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World Juniors

Isac Lundestrom Loaned To Team Sweden

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Though he wasn’t included on the preliminary roster for Sweden , Isac Lundestrom is heading to the World Juniors. According to Elliott Teaford of the OC Register, the Anaheim Ducks have loaned Lundestrom to Team Sweden for the upcoming tournament, which beings on December 26th. Lundestrom had been playing in the AHL after suiting up 15 times with the Ducks earlier this year.

Lundestrom’s addition is a huge step towards the gold medal for Sweden, who already had a rock solid defense corps but were inexperienced up front. The 19-year old Ducks prospect will bring some NHL experience along with a long history of international competition. He was part of the Swedish team that barely lost to Canada in the gold medal game a year ago, and previously had won a U17 bronze medal and U18 silver medal in the same year. Lundestrom will be leaned on heavily to drive the play in the offensive zone for his country, just as he was at times this season in Anaheim and San Diego.

Selected 23rd overall in 2018 he surprised many by making the Ducks out of camp as an 18-year old, and was even given the chance to play at center during certain games. That’s high praise for a player who many believed needed several years of seasoning, but perhaps shouldn’t have been shocking given his experience. Lundestrom had already completed two full seasons in the SHL before being drafted, and even got a taste of the men’s professional league during the 2015-16 season. While his absolute ceiling is still a ways off, his polish so far has been spectacular for a player of his age. The World Juniors will be just another chapter in his development, and one which the Ducks hope will take him to another level offensively.

Poll: Who Will Win The 2019 World Junior Championship?

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Tonight in Kelowna, British Columbia, Russia and Sweden battle it out in the first pre-tournament game for the upcoming World Junior Championship. This tournament, made up of under-20 players from around the world, is one of the premiere international competitions in the world of hockey and brings with it plenty of intrigue. NHL fans in particular get a glimpse of the next wave of superstars, often before they’re even drafted. That’s no different this year, where the tournament will feature several exceptional talents scheduled to go in the 2019 or 2020 entry drafts.

Last year, Canada defeated Sweden in a memorable final game to secure the gold medal on Tyler Steenbergen’s first goal of the tournament. St. Louis Blues forward Jordan Kyrou led the Canadians in scoring with ten points in seven games, while Ottawa Senators prospect Drake Batherson scored a team-leading seven goals. Colorado Avalanche fans got a look at two of their own top prospects in Cale Makar and Conor Timmins, while newly minuted Philadelphia Flyers starting goaltender Carter Hart was the star in net. Amazingly, only a single player will return from that team for Canada in Max Comtois as most of the others have either aged out of the tournament, are dealing with injury or were withheld by their NHL teams.

Canada isn’t the only medal favorite though, as several other countries are bringing explosive lineups of their own. The discussion has to start with the United States, where Quinn and Jack Hughes are set to be the talk of the tournament. Quinn, the elder brother and a defenseman selected by the Vancouver Canucks seventh overall in June, is having an outstanding sophomore season at the University of Michigan and is expected to turn pro afterwards. Jack, the younger and a center, is expected to go first-overall in the 2019 draft to whoever wins the lottery.

Finland has the presumptive second-overall pick playing for their group in Kaapo Kakko, but also got some great news today when Henri Jokiharju was loaned from the Chicago Blackhawks. Jokiharju should be a difference maker for the Finnish team, who also should be strong in net with Buffalo Sabres prospect Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen. Sweden doesn’t have the firepower up front of some previous years, but is an absolute powerhouse on defense even without the injured Timothy Liljegren. The five-man offensive units should be more than strong enough with the likes of Erik Brannstrom and Adam Boqvist jumping into the rush.

The Czech Republic got some great news when Filip Zadina was cleared of injury, and after getting some experience at the AHL level he should be even more dangerous this time around. Russia meanwhile will bring another strong mostly 19-year old group to Vancouver, and have some AHL experience of their own in Klim Kostin who was loaned by the St. Louis Blues.

In all, this should be another outstanding tournament filled with exceptional talents. Cast your vote below on who you think will win the whole thing, and then tune in on December 26th to see it all kick off.

Who will win the 2019 WJC?
Canada 49.24% (553 votes)
USA 27.43% (308 votes)
Finland 8.99% (101 votes)
Sweden 4.90% (55 votes)
Russia 4.45% (50 votes)
Czech Republic 1.87% (21 votes)
Kazakhstan 1.51% (17 votes)
Slovakia 0.89% (10 votes)
Switzerland 0.53% (6 votes)
Denmark 0.18% (2 votes)
Total Votes: 1,123

[Mobile users click here to vote]

Gabe Vilardi Will Not Play In World Juniors

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Both the Los Angeles Kings and Team Canada were hoping that young forward Gabe Vilardi would be able to recover in time to take part in the upcoming World Junior Championship, but according to Mark Masters of TSN that isn’t going to happen. He had played a few conditioning games in the AHL before taking part in Canada’s selection camp, but with pre-tournament games starting this week and Vilardi still unable to practice with the team, a decision had to be made. The question now will be whether Vilardi is sent immediately back to the OHL.

While this is obviously disappointing for Vilardi, it’s good news for the rest of the Canadian forwards including 17-year old Alexis Lafreniere. The potential 2020 first-overall pick has made the squad, and given his practice spot beside Nick Suzuki and Jaret Anderson-Dolan it won’t just be as the extra forward. The young QMJHL phenom has 53 points in 31 games for the Rimouski Oceanic and has done nothing to show he shouldn’t be at the very top of the 2020 draft board.

It certainly hasn’t been a smooth ride for Vilardi since being selected 11th overall by the Kings in 2017. He played just 32 regular season games with the Kingston Frontenacs last season due to injury, and has suited up just four times this year after dealing with another back issue. All four of those contests have come in the AHL, but given his age he is not allowed to stay there for the whole season. If he is healthy enough to play, and the Kings don’t keep him with the NHL team, he’ll have to go back to the OHL where he very well could be on the trade block once again. Kingston is sitting last in the OHL Eastern Conference and could flip Vilardi for a huge package of future assets given he will not be back next season.

Klim Kostin Assigned To Team Russia For World Juniors

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Last night the San Antonio Rampage put up five goals against the Iowa Wild, and today they’ve lost two of the goal scorers. While Zach Sanford is on his way back up to the NHL, Klim Kostin has been assigned to Team Russia for the upcoming World Junior Championships. Kostin had been listed on the Russian roster as a player who would join the preliminary roster at a later date, which is apparently now as the tournament approaches. Pre-tournament games start tomorrow with Russia taking on Sweden in Kelowna, British Columbia.

Kostin, 19, greatly impressed in his first training camp after being selected 31st overall in 2017, but failed to crack the St. Louis roster. Instead of going back to the KHL, he joined the Rampage as a teenager and actually showed quite well in his first professional season. Though there were some consistency issues, that’s to be expected of a player so much younger than his competition. Kostin still used his big frame well and ended the 2017-18 season with 28 points in 67 games. This season he’s off to a better goal scoring pace and has 11 points in 28 games, but will really get to show off in the upcoming junior tournament.

Participating in the tournament last year for Russia as one of the rare 18-year old players selected, Kostin was a standout and ultimately led the team in scoring with eight points in five games. He’ll be looking for revenge and a medal this time around, and should play a huge part among the team’s talented forwards.

Snapshots: Sestito, Thomas, Letang, Koivu

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It looks like enforcer Tom Sestito will be getting another chance to work his way back to the NHL as Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reports that the Toronto Marlies have signed the 6-foot-5, 228-pound forward to a professional tryout. A veteran of 154 NHL games, the 31-year-old had been playing in the AHL with the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins for the previous two years, but he wasn’t able to get a contract this year.

Friedman says that his source said he was thrilled that Sestito was getting one last shot to work his way back and referred to him as a great teammate. Sestito’s best season came in the 2013-14 season with the Vancouver Canucks when he played 77 games and scored five goals and nine points and accumulated 213 penalty minutes. He was probably best known for hits that netted him a pair of four-game suspensions, including one against New York Rangers’ Andre Deveaux from behind in 2011 and another one in 2017 when he boarded Winnipeg’s Toby Enstrom. His last NHL team was the Pittsburgh Penguins where he played 17 games in the 2015-16 and 2016-17 seasons combined.

  • St. Louis Blues general manager Doug Armstrong said that forward Robert Thomas will not be loaned to Team Canada for the World Junior Championships, according to Fox Sports’ Andy Strickland. The 19-year-old has just two goals and seven points so far in his rookie campaign in St. Louis while averaging just over 12 minutes of ice time per game, so many have speculated the Blues could loan him out temporarily to get him extra playing time at the World Juniors. However, Thomas has seen a small spike in his playing time since head coach Mike Yeo was fired and replaced by Craig Berube as the team hopes that the 2017 first-rounder continues his development while learning on the bottom lines.
  • The Pittsburgh Penguins got some good news on the injury that defenseman Kris Letang suffered Friday in the third period against the Boston Bruins when the blueliner collided with Boston’s Joakim Nordstrom and had his knee buckle. Fans began to get concerned when he wasn’t able to stand on his own. However, while he did miss tonight’s game, the Penguins announced that he’s day-to-day, according to Jason Mackey of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. “It could’ve been a lot worse,” coach Mike Sullivan said. The 31-year-old has been having a solid season this year with seven goals and 25 points in 30 games this season.
  • NHL.com’s Kevin Falness reports that Minnesota Wild head coach Bruce Boudreau said that he expects center Mikko Koivu to return to the Wild’s lineup on Tuesday when they face San Jose. The 35-year-old has missed four games with a left leg injury, but a return could be a big addition as Koivu has put up solid numbers this year as he has four goals and 21 points in 27 games.

Kristian Vesalainen Declines Invitation To The World Juniors

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Most young players view the opportunity to play at the World Juniors as an exciting one.  However, that doesn’t seem to be the case for Jets prospect Kristian Vesalainen.  Jussi Ahokas, the head coach of Team Finland, acknowledged to Yle Urheilu, a Finnish newspaper, that the 19-year-old declined their invitation to suit up in this year’s tournament which gets underway on December 26th.  Instead, the winger has opted to remain with Jokerit of the KHL.

Vesalainen has participated in this event in each of the last two years.  He had a quiet showing in his draft-eligible year, picking up just a single goal and an assist but 17-year-olds don’t often have a significant impact in this tournament.  However, he was more productive last year, picking up six points in five games to tie Eeli Tolvanen (a Nashville first rounder) for the team lead in scoring.

2018-19 has been a bit of a strange season for Vesalainen.  He made Winnipeg’s roster out of training camp but played a very limited role, logging less than seven minutes of ice time per game.  He was loaned to their AHL affiliate in Manitoba where he fared better, picking up eight points in as many contests.  Just before he was eligible to activate his European Assignment Clause, the Jets recalled him in mid-November but at the same time, Jokerit (a Finnish team) acquired his KHL rights from SKA St. Petersburg.  After spending a couple of days with Winnipeg, the team had a change of heart, re-assigning him to the AHL where he quickly triggered his assignment clause.  It appears that playing for three different teams already is enough for Vesalainen and he will remain with Jokerit instead of taking one final run at a Gold Medal at the World Juniors.

Team Canada Makes Second Set Of World Junior Cuts

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After making their first set of cuts late last night, Canada continued to trim down their roster in advance of the upcoming World Juniors.  Being sent back to their respective junior teams (per TSN’s Bob McKenzie in a series of tweets) are:

D Nicolas Beaudin (CHI)
D Jacob Bernard-Docker (OTT)
F Alex Formenton (OTT) – per McKenzie, his knee injury will keep him out for the tournament.
F Liam Foudy (CBJ)
D Pierre-Olivier Joseph (ARI)
F Isaac Ratcliffe (PHI)
G Matt Villalta (LAK)

Among the cuts on the back end, Beaudin’s is the most notable.  He sits second in the QMJHL in points per game among defensemen and would have been a strong offensive threat.  However, it appears they’ve opted to go with defensive stability with Markus Phillips (LAK) earning what appears to be the final spot on their roster.  Joseph is another offensively-gifted defender that was let go while Bernard-Docker is off to a good start in his freshman season and will have a good chance to make the team next season.  In goal, Villalta went into camp with the lowest odds to make the team as he was behind Michael DiPietro (VAN) and Ian Scott (TOR), who just signed his entry-level deal earlier in the day.

Up front, Ratcliffe has been one of the better scorers in the OHL and is on pace for his second straight 40-goal season.  Foudy was one of the top risers in the 2018 draft class, working his way into the middle of the first round.  His offensive game hasn’t taken a big jump this year but he has been a dependable two-way player and will also likely get a long look one year from now.  Formenton was a lock to make the team but he was injured in a scrimmage game earlier this week and was seen on crutches recently.

There is still one cut to be made up front that will be dependent on their injury situation as Kings prospects Jaret Anderson-Dolan (wrist) and Gabriel Vilardi (back) still have some question marks.  Final rosters aren’t due until December 25th so it’s likely that Canada will wait until closer to that date to make that decision.  With several pre-tournament games scheduled for next week, other countries will likely be making their final cuts in the coming days as well.

Team Canada Makes First World Junior Cuts

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With less than two weeks before the tournament begins in Vancouver, Team Canada’s World Junior team has made their first cuts of selection camp. The team surprisingly lost 5-3 at the hands of the USports All-Star team in an exhibition match yesterday, and decided to trim some of the fat from the large camp roster. Ty Dellandrea, Raphael Lavoie, Cameron Crotty and Calen Addison have all been sent back to their respective junior or college teams and will not be participating in the World Juniors this season.

For all four of these players, making the team was a long shot to begin with. Dellandrea may be the most well known of the bunch, given his 13th-overall selection in the 2018 NHL Entry Draft (Dallas), but that could change over the coming months. Lavoie, who turned 18 in September, has 31 points in 29 games for the Halifax Mooseheads and is a top eligible prospect for the 2019 draft. He could in fact climb all the way into the top ten with a good second half, given his all-around appeal. The 6’4″ forward can play the middle of the ice and is a good bet to be on the Canadian team next season.

Addison too could very well find himself on the team next season, given his outstanding production so far for the Lethbridge Hurricanes. The puck-moving defenseman is stuck behind several similar players on Canada’s radar, but should get a chance when those like Evan Bouchard move on next time around. Addison has 31 points in 30 games this season and already looks like a steal by the Pittsburgh Penguins in the second round of the 2018 draft.

Quinn Hughes To Sign With Vancouver After The Season

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After the Vancouver Canucks selected defenseman Quinn Hughes out of the University of Michigan with the seventh overall pick last year, they nearly convinced the freshman phenom to leave school and sign right away. Instead, Hughes opted to return for his sophomore campaign and is again lightning up the score sheet for the Wolverines. Fortunately, the Canucks don’t have to worry about Hughes staying in the college ranks for much longer, as the stud prospect confirmed to Sportsnet that he plans to sign his entry-level contract with Vancouver when the season is over.

Of course, the season that Hughes is referring to is the college season, which at the latest ends with the National Championship game on April 13, but is cut short for non-tournament teams before the end of March. Michigan is currently ranked outside of the top 20 in the NCAA at the midway point of the college season, but it is not outside the realm of possibility that the team could push for a spot in the NCAA tournament. A Big Ten Conference Tournament win or a final ranking within the top ten or twelve teams in the nation would earn the Wolverines a spot in the 16-team postseason. Last year, Michigan took that opportunity and ran with it, earning a spot in the Frozen Four. They could do so again, leaving Vancouver without much of an opportunity to get Hughes signed and into game action, but it does seem right now that Hughes’ final season in college is more likely to end in March. He would then be likely to make his NHL debut this season.

For his part, Canucks GM Jim Benning recently stated that he feels Hughes could help the team right away. Hughes has 20 points in 17 games so far this season, currently leading all Michigan skaters in points – including fellow first-round pick Josh Norris – and trailing only Harvard’s Adam Fox, Quinnipiac’s Chase Priskie, and UMass’ Cale Makar in points-per-game among NCAA defenseman. Hughes will also be a star for Team USA and the World Juniors later this month, where he will again get a chance to shine against top cometition as he prepares for the jump to the NHL. An elite puck mover with a pro-ready eye for making plays, one of Hughes’ goals in returning to school was to get stronger, which he feels he has accomplished. Hughes told Sportsnet that he is confident in his abilities and in his chances of making a successful transition to the pros. Vancouver fans may not have much to root for right now in another difficult season, but the talent of their young players is certainly a bright spot and Hughes’ commitment to joining the team, continued improvement, and confidence in his own ability should make the Cancucks and their supporters very excited.

Atlantic Notes: Kotkaniemi, Nyquist, Pysyk, Petrovic, Kulak

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With countries releasing their preliminary rosters for the World Junior Championships, many teams must make some decisions on whether they intend to send some of their young prospects to World Juniors and interrupt their careers. The Montreal Canadiens could be one of those teams as they have a tough decision to make on Jesperi Kotkaniemi, who is on the Canadiens’ roster.

While on the surface it would be obvious the team would keep him, the team did allow defenseman Victor Mete to leave the team last year and play in the World Juniors. Mete, however, was struggling and was already losing playing time in Montreal. Kotkaniemi is in a similar boat as he started strong, but has just two points in the past eight games and has hit a “rookie wall.”

However, TSN’s Dan Robertson reports that general manager Marc Bergevin met the media this afternoon and stated that he’s 95 percent sure that Kotkaniemi won’t play in the WJC. The 18-year-old has three goals and 14 points in 29 games.

  • The impressive play the Detroit Red Wings have gotten from Gustav Nyquist causes many long-term questions. Nyquist, who is on pace for a career season as the 29-year-old already has seven goals and 26 points in 29 games is in the final year of a four-year, $19MM deal he signed back in 2015, could be looking for another big contract. The question that MLive’s Ansar Khan wonders is whether Detroit will consider bringing back Nyquist. It’s likely he will be asking for $5MM per year for three or four years. With the team in the middle of a rebuild, there is no guarantee the Red Wings will consider signing Nyquist a priority, although the team is also well known to give out money to veterans.
  • With the Seattle expansion draft on teams’ radars for the next few years, The Athletic’s George Richards (subscription required) writes that nothing worked out last time for the Florida Panthers who made a side deal to protect two defensemen by sending both Jon Marchessault and Reilly Smith to Vegas in the expansion draft. The team’s plan was to protect both Mark Pysyk and Alexander Petrovic. However, neither has been a key member of the team’s defense since then and both may not be on the roster by the time the next expansion draft rolls around.
  • After being traded from Calgary to Montreal and finding himself in the AHL, defenseman Brett Kulak could have considered his situation dire. However, Kulak has since been recalled and has found himself a key piece to the Canadiens’ defense and is paired next to Shea Weber, which looks like a perfect fit, according to Pat Hickey of the Montreal Gazette. “He was playing in the NHL last year, so it was not like I got a guy from the East Coast Hockey League,” said general manager Marc Bergevin. “He’s an NHL defenceman. Our scouting staff liked him because of the way the game is going. He’s a good skater.”

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