Hockey East may only send two or three teams to the NCAA Tournament this year and may not have any upper seeds.
Midseason Bracketology
It’s not often that the NCAA rankings align perfectly at tournament time for all 16 teams to be assigned in exact order to their regionals while avoiding conference match-ups and accounting for geography. In fact, the odds of it happening as if by design are slim to none. However, it just so happens that the current USCHO rankings do actually fit perfectly without conflicting first-round games or illogical geographic placements (albeit taking some of the fun out of “bracketology”). Here is a look at how the NCAA Tournament would break down if the season ended today:
Loveland, CO: No. 1 Minnesota State, No. 8 Denver, No. 9 Cornell, No. 16 Bentley*
Worcester, MA: No. 2 Quinnipiac, No. 7 St. Cloud, No. 10 Notre Dame, No. 15 UMass Lowell
Allentown, PA: 3 Michigan, No. 6 Minnesota-Duluth, No. 11 Minnesota, No. 14 Omaha
Albany, NY: No. 4 Western Michigan, No. 5 North Dakota, No. 12 UMass, No. 13 Northeastern
In this scenario, the top three seeds all end up at the regional located closest to them, while host Denver lands in Loveland (as is required) and several other schools play close to home. Most importantly though, the regionals are completed balanced. Of course, this won’t stick through the rest of the year so that final rankings and regional assignments will inevitably change. Still, it is worth looking forward at some potential stellar early match-ups like in-state rivals Duluth and Minnesota or historic North Dakota and reigning champ UMass. The Frozen Four in Boston is still a ways a way, but with a number of talented programs vying for a spot this year, including many enjoying one of their best seasons in school history, the 2022 NCAA Tournament should be a good one.
Boston Calling
The Boston Bruins are certainly keeping their recent draft classes close to home. Of the team’s 11 selections over the past two years, seven will now be playing college hockey in Massachusetts or Rhode Island next year. Several are already there: 2020 third-round forward Trevor Kuntar is skating on the top line for Boston College in his sophomore campaign, 2020 sixth-round forward Riley Duran is impressing as a freshman at Providence College with 11 points in 21 games, and 2021 seventh-round defenseman Ty Gallagher is a half point-per-game with Boston University, also exceeding expectations. Already committed are 2020 fifth-round defenseman Mason Langenbrunner, the lone non-Hockey East prospect of the group who will suit up for Harvard University, 2021 fourth-round goaltender Philip Svedeback, who will join Duran at PC, and 2021 seventh-round forward Andre Gasseau, who will follow Kuntar to BC.
The latest addition to the list will make it three members of the Eagles forward corps that will belong to the nearby Bruins. Swedish forward Oskar Jellvik has announced his intention to play for Boston College next season, joining Kuntar and Gasseau. Jellvik was a fifth-round pick by Boston this year, which could prove to be a nice value for the team. Jellvik has 11 goals and 25 points in 23 games this season for the U20 club of Djurgardens IF. That 1.09 points per game mark and a +8 rating make him one of the more dangerous players in the Swedish juniors this year. If that ability can translate to the North American game, BC and the Bruins could have a special prospect on their hands. Boston will get to keep a close eye on his development too from right down the street.