Giacomo Martino of the St. Michael’s Buzzers is one of the players to watch on Team Canada East at the 2023 World Junior A Challenge.
Christian Bender/OJHL Images
Rosters have been set for the World Junior A Hockey Challenge, which will run from Dec. 11 to 18 in Cornwall, Ont. with teams from Sweden, the USA, Latvia, as well as Canada West and Canada East competing.
This year’s edition features several top prospects for the 2023 NHL draft, especially on a prospect-packed Swedish team. USA and Canada also have players who appear on the NHL’s Central Scouting list, while Latvia chose to send their U-18 national team.
While the tournament is considered a secondary competition behind the World Junior Championship, it also boasts an impressive group of NHL alumni including Cale Makar, David Pastrnak, Nikita Kucherov, Kirill Kaprizov, Andrei Svechnikov, Zach Hyman and Kyle Connor.
Here is a look at the top 2023 NHL draft prospects at this year’s World Junior A Challenge.
Otto Stenberg, F, Sweden: A dynamic offensive player with a quick release, Stenberg is creative and dominated as Sweden’s captain at the Hlinka Gretzky Cup. His performance to date has solidified his position as a probable first-round draft pick in the 2023 NHL draft, with most analysts placing him in the mid-first round. Stenberg will be central to Team Sweden at the World Junior A Challenge and should emerge as one of the tournament’s top players. He’s already played a handful of games with Frolunda in the SHL but was omitted from the world juniors roster.
Zeb Forsfjall, F, Sweden: Forsfjall found a place high on The Hockey News’ pre-season NHL draft list and has split time between Skelleftea in the SHL and their J20 roster where he serves as the captain. Forsfjall is only 5-foot-9 but plays a solid two-way game and is an excellent distributor of the puck, finding seams to generate offense. He was noticeable down the middle for Sweden at the Hlinka Gretzky Cup and will almost certainly go off the board in the top three rounds of the NHL draft.
Noel Nordh, F, Sweden: Coupling his 6-foot-2 frame with a powerful shot, Nordh has garnered conversation as a first or second-round prospect. Splitting time with Brynas at the SHL and J20 levels, Nordh continues to develop and has shown a willingness to take the puck to the middle of the ice, or drive to the net using his reach and puck protection to generate chances. His size, strength, and physicality alone will stand out at the WJAC.
Andrew Strathmann, D, USA: Strathmann is likely USA’s top first-year NHL draft eligible prospect in this tournament. Some, including TSN’s Craig Button, have ranked Strathmann as a potential first-round prospect. Although he’s slipped a little while others have climbed early on, the 5-foot-11 defender is currently scoring at nearly a point-per-game pace with the USHL’s Youngstown Phantoms. He’s slated to join one of the top NCAA programs in the nation, the University of North Dakota, next season.
Noah Dower Nilsson, F, Sweden: Playing for Frolunda J20, Dower Nilsson emerged as Sweden’s top goal-scorer in the J20 loop. In a league speckled with NHL picks, Dower Nilsson can beat defenders 1-on-1 and generates opportunities off the forecheck. Some see Dower Nilsson as a second-round pick at this point, a status he’ll look to solidify with a solid performance in Cornwall.
Tom Willander, D, Sweden: TSN’s Craig Button recently ranked Willander 26th on his November draft list. Willander has climbed the early rankings showcasing an ability to effectively transport the puck from his own zone and exhibit good decision-making. As his stride improves, Willander will only get better. He’s spent most of his season with Rogle’s J20 team but also made his SHL debut.
Tanner Adams, F, USA: A two-way forward committed to Providence College, Adams hasn’t put up huge numbers this year in the USHL, but his game begins in his own zone, and he competes hard. Adams will look to build on a decent showing at the Hlinka Gretzky Cup this summer where he served as a valued playmaker and demonstrated good puck possession traits. He’s pegged as a top-four-round prospect for the 2023 draft.
Gavin McCarthy, D, USA: The blueliner represented the USA this summer at the Hlinka Gretzky Cup, and he was ranked 39th earlier this year by The Hockey News’ Ryan Kennedy. McCarthy has put up good numbers this season for the Muskegon Lumberjacks of the USHL, showcasing his fluid skating and first-pass skills. He’ll continue his development next season at Boston University.
Kalle Carlsson, F, Sweden: After an underwhelming performance at the Hlinka Gretzky Cup, Carlsson has settled into his draft year, impressing with a hockey IQ that allows him to think his way into scoring positions, especially on the power play. Carlsson is a middling prospect who has yet to show top-six scoring traits, but after making his SHL debut this season with Orebro, it’s clear scouts and coaches see his promise.
Sam Harris, F, USA: Harris is a 19-year-old prospect who was passed over in last year’s NHL draft, but that omission is unlikely to be repeated. Harris currently sits third in USHL scoring and is on pace for a 40-goal season with the Sioux Falls Stampeders. The University of Denver commit will be surrounded by talent, including five current NHL draft picks on Team USA.
Aiden Fink, F, Canada: The undersized forward is scoring at will in the Alberta Junior Hockey League (AJHL) this season with the Brooks Bandits. He’s averaging more than two points per game compiling 67 points in his first 33 games. Leading the AJHL in scoring in his draft year will draw attention from scouts, as will the fact that NHL teams can trust he’s headed to a strong developmental program in the NCAA with Wisconsin. There’s no guarantee Fink gets drafted, but he’s an electrifying prospect at the Junior A level.
Team Canada East/West Prospects
Canada West will not be the powerhouse it once was given the absence of BCHL prospects like Bradly Nadeau. From Alberta’s Brooks Bandits, Aiden Celebrini, who was recognized by NHL Central Scouting as a player to watch, will anchor Canada West’s blueline and is headed to Boston University where he’ll team up with his brother Macklin, who is a likely top-five prospect. pick at the 2024 NHL draft. Sam Court and Hudson Malinoski also sit in the top five of AJHL scoring and are NCAA commits who could draw late-round interest.
On Canada East from the Ontario Junior A Hockey League (OJHL), Giacomo Martino, a Northeastern commit, is scoring more than a point per game with the St. Michael’s Buzzers and was listed as a “C” prospect on the NHL Central Scouting players to watch list. Ty Campbell, a blueliner who plays in the CCHL with Smith Falls, was also listed by Central Scouting. Campbell, a Clarkson commit, won the CCHL’s Top Prospect Award last season and plays with an edge.
Team Latvia
It was speculated that Latvia would send their World Junior roster to this tournament as a tune-up for the World Junior Championships later this month in Nova Scotia. Instead, Latvia chose to send their U-18 team who almost exclusively played for HS Riga. Kristofers Krumins, a University of Vermont commit, and Saint John Sea Dogs forward Eriks Mateiko will provide size and North American experience up front, but this is a team that lacks firepower at every position. The interest from this Latvian roster will be several 2024 draft eligible players, including 6-foot-4 Kristers Ansons who is Riga’s top goal-scorer.
Team USA
Tanner Ludtke is scoring at more than a point-per-game pace in his first full season in the USHL with the Lincoln Stars and is another late-round 2023 NHL draft consideration. Team USA will undoubtedly see others among the many draft eligible players on their roster step forward, but the team will be paced by current NHL picks including first-rounder Sam Rinzel (Chicago Blackhawks), Quinn Finley (New York Islanders), Garret Brown ( Winnipeg Jets), Alex Bump (Philadelphia Flyers) and Jake Richard (Buffalo Sabres). Another intriguing prospect to watch is 2024 NHL draft prospect Mac Swanson who is having an impact season as a 16-year-old in the USHL.
Team Sweden
Almost the entire Swedish team could be considered viable draft targets for this year. On top of the prospects above, an additional 10 members of Team Sweden were listed as “C” prospects by NHL Central Scouting, including Arvid Bergstrom, Axel Hurtig, Wille Johansson, Kristian Kostadinski, Axel Landen, Felix Nilsson, Jacob Sagadin, Joel Svensson. , Felix Unger Sorum and Anton Wahlberg. From this group, Nilsson, Svensson, and Wahlberg look like early climbers in the rankings, and 6-foot-5 blueliner Kostadinski has obvious upside. Unger Sorum is another intriguing prospect who has put up big numbers in the J20 loop this year but has yet to be tested on the international stage.
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