2025 NHL Draft: 15 prospects you need to know at the U-18 World Championship

Apr 23, 2025

2025 NHL Draft: 15 prospects you need to know at the U-18 World Championship

Credit: (Steven Ellis/The Nation Network)

The final showcase hockey tournament of the 2025 NHL Draft season is upon us, with 10 teams battling it out in Texas over the next two weeks to determine the winner of the IIHF U-18 World Championship.

The event features many of the top draft prospects from Daily Faceoff’s top 75 draft list published earlier this week. Canada looks to be among the favorites again after beating the United States for gold last year. Sweden and Czechia both look primed to challenge for medals like they did at the 2024 Hlinka Gretzky Cup that kicked off the season back in August. The United States and Finland, meanwhile, are icing weaker rosters than usual, but can never be ignored at an event like this.

The list below is not an exhaustive one. I focused on getting as many teams represented as possible instead of just listing the 15 best players. Of course, we could see other high-end talent join teams throughout the tournament as CHL teams get eliminated.

Also of note: at the time of writing this, Anton Frondell has not been released from his club team. Could he still join Team Sweden? Absolutely. But we might have to be patient there.

Jack Ivankovic, G (Canada)

Ivankovic was absolutely incredible at the Hlinka Gretzky Cup and looked great in his one start at the World Juniors. If it wasn’t for Ivankovic’s small frame, we’d be talking about a potential top 20 pick this year. Ivankovic played his way onto Canada’s World Junior team and looked good in his one start. The athletic keeper does an excellent job of tracking shots and is as competitive as they get in the crease. His save percentage wasn’t great in the OHL, but he’s been left hung out to dry a bit too often this year. More often than not, he’s finding a way to steal a game or two for the Steelheads. Hopefully, an outstanding showing with Canada can show that he can outperform the size concerns.

Jackson Smith, LHD (Canada)

Many consider Smith to be the second-best defensive prospect in the draft, and he’s the best in this tournament, for sure. From an overall package standpoint, Smith has many things going for him. He’s physical, skates so well, and he’s very mobile for a 6-foot-3 defenseman. I also think his hockey sense is excellent, and it’s only a matter of time until he finds a way to explode offensively. I really liked watching him at Canada’s training camp a week ago and I think that competitive nature will allow him to flourish.

Brady Martin, C (Canada)

Martin was one of Canada’s better players at the Hlinka Gretzky Cup thanks to his workhorse nature. Now, I think he’ll play a bigger role with many of Canada’s top players missing out. He hits everyone in sight, constantly battles hard for the puck and is a noted goal-scorer, too. He doesn’t always have top-level players to play with on the Greyhounds, but he does look like one of the best players to come out of the OHL this year because he does so much all over the ice and never gives up on a play. Defenders struggled to contain him in Edmonton and they’ll do the same in Texas.

Radim Mrtka, RHD (Czechia)

Mrtka was outstanding at the Hlinka Gretzky Cup last year and even played in this tournament a year ago. He was more of a depth guy back then – this time, expect him to be the jack of all trades on the blueline. He’s he’s 6-foot-6, a right-hand shot and quite mobile. He adjusted well to the smaller ice in North America this year and it feels like he’s built for it. His gap control is second to none on this Czech team. I could see Mrtka going in the top 10 because there are so many elements to his game that should make him an effective NHL defenseman.

Adam Benák, C (Czechia)

Benák is an absolute workhorse on the U-18 stage, having previously set the Hlinka Gretzky Cup scoring record. Now, he gets his last opportunity to show how he can lead this age group as the Czechs look like serious gold-medal contenders. After a slow start in the USHL, Benák bounced back by putting up more than a point per game in the USHL while being more physically engaged, too. At a tournament like this, small size doesn’t matter. We’ve seen many petite players absolutely dominate. I think his year in the United States should have helped prepare him to maximize his damage on the smaller ice. Let’s see if he can keep the hot play coming and cement himself as a top 60 pick.

Vojtěch Čihař, LW (Czechia)

I’m really excited to see what Čihař can do. From all my viewings, he seems to find teammates with high-danger chances often. He’s quick, crafty and took very little time to adjust to playing against men in the top Czech league this year. I like how hard he works along the boards, although I wish he committed himself in the same way defensively. But that’s a bit nitpicky when you compare it to his results, and his international play has always been exciting. Čihař is always moving and looking to impact every shift – and with the Czechs in medal contention, they’ll need him to.

Patrik Kerkola, G (Finland)

Kerkola was one of the few bright spots from my viewings of the Finns back in August. He battles hard and is fluid in his movements. He played a lot this season with KalPa’s U-20 team and even earned a start in the Finnish Liiga. His overall numbers aren’t special, but he seems to play better the busier he is. Kerkola will need to be near perfect if the Finns are going to make any noise – and maybe he can use it to boost his draft stock.

Max Westergård, LW (Finland)

Born in September, Westergård is one of the youngest prospects in the draft, and he’s not big or strong by any means. But he sure is aggressive – a lot more than people give him credit for. Westergård has solid speed, quick hands, and he’s willing to take shots from difficult angles. I thought he was one of the few Finnish forwards who stood out at the Hlinka, and I fully expect him to be leaned on in Texas. Westergård is a fringe second-round pick who beats players with his skating and hockey smarts, and he consistently has been a threat on Finland’s attack. Let’s see if he can save Finland’s tournament.

Carlos Händel, RHD (Germany)

Händel is going to play close to 25 minutes a night on this subpar German squad. He was the team’s best defender at the World Juniors, showing he isn’t too afraid of older competition. While his role wasn’t as vital in the QMJHL with Halifax, I still liked what I saw. He’s not afraid to get engaged on the rush and is capable of leading a power play, too. Händel produced at half a point per game with Halifax, and I wouldn’t be surprised to see him double that output a year from now. He’s a good project guy to keep track of – someone I think should earn significant second-round consideration.

Michal Svrcek, C/LW (Slovakia)

Svrcek had a solid Hlinka and went on to establish himself as a second-half riser. So much so, in fact, that there are some who think his work ethic will make him a fringe first-rounder. He was one of my final cuts on the top 75 draft list, but I do think he’ll look good at a tournament like this. He’s been good internationally and was a point-per-game player in the Swedish U-20 league. More impressively, though, he showed he could hang in the top Swedish pro league, which isn’t an easy task for a junior-aged player. Let’s see what he does in the spotlight.

Sascha Boumedienne, LHD (Sweden)

Boumedienne made noise after an explosive start to his junior career with the USHL’s Youngstown Phantoms last year. Some of that died down during the Hlinka Gretzky and he ultimately fell out of first-round contention. Still, it’s hard to ignore the potential. He’s strong, skates well and has real skill with the puck. He often played between 18-20 minutes a night in college. The highs are high, the lows are low – he’s a real high-risk, high-reward defender. I really hope he finishes the season off strong.

Jakob Ihs-Wozniak, RW (Sweden)

Ihs-Wozniak has been a polarizing figure this year, and it all started with a below-average showing at the Hlinka Gretzky. Since then, he has spent the past few months pummeling goalies in the Swedish U-20 league and scoring at a high rate with the U-18 national team. From a pure skill level – especially when dealing with his shot – JIW is a first-round talent. He’s streaky, but the goal-scoring instincts are definitely there. He just needs to figure out how to be more consistent if he’s going to excel at the next level. A great end-of-season showing in Texas could do wonders for his draft stock, though.

Milton Gastrin, C (Sweden)

Gastrin has been excellent in Swedish national team action, and I don’t expect anything different in Texas. He has developed into quite a responsible two-way player who rarely makes a poor play. Gastrin will not be a point producer in the NHL, but he will do so many other things that excite you. He’s defensively responsible, wins a ton of faceoffs and can play the wing when you need him to. We’ve seen him play with some of Sweden’s better players in international junior tournaments, and he has never looked out of place. In fact, he’s often the one making life easier for his linemates.

Blake Fiddler, RHD (USA)

Standing tall at 6-foot-4, Fiddler is a big-bodied defender who clears forwards away from his net and pushes opponents to the perimeter. Fiddler is averaging around 22 minutes a night this year and already looks good with the puck. He’s mobile, and while he isn’t the quickest defender overall, he moves well for his size. Fiddler isn’t going to be a top-pairing blueliner, but his size and hockey IQ should allow him to have a solid career. On this USA team, though, look for him to be on the top pairing just like he was at the Hlinka Gretzky.

Cullen Potter, LW (USA)

This is a bit of a homecoming for Potter, who played with the USNTDP U-17 team a year ago. He made the jump to the NCAA, where he played around 20 minutes a night with Arizona State. Scouts were impressed with his play-driving abilities and his improved two-way play, which he worked closely on in college. He’s 5-foot-9, but his pure skill and ability to make things happen with the puck should keep him high in the draft conversation. Overall, I like his commitment to playing in all three zones, and he anticipates plays and gets himself where he needs to be better than most of the draft class. I think the ceiling is higher for Potter than many others around this part of the draft, but he needs to show he can handle the physical challenge.

Other notables: Cameron Schmidt, RW (Canada); Max Psenicka, RHD (Czechia); Luka Radivojevič, RHD (Slovakia); Viktor Klingsell, LW (Sweden); William Moore, C (USA)

SPONSORED BY bet365