<p>The World Junior Championship is one of the best international tournaments of the year – and if your country is involved, and your favorite NHL team has some representatives as well, there are plenty of reasons to keep a close eye on it.</p>



<p>But it’s also one of the better scouting showcases of the year: (Most of) the top U-20 talent, all in one place, no matter their future NHL status. There’s always a focus on the first-year draft eligibles, but they can often find themselves in smaller roles than their older counterparts’.</p>



<p>And that’s why scouts keep a close look at the overage prospects&nbsp;– the 18- and 19-year-olds who have been passed over already at least once but have potentially put themselves back on the table with more development time. In theory, those players are typically a little closer to the pro game, with many having experience throughout top European leagues like the KHL, Liiga or SHL.</p><div class="injected-ad injected-video" data-nn-ad-tech-injection-count="0" data-nn-ad-tech-max-gap="130" data-nn-ad-tech-current-gap="158"></div>



<p>After examining 100 NHL-drafted prospects who stood out in Ottawa over the past few weeks, here’s a look at 10 previously undrafted players who could receive attention from teams in June in time for the 2025 NHL Draft:</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Petteri Rimpinen, G (Finland)</h2>



<p>Rimpinen is the third straight undrafted prospect to take home top goaltender honors at this tournament (<span style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.dailyfaceoff.com/teams/chicago-blackhawks/line-combinations" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Chicago Blackhawks later took Slovakia’s Adam Gajan</a></span> in 2023). In this case, it wasn’t really close – most voters were all in on Rimpinen. He made 37 saves in the opening night loss to Canada before stopping 36 against the Americans in the final – including many high-quality chances in overtime. He made at least 30 saves in every game, with the lone exception being a 28-save shutout against Latvia. The only goalie with a better save percentage than Rimpinen (.933) with at least three starts was Canada’s Carter George at .936. The best news? This wasn’t a flash-in-the-pan example of a goaltender coming out of nowhere. Rimpinen was good against men in the second-tier Mestis last year and has been one of the Finnish Liiga’s top goalies in 2024-25 – a rare achievement for an 18-year-old. Rimpinen is just six-foot, which could hurt him. But he’s been excellent against tough competition all year long, so that might be worth something.</p><div class="injected-ad" data-nn-ad-tech-injection-count="1" data-nn-ad-tech-max-gap="130" data-nn-ad-tech-current-gap="215"></div>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Linards Feldbergs, G (Latvia)</h2>



<p>What a story. The 19-year-old had never been a starter for Latvia in any other game and allowed seven goals on 31 shots in his lone tournament start a year ago. He’s been good in the QMJHL with Sherbrooke, but nobody could have expected the run Feldbergs would go on in Ottawa. It started with a wild 55-save victory in Latvia’s biggest WJC win ever against Canada. It continued with three straight 36-save efforts –&nbsp;including a 4-3 overtime win over Germany. Feldbergs then nearly shocked the world against Sweden, stopping 47 of 50 shots in a 3-2 loss in the quarterfinal. The 6-foot-2 goaltender put on a showing of a lifetime, easily adding his name to Latvian national team lore. It was nice to see him win his first game back to the Q, making 28 saves in a 3-1 victory over the Val-d’Or Foreurs on Wednesday. Could a team take a chance on him? Some scouts want to see more sustained success, but it’s hard to deny just how well he played in Ottawa.</p><div class="injected-ad" data-nn-ad-tech-injection-count="2" data-nn-ad-tech-max-gap="130" data-nn-ad-tech-current-gap="175"></div>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Julius Sumpf, C (Germany)</h2>



<p>Sumpf was the backbone of Germany’s attack, showing up when the tournament mattered the most for them. He had five points in his final two games and seven points total, with his lone point-less showing being the 3-0 loss to Canada (and he was still one of Germany’s top players). In fact, if it wasn’t for his three points in the comeback effort against Kazakhstan, Germany was likely heading back to Division IA. Sumpf led Germany with a <a href="https://hockey.sportcontract.net/platform/competition/55c8c0c9a7a84b636d884402">55.9% Corsi-for percentage</a> and a 1.8 points-per-60 rating. Sumpf is on pace for about 80 points in the QMJHL, and while there isn’t anything truly special in the double-overage prospect, he is a smart, two-way center who can offer decent scoring depth.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Matěj Maštalířský, RW (Czechia)</h2>



<p>Maštalířský scored most of his offense over a two-game span – starting with a hat-trick against Kazakhstan and another two assists against Slovakia. What I liked about him was just how smart he played away from the puck, though. While Eduard Sale was the one doing the scoring and Miroslav Holinka was providing the opportunities, Maštalířský was out there chasing guys down and taking lanes away on the backcheck. He also served as a body block to give his linemates more room to move around. The offensive explosion wasn’t particularly surprising if you’ve seen him play for Czechia before, although he entered the tournament with just one assist in 23 pro games this year. Will he get drafted as a 19-year-old? I’m not sure he brings enough to the table, but he played his role well en route to a bronze medal.</p><div class="injected-ad" data-nn-ad-tech-injection-count="3" data-nn-ad-tech-max-gap="130" data-nn-ad-tech-current-gap="262"></div>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Tomáš Galvas, D (Czechia)</h2>



<p>With Dominik Badinka not named to the roster, Galvas was given some tough assignments this year. He played around 20 minutes a night, often going up against the top lines that Sweden, Canada or USA sent their way. He had four assists, including two in a 5-1 victory over Switzerland. But from there, it felt like some of the most controlled, smart hockey we’ve seen from him over the past few years. Galvas is a skilled, mobile, two-way defender who has played well enough this year to potentially make it as a second-year eligible, but his 5-foot-10 frame isn’t ideal.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">David Granberg, C (Sweden)</h2>



<p>Granberg is the nephew of former NHLer Mikael Renberg, so you know he has some decent pedigree. The World Juniors served as Granberg’s first major international showing, and he delivered with six points in his first three games despite playing around 11 minutes a night. His ice time improved as the tournament wore on, but he never found the back of the net again. Instead, he had a solid <a href="https://hockey.sportcontract.net/platform/competition/55c8c0c9a7a84b636d884402">59.3 Corsi-for percentage</a> and proved difficult to match up against. He’s so agile, is an excellent skater and isn’t afraid to push opponents around.</p><div class="injected-ad" data-nn-ad-tech-injection-count="4" data-nn-ad-tech-max-gap="130" data-nn-ad-tech-current-gap="193"></div>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Benjamin Rautiainen, RW (Finland)</h2>



<p>Rautiainen turned some heads in Finland while playing a top-six role. He had four points in seven games, but it was his offensive reads and speed that really stood out. He isn’t a play driver, but he’ll chase you down all game long to try and get the puck back and can be a general nuisance. Rautiainen isn’t big or particularly strong, but he makes up for it with good hockey IQ. Some scouts wonder if he had a good tournament solely because he’s a 19-year-old – and it’s a fair argument, given Rautiainen isn’t a standout prospect in any particular category. But he at least made himself noticeable without the puck, which is a good thing.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Arttu Alasiurua, RW (Finland)</h2>



<p>I thought Alasiurua was one of the most noticeable fourth-liners in the tournament. He scored goals against Germany and USA in the round-robin and had points against Sweden and USA in the medal round. He never really played a lot – he only broke past the 12-minute mark twice – but he was productive, skated really well and didn’t seem to struggle against more skilled competition. He’s been a quality contributor to the Finnish U-20 team all season long, but this felt like the best hockey we’ve seen from him. You love players who can slot into any role and bring results, and his speed and defensive play were good enough for him to stand out on most shifts.</p><div class="injected-ad" data-nn-ad-tech-injection-count="5" data-nn-ad-tech-max-gap="130" data-nn-ad-tech-current-gap="236"></div>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Beibarys Orazov, D (Kazakhstan)</h2>



<p>Orazov played more than 21 minutes in every game, which wasn’t surprising given he’s an everyday player in the KHL already at 19. Orazov had assists in his the first two games as the Kazakhs got blown out and tallied another two against Switzerland and Germany to close things out. Defensively, Orazov played all situations and was easily Kazakhstan’s best blueliner from start to finish. But he also led the way with nine shots in the relegation game against Germany –&nbsp;more than he tallied the rest of the tournament combined. I don’t think Orazov gets drafted, but he’s still a promising figure for a national team program that hasn’t developed many quality youngsters in recent years.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Eric Schneller, D (Switzerland)</h2>



<p>Schneller never played more than 18 minutes in a game, but I liked what I saw. He’s a decent offensive contributor who uses his mobility to get himself into more dangerous scoring opportunities. Defensively, he’s better than he was back at the U-18 World Championship two years ago – although there’s still room for improvement. He took a ton of shots and was a big reason why Switzerland edged out Kazakhstan in the game to decide who ended up in the relegation round thanks to a two-assist effort.</p><div class="injected-ad" data-nn-ad-tech-injection-count="6" data-nn-ad-tech-max-gap="130" data-nn-ad-tech-current-gap="204"></div>



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