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2026 NHL Draft Eligible Players At World Juniors

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The World Junior Championships kicked off early on Friday. The tournament brings together the top U20 players from 10 countries around the world. Rosters typically contain a mix of NHL players, NHL prospects, undrafted players looking for a second chance, and future draftees hoping for a good first impression. Pro Hockey Rumors has compiled a list of all 75 players eligible for the 2026 NHL Draft competing in this year’s World Junior Championship tournament:

Team Canada

D Carson Carels
D Ethan MacKenzie
F Gavin McKenna
D Keaton Verhoeff

Team Czechia

D Vladimír Dravecký
F Adam Novotny
D Jakub Vanecek

Team Denmark

F Lasse Bærentsen
D Jesper Bank Olesen (re-entry candidate)
D Jeppe Bertram (re-entry candidate)
F Elias Borup Olsen (re-entry candidate)
F William Bundgaard (re-entry candidate)
F Lucas Cilan Hjorth Jensen
D Viggo Damgaard (re-entry candidate)
F Oliver Dejbjerg Larsen (re-entry candidate)
F Oliver Green
F Albert Grossmann (re-entry candidate)
D Emil Saaby Jakobsen
D Markus Jakobsen (re-entry candidate)
D Frederik Rundh (re-entry candidate)
F Martinus Uggerhøj Schioldan

Team Finland

F Onni Kalto (re-entry candidate)
F Jasper Kuhta (re-entry candidate)
D Juho Piiparinen
F Oliver Suvanto
D Arttu Välilä (re-entry candidate)
F Matias Vanhanen (re-entry candidate)

Team Germany

D Max Bleicher (re-entry candidate)
F Lenny Boos (re-entry candidate)
F Gustavs Griva (re-entry candidate)
D Fabio Kose (re-entry candidate)
F Timo Kose (re-entry candidate)
F Elias Schneider (re-entry candidate)
D Finn Serikow (re-entry candidate)
F Mateu Späth (re-entry candidate)
F Dustin Willhöft (re-entry candidate)

Team Latvia

F Rudolfs Berzkalns
F Dmitrijs Dilevka (re-entry candidate)
F Karlis Flugins
F Roberts Janis Polis
F Martins Klaucans
F Olivers Murnieks
D Rolands Naglis (re-entry candidate)
F Bruno Osmanis (re-entry candidate)
D Krisjanis Sarts (re-entry candidate)
F Daniels Serkins (re-entry candidate)
D Alberts Smits
F Kristians Utnans (re-entry candidate)

Team Sweden

F Viggo Björck
D William Håkansson
F Casper Juustovaara Karlsson
F Ivar Stenberg

Team Slovakia

D Michal Capos (re-entry candidate)
F Tomas Chrenko
F Jakub Dubravik (re-entry candidate)
D Adam Goljer
D Adam Kalman (re-entry candidate)
D Matus Lisy (re-entry candidate)
F Alex Misiak (re-entry candidate)
F Samuel Murin (re-entry candidate)
F Adam Nemec
F Tomas Pobezal (re-entry candidate)
D Luka Radivojevic (re-entry candidate)
F Andreas Straka (re-entry candidate)
F Tobias Tomik
F Lukas Tomka (re-entry candidate)

Team Switzerland

F Mike Aeschlimann (re-entry candidate)
F Lenny Giger (re-entry candidate)
F Cyrill Henry (re-entry candidate)
F Kimi Körbler (re-entry candidate)
D Nik Lehmann
F Paul Mottard (re-entry candidate)
F Lars Steiner
D Guus Van der Kaaij (re-entry candidate)

Team United States

D Chase Reid
D Dakoda Rhéaume-Mullen (re-entry candidate)

Golden Knights’ Adin Hill Out Week-To-Week, William Karlsson Targeting Olympic Return

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The Vegas Golden Knights received two important injury updates on Tuesday. Most pressing, goaltender Adin Hill was designated as week-to-week by head coach Bruce Cassidy, per Jesse Granger of The Athletic. Cassidy also said that forward William Karlsson is expected to be back in the lineup before the two-week break for the Winter Olympics in February.

Hill has been out of the lineup since sustaining a lower-body injury in the first period of Vegas’ October 20th win over the Carolina Hurricanes. He has carried a week-to-week designation for much of the time since then, though that’s turned into a two-month absence that appears set to drag on even further. Cassidy shared that Hill is “getting closer”. That confidence, pitted against a mention on the Olympics’ in Karlsson’s timeline, could be enough insinuation to hope that Vegas can get their starting goaltender back before January ends.

Karlsson has also missed a substantial amount of time already. He sustained a lower-body injury in Vegas’ November 8th loss to the Anaheim Ducks that earned a spot on long-term injured reserve. Karlsson has now missed 50 games since the start of the 2024-25 season – continuing a stretch of routine absences that extends back to the 2019-20 season.

Both Hill and Karlsson have strong Olympic hopes in mind. Hill was one of three goaltenders invited to Team Canada’s preliminary camp, suggesting that he’s a shoo-in to head to Milan. Hill joined Canada at the 2025 Four-Nations Face-Off but didn’t play in any of the four games. His only experience representing his country came in 2021, when he won one game and set a .909 save percentage in three games at the World Championships.

While Hill pushes for a backup role, Karlsson could carve out a solid role for Team Sweden. The 32-year-old center did not represent Sweden at the 2025 Four-Nations tournament, and has only played in four World Championship games dating back to 2018 – though that is often thanks to his NHL team sticking in the playoffs for too long. When he does adorn the tre kronor, Karlsson finds strong impact, with four points and one Gold Medal in 14 World Championship games across his career. He will be one of Sweden’s top center options as they assemble their Olympic roster.

More than their Olympic hopes, both players will hope they can quickly get back on ice with a Vegas team that ranks top in the Pacific Division. Karlsson maintained a key role in the lineup this season and scored seven points in his first 14 games of the season. Hill was an initial favorite for the starter’s crease, but began to share it with Akira Schmid and Carl Lindbom after posting one win and a .888 Sv% in five games. Since his injury, Vegas has also signed Carter Hart, bringing even more competition into the goalie room. It seems the Golden Knights will be set to sort out that goalie crowd early in the new year, with a similar logjam coming for their center depth soon after. The Golden Knights rank 16th in goals-for and eighth in goals-against in the NHL at Christmas break.

Sweden Announces Roster For 2026 World Juniors

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After USA Hockey announced its preliminary roster for the 2026 World Junior Championship at the beginning of the month, the Swedish Ice Hockey Association became the next gold medal contender to follow suit. Unlike the host country, though, Sweden released a 26-man list and therefore only has one cut to make before the tournament kicks off on Dec. 26 at the Wild’s Grand Casino Arena in St. Paul and 3M Arena at Mariucci in Minneapolis, home to the University of Minnesota men’s team. Their roster is as follows:

F Jack Berglund (Flyers, 2024, 2-51)
F Viggo Björck (2026 draft eligible)
F Wilson Björck (Canucks, 2025, 5-143)
F Liam Danielsson (undrafted in 2024, 2025)
F Victor Eklund (Islanders, 2025, 1-16)
F Linus Eriksson (Panthers, 2024, 2-58)
F Anton Frondell (Blackhawks, 2025, 1-3)
F Milton Gästrin (Capitals, 2025, 2-37)
F Eddie Genborg (Red Wings, 2025, 2-44)
F Casper Juustovaara Karlsson (2026 draft eligible)
F Loke Krantz (Kraken, 2025, 7-218)
F Valter Lindberg (undrafted in 2024, 2025)
F Eric Nilson (Ducks, 2025, 2-45)
F Lucas Pettersson (Ducks, 2024, 2-35)
F Ivar Stenberg (2026 draft eligible)

D Sascha Boumedienne (Jets, 2025, 1-28)
D Felix Carell (undrafted in 2024, 2025)
D Alfons Freij (Jets, 2024, 2-37)
D Viggo Gustafsson (Predators, 2024, 3-77)
D William Håkansson (2026 draft eligible)
D Victor Johansson (Maple Leafs, 2024, 4-120)
D Felix Öhrqvist (undrafted in 2024, 2025)
D Leo Sahlin Wallenius (Sharks, 2024, 2-53)

G Måns Goos (Stars, 2025, 5-158)
G Love Härenstam (Blues, 2025, 6-179)
G Herman Liv (undrafted in 2024, 2025)

At forward, the Swedes are arguably bringing more true star power to the event than the Americans, who are seeking a three-peat. While the Bruins’ James Hagens is the only top-10 pick on the States’ roster, Sweden could have three – the reigning third-overall selection in Frondell, plus Stenberg and Björck, both of whom should hear their names called early on the first night of next year’s draft. Björck’s stock has slipped somewhat this year, but Stenberg’s has only risen to the point where he’s a legitimate challenger for first overall. With 23 points in 24 SHL games for Frölunda, he’s operating at the third-highest point-per-game pace all-time for an 18-year-old in that league behind Tomas Sandström and Markus Näslund. He and Frondell will form the centerpiece of Sweden’s attack.

The talent level drops off somewhat on the back end. They don’t have the top-15 talents like Axel Sandin Pellikka and Tom Willander that they’ve had at their disposal over the past couple of years. Boumedienne now takes the reins as their most high-profile name, along with the draft-eligible Håkansson, a 6’4″ lefty who most have pegged as a late first-round pick.

In goal, the Swedes have an open competition for the starters’ crease – in a good way. Härenstam and Liv are both off to great starts this season as starters for their respective teams in the HockeyAllsvenskan, Sweden’s second-tier pro league. It would be quite a story for the undrafted Liv to emerge as the No. 1 option, considering his last start for the Swedes at a major international tournament was at the 2023 Hlinka Gretzky Cup. However, it’s looking like that could be the case. With a .923 SV% in 12 games for Almtuna IS, he’s second in the league. The 19-year-old is the son of former SHL and KHL star and Red Wings prospect Stefan Liv, who died in the 2011 plane crash that killed 26 players and three staff of the KHL’s Lokomotiv Yaroslavl.

While Sweden has lost just four times in regulation in the group stage at the WJC since 2012, they haven’t won a gold medal in that span. In the past 13 tournaments, they’ve won silver four times (2013, 2014, 2018, 2024) and bronze twice (2020, 2022).

William Nylander Joins Team Sweden At World Championship

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Team Sweden has announced that winger William Nylander will be headed overseas to join their push for the 2025 World Championship Gold. This is the first time since 2022 that Nylander has been able to participate in the off-season tournament. He’ll join Sweden just in time for the knockout rounds, which begin with a matchup against Czechia on Tuesday.

Nylander has been a strong pillar of Sweden’s international lineups dating back to his U17 year. He posted 10 points in six games of the World U17 Hockey Challenge and three points in five games of the U18 World Championship in 2013; then returned to the latter tournament with a dominant 16 points in seven games in his draft season of 2014. Nylander was scooped up by the Toronto Maple Leafs at eighth-overall, and made both his AHL debut and World Juniors debut in the following season. He potted 10 points in seven games of the junior tournament and, two years later, joined Sweden for his first World Championship in 2017.

Nylander’s first World Championship run continued what was a true breakout year for the Swedish winger. He scored 14 points, split evenly, in 10 games – a nice compliment to the 22 goals and 61 points he posted in 81 NHL games that year. That season marked a switch in Nylander’s path, and he’s continued to dominate both NHL and international scoring at every opportunity since. The 29-year-old has totaled 37 points in 21 games across four career appearances at Worlds, while also tallying 612 points in 685 games and 10 seasons in the NHL. He’s a superstar addition this late into tournament action, and should be a hardy boost for a Swedish club that currently ranks sixth in tournament scoring.

Maple Leafs Notes: Tavares, Marner, Matthews, Nylander

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The head coach of the Toronto Maple Leafs, Craig Berube, has addressed Mitch Marner and John Tavares’ upcoming unrestricted free agency. According to Terry Koshan of the Toronto Sun, when asked if he’d like them to return, Berube said, “100%.”

The news comes with little surprise, as few coaches would want 176 points to walk away for nothing. Still, a report from TSN’s Chris Johnston a few days ago suggested there’s no guarantee Marner will re-up with the Leafs this summer.

There’s more room for optimism when it comes to Tavares. Aside from Berube’s desire to have him back, Toronto’s former captain shared with David Pagnotta of The Fourth Period today that he believes he’ll sign a new deal with the Maple Leafs, and has already spoken briefly to General Manager Brad Treliving.

Other notes from the Maple Leafs:

  • In a vague comment passed along by Lance Hornby of the Toronto Sun, Maple Leafs captain Auston Matthews said he’s been dealing with a ’mystery’ injury since training camp, and it flared up throughout the regular season and playoffs. Matthews played in fewer than 70 games for the first time since the COVID-19-shortened 2020-21 NHL season, and achieved his lowest goal total since his junior campaign in 2018-19.
  • There’s a chance that host country of the 2025 IIHF World Championships, Sweden, could get a major boost to their roster before the playoff round begins. According to Chris Johnston, William Nylander is contemplating joining his home country for the remainder of the tournament. Nylander hasn’t played in the international tournament since 2022, when he scored three goals and two assists in three games.

Metropolitan Notes: Shaw, Chatfield, Sandin, Eller

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Yesterday, Flyers general manager Daniel Brière confirmed an earlier report that associate coach and briefly interim head coach Brad Shaw won’t be back with the team next season. According to Jonathan Bailey of The Hockey News, Shaw wasn’t enthused about going through the interview process a second time to remain a part of new head coach Rick Tocchet’s staff after finishing as the runner-up to Tocchet in head coaching interviews over the past few weeks.

“He called me yesterday and said he didn’t feel like he could fully invest himself going through the [interview] process again to see if he was to be part of [Tocchet’s] staff moving forward,” Brière said.

Now with 21 years of experience as an assistant/associate and interim head coach on NHL benches, Shaw is likely going to emerge as a candidate for at least one of the league’s four remaining head coach vacancies in Boston, Chicago, Pittsburgh, and Seattle. He reportedly received interest from the Capitals and Ducks in 2023’s hiring cycle.

“We’re really appreciative of what Brad has done,” Brière said. “He’s helped a lot of our young guys on defense, especially, and he was considered.”

We have more from the Metropolitan Division:

  • When the Hurricanes won Game 5 of the second round against the Capitals to advance to the Eastern Conference Final, they did so without the services of defenseman Jalen Chatfield. Head coach Rod Brind’Amour is hopeful but uncertain regarding his status for the beginning of the third round, Chip Alexander of the Raleigh News & Observer relays.
  • On the other side of the Carolina/Washington coin, Caps defenseman Rasmus Sandin is expected to join Sweden’s blue line at the World Championship, according to Hockeynews.se’s Henrik Sjoberg. Sweden’s roster is at the 22-skater maximum, so they’ll presumably be dropping a player (likely one of defenseman Gabriel Carlsson or forward Christoffer Ehn, neither of whom has played in the tournament yet) to make room for him. The Swedes are dominating the tournament on home ice, going undefeated through six group stage games and recording three consecutive shutouts against Latvia, Slovenia, and France. Sandin previously suited up for them at the 2023 Worlds.
  • Still in Washington, pending UFA center Lars Eller told Sammi Silber of The Hockey News he has every intention to keep playing next season (article link via DC Backcheck). “I’ll definitely keep playing. My body feels good,” Eller said. The 36-year-old Dane was limited to 22 points in 80 games split between the Penguins and Capitals this year, recording under 0.30 points per game for the second time in the last three years. Whether his future is in Washington, elsewhere in the NHL, or in Europe remains to be seen.

Devils’ Jesper Bratt Undergoes Surgery To Address Multi-Season Injury

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The New Jersey Devils lineup is undergoing a wave of tune ups, check ups, and surgeries to get back to full health after the end of their postseason run. For star winger Jesper Bratt, the wave of medical attention has marked a chance to address a shoulder injury that’s plagued him for the last few seasons. General manager Tom Fitzgerald shared with reporters that Bratt has undergone successful shoulder surgery and is expected to return before training camp, per James Nichols of New Jersey Hockey Now. Fitzgerald adds that Bratt chose to get surgery now to help ensure he’s ready for next season and the 2026 Winter Olympics.

The extent of Bratt’s injury, or the pain it caused, isn’t quite clear – but his play on the ice hardly warranted the thought. Bratt has developed into a full superstar for the Devils organization and managed career-highs in scoring in each of the last three seasons. His breakout season came in the 2021-22 campaign, when the top left-winger totaled 26 goals, 47 assists, and 73 points in 76 games. That performance made him just the 30th Devils player to reach 40 assists since 2000 at the time.

Not to be outdone, Bratt matched his 73-point high in 2022-23 – but managed it with 32 goals and 41 assists while playing in all 82 games of the season. That year kicked off a string of unwavering appearances that carried through this season, and Bratt only grew with the nightly appearances. He tallied 27 goals, 56 assists, and 83 points last season; then lapped that total with 21 goals, 67 assists, and 88 points this year. His 67 assists this year mark a franchise record, taking the title from Scott Stevens who recorded 60 points in 1993-94.

It is on the heels of that record-breaking performance that Bratt will take the time to reach full health. He has four years remaining on an eight-year, $63MM contract signed after his repeat 73-point campaign in 2023. With the news that Bratt is expected to reach full health before the season starts, all focus will be on how he can continue to grow on top of a Devils lineup that’s dedicated to change this summer. Bratt’s involvement in the 2026 Olympics will be worth monitoring closely as well. He hasn’t yet joined Team Sweden at the Olympics, though he did appear with the Men’s Team at the 2019 World Championship and 2025 4-Nations Face-Off. Bratt scored four points in nine combined games between the two events.

Team Sweden Announces 2025 World Championship Roster

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Team Sweden has announced their roster for the upcoming 2025 IIHF World Championships. The ’Tre Konor’ will look to finish higher than third place in the international tournament for the first time since 2018.

The team will look similar to the one Sweden brought to the 4 Nations Face-Off in February. Filip Forsberg, Lucas Raymond, and Mika Zibanejad will reprise their roles as Sweden’s top forwards, while Rasmus Andersson and Jonas Brodin will lead the defensive core.

Unfortunately, the team will be without forward William Eklund for the tournament due to offseason wrist surgery. Sweden is expected to announce Eklund’s replacement in the coming days. The rest of Team Sweden’s roster is as follows:

F Mikael Backlund (Flames)
F Anton Bengtsson (Rögle BK)
F Leo Carlsson (Ducks)
F Christoffer Ehn (Linköping HC)
F Filip Forsberg (Predators)
F Max Friberg (Frölunda HC)
F Jesper Frödén (ZSC Lions)
F Marcus Johansson (Wild)
F Elias Lindholm (Bruins)
F Isac Lundeström (Ducks)
F Lucas Raymond (Red Wings)
F Alexander Wennberg (Sharks)
F Mika Zibanejad (Rangers)

D Rasmus Andersson (Flames)
D Jonas Brodin (Wild)
D Gabriel Carlsson (EV Zug)
D Simon Edvinsson (Red Wings)
D Adam Larsson (Kraken)
D Marcus Pettersson (Canucks)

G Samuel Ersson (Flyers)
G Jacob Markström (Devils)
G Arvid Söderblom (Blackhawks)

Sharks’ William Eklund Undergoes Surgery, Will Miss World Championship

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Team Sweden had a scary start to their pre-tournament friendlies ahead of the World Championship, when top forward William Eklund has his wrist cut by a skate blade. Eklund very quickly left the ice and received medical attention. Shortly after, his agent, Todd Diamond, told Sheng Peng of San Jose Hockey News that Eklund was in stable condition and that the cut seemed to avoid any major tendons or nerves. Now, Diamond has also told Peng that Eklund has undergone surgery to address his laceration and will spend the next three months recovering from the procedure. His recovery isn’t expected to interfere with Eklund’s preparation for next season’s training camp – but he will be forced to miss the entirety of the World Championship.

All things considered, Sharks fans can breath a sigh of relief with this news. Eklund’s injury was scary for many reasons, but the budding star should be able to mount a full recovery before his third full NHL season. Eklund was one of the few bright spots on the Stars roster last season, ending the year second on the team in scoring with 58 points in 77 games. He also recorded 41 assists in a full season next to superstar Macklin Celebrini, making Eklund the first Shark to break the 40-assist mark since Tomas Hertl in 2022-23 and Timo Meier in 2021-22. That’s certainly welcome company for the dynamic Eklund, especially as San Jose eyes adding another franchise-definer with a top pick in the 2025 NHL Draft.

This year marked Eklund’s first opportunity to participate with Sweden’s Men’s team on an intercontinental level. Unlike many top prospects, Eklund didn’t get any chance to participate in the World U18 Championship, and only appeared in two World Junior Championship games, due to the COVID-19 Pandemic and an early COVID infection. He’ll now have to wait even longer before he can make an impact on Sweden’s trophy cabinet – though a feature on the World Championship roster, and a 40-assist season in the NHL, should give Eklund a good shot at making the 2026 Winter Olympics roster.

Morning Notes: Marner, Stars, Buium, Lindholm

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The Toronto Maple Leafs were without star winger Mitch Marner at Sunday morning’s practice, as Marner attends to the birth of his first child. He isn’t expected to miss any time, helped along by Toronto’s second round matchup against the Florida Panthers beginning at home on Monday. Marner finally broke through the 100-point glass ceiling this season, scoring a career-high 102 points in 81 games played. He also recorded just 14 penalty minutes – a career-low. Those marks have carried into the postseason, with Marner netting one goal, eight points, and no penalties in six games of the first round. He is notably just under two months away from hitting the open market, unless Toronto can manage an eight-figure contract extension before July 1st. Marner is performing at a top mark at the perfect time – but he’ll have to hold onto the scoring role if Toronto wants to get by a Panthers lineup that averaged the fifth-most goals-per-game in the first round.

Other notes from around the league:

  • Dallas Stars head coach told the media on Sunday that it is still unlikely Jason Robertson or Miro Heiskanen are ready for the start of the second round, per Lia Assimakopoulos of Dallas News. DeBoer did share a glimmer of hope, though, adding that both players should be good to go at some point during round two. The Stars lineup will undeniably improve when they receive their top goal-scorer and top defender back from prolonged injury – an exciting thought to consider after they beat the Colorado Avalanche in a seven-game series. Robertson and Heiskanen – who both have returned to skating at optional practices – will have at least four more games to work their way back into the lineup.
  • Star prospect Zeev Buium only appeared in four games before the Minnesota Wild were eliminated from playoff contention. He performed well in those appearances, netting one assist and four penalty minutes from a depth role, and now faces the a transitional summer as he moves from college to the NHL full-time. Buium hasn’t shared too many details of what the summer will look like, but he did announce that he’ll join Team USA at the World Championship, per Michael Russo of The Athletic. Buium represented his country at the World U18 Championshp in 2023 – netting six points in seven games – and at each of the last two World Juniors – where he combined for 11 points in 14 games. Now, he’ll get to join the Americans at the top flight – stepping onto a blue-line full of young-and-upcoming defensive talent. Buium will fight for a role over Mason Lohrei, Jackson LaCombe, and Michael Kesselring.
  • Speaking of Worlds, the Boston Bruins have shared that centerman Elias Lindholm will join the Team Sweden roster immediately. Lindholm hasn’t played at this tournament since 2019, when he scored six points in eight games. That was Lindholm’s third-consecutive season joining the Swedes at the World Championship. Across the trio of years, he combined for 19 points in 26 games. Lindholm’s only opportunity to represent Sweden since 2020 came earlier this year, when he participated in three games of the 4-Nations Face-Off and managed no scoring. Lindholm totaled 47 points in 82 games of the NHL season, his lowest scoring pace since he recorded 21 points in 58 games as a rookie.

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