Big Hype Prospects: Suvanto, Dagenais, Willis, Tomek
Pre-tournament action has kicked off at the IIHF U18 Men’s World Championship. This year will be a tournament to watch, with standout draft talent spread across a big group of contenders. This will be a last chance to convince the NHL scouts for 2026 NHL Draft talent, while many 2027 NHL Draft stars will be looking to snag early attention. To celebrate one of the top tournaments of the draft season, we will once again borrow MLB Trade Rumors’ Big Hype Prospect series to cover four names to watch.
Four Big Hype Prospects
Team Finland – Oliver Suvanto, C, Tappara (Liiga)
48 GP, 2 G – 9 A – 11 TP, 16 PIM, +3
Oliver Suvanto has held the attention of many scouts for the last two seasons. He is a strong and heavy center who checks a lot of boxes. Suvanto can win faceoffs and shut down opponents defensively. He plays a smart, heads-up game that switches from defense to offense quickly. But in the first pro season of his career, his offense struggled to stand out. Suvanto didn’t help his case at the 2026 World Junior Championships, where he scored only two goals in seven games. He has otherwise scored eight points in 13 international games with Finland this year – and undoubtedly stands as the team’s top center headed into the U18 Worlds. A point-per-game player in Finland’s U20 league last season, Suvanto has a proven oomph to his offense and an overwhelming two-way style. He could be the leader of a big tournament for Finland, or may string out doubts with another low-scoring tournament. The opportunity under the spotlight will mean more for Suvanto’s draft stock than many of his peers.
Team Canada – Maddox Dagenais, C, Quebec Remparts (QMJHL)
62 GP, 30 G – 32 A – 62 TP, 31 PIM
There may not be a hotter draft prospect than Quebec’s Maddox Dagenais. The chippy shooter had 13 multi-point games after January 1st, en route to 20 goals and 43 points in the last 40 games of the season. Dagenais plays a straightforward game, dominating opponents with his downhill play-driving, quick cuts with the puck, and feisty physical strength. He can toss opponents off of him and plays with reckless abandon while diving into puck battles. That is both a pro and con for Dagenais, not helped along by questions around if he can really take over play-driving. That will make the U18 Worlds a golden opportunity for Dagenais, providing him a chance to build his high-energy style off of other Canadian stars. If he proves he can control play, Dagenais could be fighting for first-round attention at this tournament. After all, he brings the shooting, hitting, and swagger that many teams look for with their top pick.
Team USA – Brayden Willis, RW, U.S. National U17 Team (NTDP)
51 GP, 20 G – 28 A – 48 TP, 26 PIM
This will be a last showing for the 2026 class, and first impressions for much of the 2027 class. Team USA star Brayden Willis sits behind both groups, born one day into eligibility for the 2028 NHL Draft. He opened USA’s pre-tournament action on the top-line – carrying over momentum earned from a standout season with the U17 National Team Development Program. Willis proved to be the lineup’s workhorse, matching a chippy and confident style with lightning-quick reactions and skill. He is a dynamo who routinely connected with high-skill teammates like Carter Meyer – also on the U18 roster. Willis will play on house money by even stepping into the tournament lineup, getting an early chance to steer ahead of the 2028 class. He could build momentum if his confident and chippy game earns him some hard-earned scoring.
Team Czechia – Petr Tomek, LW, Energie Karlovy Vary (Czechia Extraliga)
51 GP, 13 G – 7 A – 20 TP, 12 PIM, +2
European fans were watching for one name on U18 rosters. 17 year old winger Petr Tomek has caught waves of attention over the course of his first season in Czechia’s top pro league. The challenge of a physical league and a skinny frame did not faze Tomek, who played with an overabundance of confidence and skill this season. He is a smooth puck-handler who knows how to slow down time as he enters the offensive zone to find shooting lanes and scoring chances. That helped Tomek notch eight points in 11 international games with Team Czechia’s U18 roster, and four points in four games with the U20 roster, earlier this season. He will enter the U18 Worlds as one of Czechia’s most dynamic, offensive talents. Paying off that standing with flashy scoring could go far in helping NHL scouts overlook his skinny build.
International Notes: Schaefer, Jarvis, Vaakanainen, Hutson
Although he was ultimately left off Team Canada’s roster for the 2026 Winter Olympics, rookie defenseman Matthew Schaefer will have an opportunity to play if needed. Earlier today, Andrew Gross of Newsday reported that Schaefer is on Team Canada’s standby list and will play if the team runs into injury trouble.
Even being on the standby list is a testament to how the recent first overall pick has played for the New York Islanders this season. He’s leading the team in defensive scoring by a significant margin, recording nine goals and 25 points in 40 games while averaging nearly 24 minutes of action per game. Furthermore, his defensive metrics are notably mature for his age, with a 50.7% CorsiFor at even strength and 90.1% on-ice save percentage at even strength.
Still, it’s curious that Hockey Canada has opted for Schaefer being the next man up rather than Washington Capitals blueliner Jakob Chychrun. The former 16th overall pick has been one of the most underrated defensemen in the league this season, scoring 15 goals and 30 points in 40 games while managing a 23:16 ATOI. Additionally, Chychrun’s underlying metrics are better than Schaefer’s, with a 56.0% CF% and 91.8% oiSV% at even strength.
Other international notes:
- Schaefer isn’t the only skater from the Metropolitan Division to find himself on Team Canada’s standby list. Seth Jarvis, who skated for Team Canada in last year’s Four Nations Face-Off, is also on Team Canada’s standby list, according to Sportsnet’s Eric Engels. Although arguments could be made for other forwards, it’s difficult to say Jarvis hasn’t earned it with 19 goals and 29 points in 34 games this season for the Carolina Hurricanes.
- Moving to Group B of the upcoming international tournament, the New York Rangers will have a defenseman on the standby list — this time for Team Finland. According to Mollie Walker of the New York Post, Urho Vaakanainen will be available for Team Finland if they run into injury trouble. Vaakanainen played in three games for Finland last season at the Four Nations Face-Off, going scoreless with a -5 rating.
- In the World Juniors Championship, the United States is expected to return an important defenseman for their upcoming quarterfinal matchup against Finland. This afternoon, Mike G. Morreale of the NHL wrote that Cole Hutson, who hasn’t played since being hit in the head with a puck in the round robin matchup against Team Switzerland, is expected to return to the lineup tomorrow. The Capitals prospect has already registered two assists in two games with a +5 rating.