EDMONTON – The first major event of the 2025 NHL Draft season is complete.

Canada won its 25th Hlinka Gretzky Cup—and third in a row—after beating Czechia 2-1 at Rogers Place in Edmonton on Saturday. This is the one U-18 tournament where Canada sends its best players, and it paid off in a big way, winning every single game in the five-day tournament.

The hockey at the Hlinka Gretzky Cup is always a mixed bag. But what it really serves is a chance for scouts to get their first real look at these players up close in their draft year and get a read on as many players as possible. Major decisions on these kids won’t be made by teams in August, but starting off with a good first impression can go a long way to making sure you’re selected in the NHL Draft in June.

I attended just about every game in the tournament, missing just a few in the smaller community rink along the way. While some of the games were hard to watch, this event is special because it gets the whole scouting community to pay close attention. NHL scouting departments would have taken notes on just about every player they saw, helping them put together a list of guys they plan on watching throughout the year.

And so did I. I put together reports on well over 100 players eligible for the 2025 NHL Draft. Some players who don’t appear here either played very minimal roles or I didn’t see enough to compile much information on them. For teams like Germany and Switzerland, I focused on the players with a realsitic chance of being selected this year since most won’t.

So, let’s get started:

Canada

#31 Lucas Beckman, G: While it was always Ivankovic’s net to lose, Beckman was excellent in the third period against the Slovaks. He was tracking pucks so well, especially up high. I like his athleticism and how he challenges shooters on the rush. There wasn’t much he could have done on that goal against, but I thought he was actually one of Canada’s better players that day.

#1 Jack Ivankovic, G: If the tournament had a traditional MVP system, I think Ivankovic would have gotten the majority of the votes. Canada probably would have lost to Sweden in the preliminary round if it hadn’t been for Ivankovic. And then in the medal round, he was lights out as he looked as dialed in as anyone. I love watching him play. Ivankovic isn’t big, but he’s one of the most talented goaltenders in the 2025 NHL Draft and deserves a serious shot at being Brampton’s No. 1 in the NHL. He doesn’t let his smaller frame bother him – Ivankovic has the mobility you want from any star goalie prospect.

#10 Quinn Beauchesne, D: Beauchesne has quite a bit of skill out there. He made some creative plays with the puck and was crafty in his own zone while getting chased around. He plays with an edge that you like to see and his three-point opener against Switzerland was probably the best game I’ve ever seen from him offensively. The Guelph Storm defender could be a breakout candidate this year after a quiet rookie campaign that saw him miss over two months of hockey action due to an injury.

#6 Reese Hamilton, D: Man, Hamilton can skate. He’s not big, but he makes up for that with pure mobility and two-way play. I thought he was one of Canada’s better defenders, playing with pace and smarts. An extra on Canada’s U-18 World Championship team last year, Hamilton played a variety of different roles on this team and looked solid. I can’t wait to see him do even more.

#5 Matthew Schaefer, D: Schaefer was one of the best players in the tournament, no question about it. From the ways he generated offense from the point or the rush, he was almost always the most skilled player on the ice at any given time. He scored twice in the opener and then remained a steady presence throughout the rest of the tournament, helping to show why he’s projected to be the first defenseman taken in 2025.

#12 Alex Huang, D: Huang had a very good tournament, and while it’s been quieter than, say, Schaefer, I think he’s proven at this tournament what he can do with a lot of ice time and the puck on his stick. He got better with every passing game, and I like how how aggressive he was willing to get despite not being too big. Huang plays a good two-way game and might be one of the more skilled defenders in this draft; I’m excited to follow his progress.

#4 Peyton Kettles, D: Kettles had a quiet tournament, playing deeper in the lineup. But it’s hard to miss a guy who can move as well as he does at 6-foot-4. I think he really needs to calm down with the puck to help prevent some of the bad giveaways he’s prone to but there’s some raw talent here.

#19 Cameron Reid, D: Reid is an excellent skater who likes to rush the puck up the ice and isn’t afraid to shoot from the point. It’s not a great shot by any means, but he can get it in a spot where someone else can pick it up and make it happen. Reid doesn’t get flustered too much and seems engaged at both ends of the ice, although I wish he used his quick footwork to cut off angles more. Still, a good showing for someone who shouldn’t have to wait too long on Day 2 to hear his name.

#3 Jackson Smith, D: This was an excellent tournament for Smith, who matched up against Sweden’s top players in the final round-robin game and helped establish himself as one of Canada’s best players. He started as the seventh defender but kept seeing his ice time and opportunities improve, especially late in games. I think Smith is a sure bet to go in the first round for his size and mobility, and he’s got some good flashes of skill, too. His teammates really like him.

#29 Braeden Cootes, C: An undisciplined spearing penalty knocked him out until the final day, which was a bad look for the center. Cootes was productive as a rookie with Seattle and was a big part of Canada Red’s effort at the U-17s. Taking a penalty like that in an otherwise quiet showing won’t help him. When he did play, Cootes brought speed and energy and did a good job of forcing giveaways.

#21 Ethan Czata, LW: If Czata is drafted, it’s to be a center who’s committed to being defensively responsible. He played the wing here, but that’s exactly what he did. Offense wasn’t on his mind, but taking away scoring lanes and getting the stick where he needs it was what he did the best. Czata also has quick acceleration to help him win battles, especially from a stopped state.

#27 Caleb Desnoyers, C: After entering the tournament as one of the better Canadian players, I was expecting a bit more offensively from him, especially in the round-robin. The good news is that he still played well enough without the puck to get excited. His speed and skill allowed him to contain the puck on the rush and get it where he needed to be, but he also did a good job of attacking the forecheck and committing defensively.

#17 Emile Guite, LW: After an explosive showing at the U-17s last year, Guite was one of Canada’s best players yet again. He’s so good in open space and is lethal on the power play. The 6-foot-1 might not be the most well-rounded player, but you’re guaranteed to see him do something electrifying at least once every night. Guite has one of the better shots out of the QMJHL, and I think teams will be interested in how well he takes advantage of scoring lanes.

#18 Tyler Hopkins, C: Hopkins is a tremendous skater who moves as we as just about anyone. He’s mainly good as a straight-line skater but he also has the hands to turn rushes into legitimate scoring opportunities. Czata isn’t a physical defender but he’s rounded well enough at this age to get scouts to notice him.

#24 Liam Kilfoil, LW: Kilfoil was a sneaky good player for the Canadians, doing so much all the time. The Halifax Mooseheads forward had a pair of assists early in the tournament, but he was also a penalty-killer and a reliable defensive option for them. A few of his Canadian teammates called him the most underrated player on this team.

#22 Benjamin Kindel, RW: Kindel had a huge WHL rookie season with the Calgary Hitmen so I was excited to see him here. He’s another one of those guys that I thought looked more confident as the tournament wore on, scoring against Sweden and helping set up a goal against the Americans. Kindel is a good skater, and he’s a better shooter than a setup guy. Still, you see the potential there.

#16 Brady Martin, RW: Even though Martin mostly played deep in the lineup, I loved how much energy and skill he brought to the fourth line. He’s a talented forward that can do a lot for a team, but didn’t get to prove himself in the OHL last year due to an injury. I expect a big year from him with the Greyhounds if he keeps moving and attacking the play like he does. Even if he doesn’t make it to the NHL as a point producer, he’s got the mobility and tenacity you want from someone who makes themselves difficult to play against.

#14 Jake O’Brien, RW: O’Brien had a quiet tournament compared to what most people expected. He didn’t get a single point in the preliminary round, and, honestly, I had to find myself looking for him. It felt like the U-17 World Challenge last year where he had just one point in seven games; you know he’s got the talent, but it just wasn’t showing up on the scoresheet.

#20 Cole Reschny, C: Reschny can be hot and cold at times; his five-point opener against Switzerland was definitely on the hotter side. It marked one of the most dominant performances of the entire tournament, and then he followed it up with a nice showing against the Swedes. I did want to see more from him when he moved to the top line with Gavin McKenna, but I like how he displays his skill around the net and is willing to get in close and battle hard to make a scoring play happen.

#26 Luca Romano, RW: He’s a bugger out there. Romano isn’t afraid of getting chippy, and his energy helped lead to a two-goal game against Slovakia. Hopefully that sparks a big season for the winger because he’s got skill, but the results didn’t really prove that last year. I think his backward skating still needs work.

#23 Cameron Schmidt, RW: At 5-foot-8, Schmidt isn’t big, but he’s got the skill to be a potential first-rounder. He battles hard and can make some noise in front of the net because he doesn’t let defenders push him around easily. Right spot, right time – that’s his thing. We’ll see what NHL scouts think next June because there’s no shortage of skill there.

Czechia

#1 Ondrej Stebetak, G: Stebetak is one of the best European-based goaltenders for the draft and I expect him to go high. He made so many big saves, especially in that game against Czechia after allowing a bad one from far away. Stebetak reads cross-ice passes as well as anyone in this group, although it seems like he had more difficulty dealing with shots from farther away. From an overall standpoint, though, this was a good tournament for a goaltender boasting a modest 6-foot-2 frame.

#2 Michal Orsulak, G: The 6-foot-4 keeper commands the net, and he makes it difficult to find angles on him. The Germans still managed to do it three times in his only showing, but I still see promise there given how well he moves in the crease. I noticed Orsulak goes down early a little too much, so he needs to use his bigger stature to his advantage more often.

#5 Radim Mrtka, D: I really liked Mrtka’s tourney. He’s big, strong, smart, and proved he could shut down just about anyone. I thought he was at his best against the Americans, keeping the team’s top line away from the net. He’s not too flashy overall, but he made some nice moves with the puck that showed he is no slouch when it comes to 1-on-1 situations as the aggressor. I think he’s going to be a reliable, shutdown defender in the NHL.

#17 Adam Benak, C: It was easy to tell why he owns the all-time scoring record at this tournament. He’s so quick, has excellent hands and can put a ton of power behind his shot for a smaller player. No forward was as good as Benak consistently, with the 5-foot-7 forward carrying this team’s offense more often than not. He needs to figure out how to beat everyone with his speed at the next level if he’s not going to grow, but he might be one of the smaller players who makes it work. With the puck, he was in the zone, performing at the best level I’ve seen from him.

#15 Tomas Poletin, RW: Poletin isn’t big, but he’s strong. He likes to push players around the net and makes things happen after winning close battles. He was one of Czechia’s best skaters with quick footwork and mobility, and he can play well at that pace, too. Poletin’s offensive game can be a bit too basic at times, but he has an accurate shot and drives the net hard. I could see him being a mid-to-late pick.

#22 Vojtech Cihar, LW: I thought Cihar made plenty of smart passes in this tournament. Whether under pressure or all alone in space, Cihar seemed to find teammates in high-danger chances open. I like how hard he works along the boards, although I wish he committed himself in the same way defensively. Still, an excellent tourney for him.

#8 Vit Zahejsky, C: I like Zahejsky, who mainly played as the No. 2 center behind Adam Benak. That proved to be a lineup-matching issue for other teams, especially for the Finns because Zahejsky was so smooth and difficult to beat at both ends of the ice. He didn’t generate a ton of great scoring chances but he didn’t lose a lot of individual efforts, either.

#25 Matej Pekar, RW: I’ve liked a lot of what I’ve seen from Pekar in the past. Last week felt like a letdown. He played in the bottom six and I can’t say I noticed him in any meaningful way. After scoring 45 points in 27 U-17 games last year, he just didn’t do much of anything this time. He struggles when the game gets physical and can’t beat stronger, faster defensemen like he used to.

#21 David Hruby, LW: Hruby plays with power and speed, with his skating being the best aspect of his game. He uses his speed to get him into scoring lanes and he can overpower players for the puck every now and then. If you’re moving slowly around him, Hruby will take advantage because he wants the puck back in his posession.

#10 Dominik Pavlik, C: As a third-line center, Pavlik was one of my biggest standouts. He’s a two-way forward who isn’t huge, but has muscle and isn’t afraid to push players around to get to where he needs to be. He’s quick, attacks on the forecheck and is quite creative, too. I think it helps that he’s a good penalty killer, too, and he’s always willing to throw his body in the way to make a block. I can see Pavlik getting serious consideration at the draft.

#9 David Rozsival, RW: Rozsival was one of the better Czech players earlier on, but then I stopped noticing him as much. The nephew of former NHLer Michal Rozsival, David is quick and shows flashes of skill. Consistency and lapses in work ethic were issues for him, but I think he at least did a good job of cleanly getting the puck in the zone and pressuring defenders to make quicker moves near the faceoff dots.

#28 Robin Svancara, LW: Svancara didn’t play much as the 13th forward, but he’s a 6-foot-3 forward with some decent skill. He scored a nice goal to make it 3-0 against the Finns and that was about it, but I thought that game, in particular, was a good showing. He’s the type of player teams will take a chance on in the bottom six because he’s strong, smart, and has an excellent shot.

#29 Simon Fasner, C: Fasner is small so he needs to figure out other ways to be effective. Last year, I liked how he was deceptive with his speed to lure players in and then beat them to the side. This year, he can’t do that as easy as everyone has caught up, and Fasner is still too much of a perimeter player.

#26 Viktor Samal, RW: Samal is mostly just an energy forward out there and he did his job. It was a good effort that led to him scoring the empty-netter against Sweden because he’s always trying to push the issue near the blueline. He’s quite small, though, and needs a bit more of an explosive step to be more effective.

#13 Matous Kucharcik, RW: I think the area Kucharcik was best at was playing through the neutral zone, getting the puck to someone on the rush and then putting himself into a lane to score. He’s not particularly good at much else, and I’m not sure he’s a finisher, either. I think his defensive game is particularly poor, too. So we’ll see what happens but I can’t say I’ve been too impressed with him the past two years after making a decent first impression at the U-16 level in 2023.

Finland

#1 Patrik Kerkola, G: The good news? Kerkola kept the Finns in it every game, tracking shots well and showing good mobility. He was good against the Germans and was one of the only reasons why the Finns weren’t embarrassed against the United States. This isn’t a good Finnish team, so he’s going to be busy all season long in international play, but he’s used to that by now.

#30 Jooa Sammalniemi, G: Sammalniemi’s looked fine in the first half in his lone start against the Czechs but he then stopped tracking pucks well and allowed four goals on 19 shots. The team in front of him was a disaster, but Sammalniemi just didn’t seem tor eact quick enough, either. I had similar thoughts about him at the U-17s last year.

#9 Lasse Boelius, D: Boelius isn’t a big defender, so he needs to make up for it with his skating, and I think he’s fine at that. He played in all situations for the Finns and didn’t make many mistakes, but he didn’t really push the needle much, either. He’ll have a hard time proving himself with his lack of pure strength, though.

#3 Jesper Kotajarvi, D: The first thing I noticed about Kotajarvi was his powerful shot – when it hit the boards, you felt it. But he needs to learn to pick his battles on when to use it, and needs to stop pinching in as much as he does and try and play a more stable game. I do think he has some raw talents, and his mobility and offensive awareness both stand out. But being a smaller defender doesn’t help and he’s still quite raw.

#5 Veeti Ruotsalainen, D: Ruotsalainen is a small defender, but he had some of the best skating (speed and mobility) of anyone on the Finnish blueline. With the puck, there wasn’t much going for him, but he battles hard to win battles and used his speed to win puck races. Ruotsalainen’s 5-foot-10 frame will make it difficult to see him get drafted but I think he can be a decent player at this level, at least.

#4 Aaron Paju, D: Paju has some good size and is strong defensively, but I felt like he was overmatched throughout most of the tournament. He didn’t have the backwards skating required to get him around the ice quickly, but he does have good enough acceleration to help him win races in tight. I wish he’d throw the body more, but I don’t think he’s physically strong enough.

#7 Ossi Sippola, D: Sippola was surprisingly aggressive for 5-foot-10, but that’s because he’s strong is willing to tangle with anyone out there. Defensively, though, he seemed out of position a lot. I don’t think he’ll get drafted.

#21 Max Westergard, LW: Westergard was my favorite player on the Finnish side. Born in September, he’s one of the youngest prospects in the draft, and he’s on the smaller side at 5-foot-10 and just over 150 pounds. That shows up in the physical side of the game but he’s got good speed, hands and he’s willing to take shots from difficult angles, if they aren’t the most effective.

#16 Jasu Mensonen, C: I didn’t mind Mensonen’s tournament. The 5-foot-10 forward struggled in physical battles and only had one assist to his credit, but I thought he actually grinded hard and drew defenders toward him and away from his linemates, allowing him to set them up a bit easier. His trademark play seems to be to speed up, slow down, be patient and then get the puck where it needs to be.

#18 Jere Somervuori, RW: Somervuori was impressive last year and was yet again one of Finland’s best players. He had two points, which, by the Finns’ standards at this tournament, is pretty good. He also was just solid defensively, coming back on every rush and giving his teammates some help. I think he’s a decent two-way player that, with a good year with HIFK, could help him get drafted later on.

#11 Rasmus Kamarainen, LW: Watching Kamarainen, you see a guy who clearly knows how to handle the puck and make things happen. Except… things just didn’t happen. He has a good shot, but he kept passing it away. He’s competitive, but only when he wants to be. Just put it altogether, dude!

#10 Atte Joki, C: If there’s one thing that Joki brought to the table, it was energy. It was his tremendous effort to get the puck to the front of the net that led to Finland’s only goal in their final preliminary game, and it was not the first time he’s been seen fighting past multiple defenders to create a scoring chance. Joki might not be high on anyone’s radar, but I like how hard he works to generate a chance, even when he’s outnumbered. I’m glad he finished with a four-point finale because he was excellent.

#22 Matias Vanhanen, LW: As a September kid, Vanhanen is one of the youngest draft-eligible prospects – and he was one of Finland’s best. I didn’t notice him early but he came alive in the final two games with two goals and three points. He started to drive the net more, play on the power play and he showcased a powerful shot that seemed to be lacking early on.

#29 Aapo Vanninen, C: Vanninen is a decent playmaker who doesn’t get flustered under pressure. He was one of the better players in that one game against the Americans that ultimately sealed the team’s fate, making a couple of good burst plays to beat USA’s bigger defenders. I think he’ll get drafted, but I need to see him build a better two-way game because he got beat a lot in his own zone.

#12 Aapo Katavisto, RW: Katavisto has speed and loves to be annoying because of how much he attacks defenders and strips them of the puck. But then, when he gets it, it’s like he forgets what to do. I think he’s best as a net-front forward, and while he’s not big, he’s slippery. I do think his defensive play is a major hindrance for him, and he doesn’t have a good enough shot to be much of a scorer, either.

#19 Benjamin Strömberg, C: Strömberg was mostly invisible out there beyond a few good defensive plays. He’s strong and can battle hard along the boards but the hands aren’t there and neither is the positioning most nights.

#13 Rasmus Baggström, RW: Baggström is a big, powerful forward who lacks the footspeed to play up higher in the lineup, but that’s not really his game. He’s there to push guys around and get physical and make it difficult for you to gain entry into the zone. I think he’s good there, but he needs to add much more speed to show he’s more than just a big body because the next level won’t make it easy for him.

Germany

#1 Aaron Kaiser, G: Kaiser had a rough go in both goings, but did save 40 shots in a game against the Czechs where he had to deal with way too many high-danger opportunities. But as a mid-sized goaltender, I didn’t see anything about the way he moved or covered angles that makes me think he’ll be taken in the draft this year. Just an average goalie at best that lacks pure footspeed.

#30 Lukas Stuhrmann, G: It wasn’t easy being a German keeper at this tournament and Stuhrmann didn’t do himself many favors. He really struggled with blocker-side shots and misread too many plays for my liking.

#7 Carlos Handel, D: Handel was one of the top German players heading into the tournament, but by the end, it felt like he had nothing left in the tank. He played heavy minutes and had to deal with quite a bit of pressure every single game, but he ran out of

#11 Max Bleicher, D: I thought Bleicher was easily Germany’s play. He puts a lot of attention to detail in his game, always watching the puck and holding his own positionally. If he gets beat, he regroups and finds a new man to take so that he’s still trying to get something done in his own zone. He played on a bad German team last year so he’s used to having to move a lot in his zone, and I think that if he can limit the times he’s caught snoozing at the other blueline on a reverse rush, he can be a solid DEL defenseman.

#22 David Lewandowski, RW: Lewandowski isn’t a great skater, but he knows how to take advantage of open space. And if you’re not going to be a speedster, you need that. The Saskatoon Blades draft pick seemed to be in a scoring lane more often than not when the Germans had possession in the offensive zone and I like that he’s willing to get creative when he knows he can’t beat players with his (lack of) speed.

#19 Dustin Willhoft, LW: Willhoft is a skilled player with quick hands and nice footwork. One of the better German forwards, he plays his game in a way where he’s hustling all the time and it’s up to you to slow him down. Sometimes, he outworks himself and plays will fall apart, but his athleticism was the first thing that really stood out to him about me.

#23 Max Ziergiebel, C: Ziergiebel showed the ability to get crafty and deceptive with the puck, and he finally was rewarded with a goal in the final game against the Germans. He’s quick and agile on his skates and battles hard at both ends and it felt like he was the one driving his line quite often. Ziergiebel is a competitor, that’s for sure.

#28 Gustavs Griva, C: I thought Griva was Germany’s best player. It helps he had such good chemistry with his twin, Rihards, but it was Gustavs that was driving the play. I’m not sure he’s going to be an NHL Draft pick but I liked his energy and how creative he was as a passer. He needs to add muscle though if he’s going to be more impactful.

#27 Rihards Griva, RW: Rihards was excellent in that opening game against the Finns, scoring a goal and an assist and totalling eight shots. It was the bulk of his production, but he was good against the Czechs and then capped it off with a goal against the Slovaks. I think he looked decent, all things considered – even in that blowout against the United States where almost half his ice time came on the power play in the third period.

Slovakia

#2 Michal Pradel, G: Pradel was, in my opinion, Slovakia’s best player. He was great in the first game against Sweden, making 42 stops before saving 38 on Canada. In both games, Slovakia was heavily outclassed but Pradel was there to keep things close with his quick leg work. At 6-foot-5, he’s definitely a goalie prospect worth keeping a close eye on, and I think the stats will look misleading for just how good he was. Pradel was dialed in the whole time.

#6 Michal Capos, D: Capos never stops moving, and definitely doesn’t want to lose. He’s a competitive defender who never leaves anything on the table, even if he sometimes gets too overconfident in his positioning. I think he’s a smart defender who reads his zone well and never tries to get too fancy rushing the puck, and he’s probably bruised right now with all the blocked shots he dealt with.

#23 Adrian Raska, D: Born in Czechia, this was Raska’s first time representing the Slovak national team. He’s a tough customer that liked to land the body in close and pin players along the boards. But beyond the physicality, I didn’t see a whole lot there.

#27 Patrik Rusznyak, D: It’s hard to miss him out there because he’s 6-foot-4, but he’s not overly strong despite that. In fact, I’d say he needs to add some significant muscle because I saw him get pushed around by players 5-6 inches smaller than him. But as a shutdown defenseman, he’s fine. He doesn’t have the puck much but he killed penalties and got in the way with his long reach.

#7 Michal Tkac, D: Serving as Slovakia’s seventh defender, Tkac didn’t play too much. I’ve seen him play at the U-17 level and when you give him freedom to control the puck and make plays, he can be good. But he’s not quick enough to play higher in the lineup.

#16 Tomas Tomaskoic, D: Tomaskovic is an interesting player, to say the least. He’s a small, puck-moving defender who looked like one of the better outlet passers on the team and I thought his skating was great. Beyond that, though? I don’t see much of a prospect here. Tomaskoic rarely put much power behind his shot and was prone to bad giveaways under pressure. That being said, his mobility is solid and if he can add some muscle, I think his defensive game is good enough to keep him as a potential draft pick.

#20 Patryk Zubek, D: I noticed Zubek right from the get-go – his size, mobility and puck play intrigued me. I thought he was best against Sweden where they used him in all situations and against Sweden’s top players. If Zubek can have a big offensive year back home, I could see a team being really intrigued in his potential because teams can use a 6-foot-3 defender with his hockey IQ.

#26 Jan Chovan, C: Chovan was the guy I wanted to see the most for the Slovaks, and I think he ended strong with a nice two-point effort against the Germans. He was never Slovakia’s best player, but he’s a detailed oriented player who can win faceoffs and play all situations. I felt like I noticed him more at this tournament a year ago, though. It was still productive, and I know he can be a leader on this team. Look for him to have a good year internationally as he gets more comfortable being a top-line player.

#18 Martin Kalis, C: Kalis’ job was to try and shut guys down, and he had mixed results. I’m not sure he’s fast enough to be effective, but he at least tries to get himself into a position to take the puck away from you.

#11 Alex Misiak, LW: While Misiak didn’t do a whole lot – and he’s small – I thought he was energetic and made defenders make quicker decisions with the puck. I’ve seen him be productive internationally in the past so I was disappointed to see him mainly there in an energy role, but he can definitely skate and there’s some potential for him to play a bigger role as the seasons wears on.

#14 Samuel Murin, RW: Murin blended speed and puck skills on Slovakia’s third line, but he never seemed to do much around the net when it mattered. It was hard to get a good read on him shift to shift because his work ethic was all over the place.

#9 Adam Salon, C: Salon mostly dealt with the defensive assignments for Germany, and was fine. Nothing egregious on the ice – he just keeps things simple, and that’s about it.

#15 Andreas Straka, RW: I appreciate how much Straka wants the puck. He tends to have it more than anyone on his line, and while it resulted in a bad giveaway at one point, Straka wants to get thigns done with the puck as often as possible. Players like that are useful in the NHL.

#10 Michal Svrcek, LW: Svrcek loved the puck on his stick and showed nice flashes of skill. I thought he was the best player against the Germans as he kept the pressure on in the zone and used the space available to make things happen. I didn’t notice him much early on, but I thought he was fine enough near the end.

#25 Lukas Tomka, LW: Tomka showed some nice speed and landed at least one big hit a game. He’s 6-foot-1 but plays a nice power forward game and was often the one working the hardest on Slovakia’s fourth line.

Sweden

#30 Love Harenstam, G: Harenstam found himself chasing pucks quite a bit late in the first game and had a quiet showing against Switzerland. From a pure, raw talent perspective, I like Harenstam’s athleticism. But it’s just not refined yet, and it can get him into trouble too often. But his glove hand and his sightlines through traffic, even as a mid-sized goaltender, are solid right now. I’m happy he saved his best game for last, helping Sweden win bronze with an excellent effort.

#1 Isak Sorqvist, G: Sorqvist’s lone start came in the game against Canada, which gave him an actual opportunity to be fairly evaluated instead of having him stand around against the Swiss. I thought he looked solid, moving well laterally from post-to-post. He’s not big, but he’s got enough quickness to give him a chance of most opportunities. He does struggle with screens, though.

#2 Hugo Hallin, D: Hallin is more of an offensive defender, which you need to be if you’re 5-foot-8. But I do like how well he reads plays and seems to always be involved in some way when he’s on the ice. Beyond a lack of muscle, there isn’t much that really stands out as a flaw here. Hallin can skate, shoot and is as competitive as heck, but he gets pushed around way too easily by mid-sized players.

#3 Oliwer Sjostrom, D: Sjostrom was quite good in the first game against the Slovaks, but I didn’t notice him as much down the stretch. He has a good shot and likes to use it, but his hockey IQ could use some work so he isn’t just firing it into space.

#6 Sascha Boumedienne, D: So much skill, man. When Boumedienne has the puck, he means business, and was the anchor of the team’s power play. I’ve seen him do some incredible stuff. But I’ve also seen him try and do way too much and get caught out as a result, and that was the case here for Boumedienne. He was even benched against Canada, which, given top spot in the group was on the line, says something. I want to see him use his teammates more than he does.

#6 Malte Vass, D: I was impressed with Vass’ physicality. He can be mean, take space away and play shutdown defense. That’s pretty much it, but he’s good at it.

#9 Zeb Lindgren, D: And the same goes for Lindgren. You’re not going to mistake him for an offensive wizard but at 6-foot-2, he’s mobile and gets in the way. That’s all you need sometimes.

#7 Joe Wahlund, D: Wahlund is a passionate player who wants to do whatever it takes to win. At this tournament, though, I felt he didn’t engage too much on the rush, but that’s because he was the more reserved option compared to the high-flying efforts of Sascha Boumedienne. And that’s fine, you need that. I thought he had a good active stick and rarely was out of position in front of his net.

#18 Arvid Drott, RW: Drott is a power forward who brings a lot of speed to the table. He only had one assist but I thought he did a good job of nudging guys off the puck along the boards and push guys away from the crease. He has shown flashes of skill and was productive in the Swedish U-18 league – and received good reviews from his limited U-20 action last year – so I’ll keep a close eye on him because there’s a chance he could go in the upper half of the draft.

#20 Eddie Genborg, RW: Genborg was on Sweden’s first line, although it acted more as a checking unit. He wants to hit everyone in sight – period. I don’t see much offensive potential but he’s hard to play against, and that’s good. He became a favorite of mine later in the tournament because while he didn’t do much with the puck, he did a lot without it – and scouts notice things like that.

#22 Milton Gastrin, LW: Gastrin was a man on a mission in that game against Switzerland, registering seven points alongside 2026 prospect Ivar Stenberg. Gastrin is a strong center who wins a lot of faceoffs and then muscles players off the puck if he doesn’t. I love how heads-up he is all the time dishing the puck out and how consistently effective he was almost every single game. I expect Gastrin to be a first-round pick because he can physically overpower players and has the skill to do so much.

#28 Gustav Hillström, C: Hillström is a two-way center who focuses more on his defensive awareness. And to his credit, he’s really good there – he always has someone in his sights and doesn’t get beat often in front of the net. I’d like to see him get more engaged offensively and use the hockey IQ he has to read attackers in his own zone to reverse engineer it and be more active in the other zone, but that’s just not his game right now.

#11 Jakob Ihs-Wozniak, RW: For someone so many were excited about, I didn’t like Ihs Wozniak’s tournament. I felt like I needed to specifically seek him out on the ice, which, on a team where expectations for him were high, wasn’t ideal. Ihs Wozniak improved in the medal round, but it still felt like he was a far step down from viewings from previous events. Sometimes, you just have a bad week – and I assume that’s all it really is for a guy with his talent level. The talent is there; the execution isn’t.

#25 Viktor Klingsell, LW: Klingsell, meanwhile, was one of Sweden’s better players. He had some of the best vision of anyone in this tournament, finding his teammates so quickly and often. Two explosive games to start the tournament obviously helped his statline, registering 10 points in those two games, but he has legitimately been one of Sweden’s most efficient producers at this age group for a few years now. I can’t wait to see what he does in a full season of Swedish U-20 hockey.

#26 Eric Nilson, C: The son of former NHLer Marcus Nilson, Eric had over a point per game with the U-17 team last year and was quiet early… until the end. Nilson had three goals and an assist The two-way forward does make himself in other ways; most notably, he’s physical and always engaged in the play, chasing guys down whenever he doesn’t have the puck. He was also the guy that multiple Swedish players considered to be one of the more underrated players on their team. Nilson is a multi-faceted forward with mid-round potential and I can’t wait to keep watching.

Switzerland

#1 Matia Birchler, G: Birchler had quite the “welcome to the tournament” moment by facing 50 shots in his first game against Canada. He looked good early before everything fell off the rails and Switzerland lost 10-0. He had the night off against Sweden before giving the best individual goaltending effort from any of Switzerland’s keepers on Aug. 7, stopping 41 shots against Slovakia to keep the team in the hunt during their comeback effort. Birchler is 6-foot-5, so I’ll keep a close eye on him, especially since this tournament wasn’t a good way of judging if he was competent or not.

#11 Mike Aeschlimann, LW: There weren’t many forwards who looked interested enough out there, or they looked too nervous to actually make any plays. Aeschlimann was different. He tried his butt off every time he hit the ice, and I thought he did a lot to prove to the coaching staff that he can be trusted in different situations. His two goals in the seventh-place game was a nice way to go out.

#21 Florian Schenk, C: Between being the most skilled and most physical player at the same time, Schenk had a solid showing. He’s a big center with good hands and a bit more muscle than I remember from earlier viewings. I know a lot of Swiss fans think Schenk can be something – he’s got the smarts to make things happen. Unfortuantely, this tournament wasn’t a good test of what he’s capable of given how weak the Swiss were.

USA

#31 Ryan Cameron, G: I thought Cameron did a nice job of staying steady and not overcommitting on shots. He wasn’t too busy in the preliminary round, but I thought he was one of the USA’s standout performers when he played. He also made some nice stops against Canada in a game that was one-sided on the skill perspective.

#12 Edison Engle, D: Engle was just fine, with his best game easily being the blowout against the Germans. It felt like the one game where he was able to break through and get more opportunities to show off his skating and defensive awareness. I’m not sure he’s much of a prospect right now, but he’s steady in his own zone and you need guys that are committed to that.

#3 Blake Fiddler, D: The son of former NHLer Vern Fiddler, Blake seemed to be right at home on the same ice he plays on in the WHL. Fiddler is a big-bodied defender who cleared forwards away from his net and pushed opponents to the perimeter. Fiddler was one that many scouts were circling heading into this tournament because he’s an aggressive, two-way threat, and I feel like a team could be tempted to take him in the third round if he puts everything together consistently.

#5 Jacob Rombach, D: A big defender who can defend and skate: not bad! His play with the puck: bad! Rombach has some real potential because it’s hard to find players with the package he brings to the game, and he’s physical, too. I just think his outlet passes are… not good, and he got caught not paying attention a few times on the blueline, too.

#4 Cullen McCrate, D: McCrate is a big defender who got plugged into different situations all tournament long and I thought he played well. He was one of my favorite players against both Germany and Canada, although he had a tougher time dealing with Sweden’s speed in the final. The fact he moves the way he does at 6-foot-3 and 205 pounds makes me want to keep a close eye on him.

#6 Matthew Grimes, D: The first thing that stood out about Grimes was his work ethic. He hustled hard, landed some nice hits and was active on the rush, something you like to see from a mobile defenseman. He scored in the opening game on a fluke shot, but he can definitely fire the puck.

#17 Carter Murphy, D: Murphy led USA’s power play, and that’s where he looked the strongest. He’s small, but he’s active on the puck and can fly up the ice when they need him to be. Defensively, though, Murphy is a work in progress. As the USA’s seventh defenseman, he was mostly used to generating scoring chances, but he struggled when the puck got to his own net.

#21 Cooper Simpson, LW: I was really disappointed in Simpson, who was projected to be one of USA’s better players. The University of North Dakota commit scored just one goal, coming in the 12-3 victory over Germany. Beyond that, he looked slow and was almost always getting caught behind the play. Very disappointed to see that.

#22 Matthew Lansing, C: I was intrigued by Lansing, who I thought was USA’s most dangerous forward. He’s fast, smart and his two-goal performance in the bronze medal game kept the Americans in it. He’s not the strongest player but he plays with enough pace to be effective. Lansing loves playing in open space but also has quick enough hands to keep defenders and goaltenders guessing.

#19 Alexander Donovan, RW: Donovan got better as the game wore on, and I was impressed with how he kept the energy and commitment level going strong even in the blowout game against Germany. Scouts notice things like that (if they don’t go home early) because it shows you still care. A five-point night against Germany was a serious highlight, too. I really liked how prominent he was on the penalty kill, and he’s a guy who can play all situations and not look out of place.

#24 Nicolas Sykora, LW: Sykora has an excellent shot release and he’s not afraid to use it. He puts enough power behind every release that you can be confident something dangerous is going to happen at least a few times a game. I’d like to see him use his speed to create lanes for himself in front of the net but I like how he uses his strength to win battles, especially along the boards.

#10 Chase Jette, C: Jette was one of the better net-front presences in this tournament, and he was rewarded with a goal in the second game against Finland when he tipped in a shot from Sykora. I also like how aggressive he was despite not being the strongest player, often pushing guys around the crease to create a distraction. He’s a good role player.

#7 Ben Kevan, LW: Kevan was one of USA’s top players heading into the tournament after a big rookie campaign in the USHL, and I think he got better as the tournament wore on. Kevan was easily USA’s most consistent player, often winning most of his battles along the wing and generating chances as a result.

#14 Mason Moe, LW: Moe was hit or miss for me. On one hand, he could clearly generate chances around the net and is a solid passer. He makes his stick active without the puck, allowing himself to force turnovers and hold his own defensively. On the other hand, he needs to move a lot more and would just completely disappear a bit too much for my liking.

#15 Sam Spehar, C: Spehar had a nice two-goal game against the Germans, but was more of a role player beyond that. I think Spehar’s defensive commitment was impressive, as was his ability to sift through traffic to get in close to the net. At times, he was the playdriver for his line, but I appreciate that he can play a variety of roles on the same team with little difficulty. He’s confident with the puck, too.

#13 Travis Hayes, RW: Hayes is a big guy who isn’t afraid of getting dirty along the boards and battling for the puck. He didn’t do much in the offensive zone but he was helpful in shutdown efforts and forechecked hard.

#11 Sam Kappell, LW: Kappell plays a power forward game, allowing him to physically run over opponents and do it with speed. But I can’t say I noticed him too much with the puck. The good news is he doesn’t make a ton of mistakes either and plays with power, so he’s interesting.

#20 Jesse Orlowsky, C: Orlowsky didn’t play much as the 13th forward but still managed to score a goal and add two assists. Two of the points came in the drubbing over Germany and the goal came with just a few seconds left in a lopsided loss to Sweden, but Orlowsky did muscle guys around and made himself a pain in the rear end around the net.

#8 Teddy Mutryn, RW: All tournament long, Mutryn was out there making things happen. Just the small, detailed plays, too – rushing after pucks, deceptive passes and drawing opponents to him to create space for his teammates. He’s a really smart player with a lot going for him. I understand why they wanted him with the skilled Ben Kevan. And he’s extremely quick out there, too.

#9 Kade Stengrim, LW: Stengrim’s role was limited as the 13th forward, but he has a booming shot he wasn’t afraid to unleash. He’s physically strong and could intrigue a team looking for a bottom-six shooter, but it was hard to gauge just how effective he is at a tournament like this when he rarely plays meaningful minutes.