HELSINKI — The Men’s U18 World Championship, which got underway Thursday, are the last major event on the international scouting calendar for the 2023-24 season.
Finland is hosting the tournament this year, just outside of Helsinki in Vaanta and Espoo.
All of the NHL teams, their crossover scouts, and several general managers are in attendance taking notes on some of the top prospects ahead of the draft combine in Buffalo, and eventually the 2024 NHL Draft in Las Vegas from June 28-29.
Over the course of the tournament, I will be sharing my observations on players who are standing out at the event.
With two games a day, there’s no shortage of player reports being generated at a tournament like the U18 Worlds.
Here are some of my notes, including projections, from the first two days in Helsinki:
Tij Iginla, Forward, Team Canada
Iginla has been getting loads of attention in the second half of the season and into playoffs with Kelowna. He produced nine goals and six assists in 11 WHL playoff games.
He’s joined Team Canada after the Rockets were eliminated and hasn’t skipped a beat. Iginla had one assist in the game against Sweden then followed up with two goals in the game Friday against Czechia.
Everything about his game has gone to another level. Iginla is playing fast every shift, making more plays in traffic and working off checks in tight quarters to create scoring chances.
He possesses an elite release using a quick catch and release, and is being deployed in all situations for Team Canada. He competes up and down the ice and is viewed as more than just an offensive prospect.
NHL Projection: Top-six forward with hockey sense to be used in a variety of roles and a goal scorer.
Cole Eiserman, Forward, Team USA
Eiserman opened the tournament with a hat trick against Team Slovakia. Not much changes with Cole. He’s arguably the most elite pure shooter in the draft class.
He’s hungry to have the puck on his stick in the offensive zone. He takes a shoot-first approach with average vision and distribution instincts. He is a player who prefers to take charge on his own.
When it comes to his pace and skill, both are in place and project to first-line NHL upside. His enthusiasm and detail defensively have a long way to go, however, and he will need to elevate his overall detail to consistently average as he matures.
NHL Projection: Top-line scoring forward, power-play first unit, leans shooter more than playmaker.
Jett Luchanko, Forward, Team Canada
The more I watch Luchanko play, the more I appreciate his all-around game. When he isn’t producing offence, he can be counted on to take key faceoffs in the defensive zone and contribute on the penalty kill.
Luchanko plays with pace, high-end compete and reliable detail. I’m not positive he’s going to be an elite scorer at the NHL level, but his game reminds me a lot of Nick Suzuki at the same stage of his development.
He does many things very well — nothing elite in any one category. The term is over-used but he’s a proverbial “Swiss army knife” for his team.
NHL Projection: Top-six forward is possible, can be deployed in all situations. Better used as a secondary scorer, match-up forward
Cole Hutson, Defenceman, Team USA
Hutson started the U18 Worlds playing to his identity in the opener against Slovakia.
He opened the scoring in the first period when he slipped off a check and fired home a snap shot short side.
He is an undersized, transitional defenceman who can be a quarterback on the power play. His ability to make plays in small areas stands out in comparison to his peer group.
He plays adequately defensively and very active. There are times he could manage the puck better by taking fewer risks trying to make something out of nothing and rely on outlets, defensive zone exits. However, his creativity and overall impact both win out.
NHL Projection: Second-pairing transitional defenceman and power-play quarterback.
James Hagens, Forward, Team USA
Hagens is one of several underage prospects at this event. He’s the potential first-overall pick for the 2025 NHL Draft class.
In his first game of the tournament, he played to his strengths and identity putting up a pair of goals and two assists in Team USA’s 9-0 victory while earning Player of the Game honours.
He possesses top-end skill and plays with pace. He is known as a playmaker, and play driver, especially in dangerous areas on the power play. What makes him difficult to defend is his ability to always play in motion.
Average plus defensively — which is good enough considering everything else he brings to the equation.
NHL Projection: Future top prospect for 2025 NHL Draft, top-line scoring forward at even strength and first power-play unit, play driver and ability to take games over offensively.
Trevor Connelly, Forward, Team USA
Connelly joined Team USA for the World U18 tournament in Finland on loan from Tri-City in the USHL.
He plays very light but skilled and elusive, which makes him difficult to check by slipping off defenders. He sees the ice very well and is known primarily as a playmaker, play driver/distributor in the offensive zone, more than a shooter.
Defensive detail has a long way to go as his tracking back and supporting will need to improve as he matures. His pace is fine, uses an upright stride and has room for more power. His edges are very good, which helps him escape and create chances in small areas.
NHL Projection: Has to play in a top-six forward group, play driver, distributor. Elusive and high-end impact on the power play and is a purely offensive player.
Aron Kviharju, Defenceman, Team Finland
Kviharju missed the majority of his draft year with injury but is back on Finland’s squad for the U18 World Championships and was named captain.
He is a playmaker in the offensive zone with excellent vision. Kviharju likes to walk the offensive blue line to open up options but certainly leans more toward being a distributor than a shooter.
Kviharju takes the same approach in the defensive zone. When he pounces on the puck, he surveys the entire width of the ice before making his decision to outlet.
He is an average defender who has to rely on his ability to read, react and quickly jump to kill plays without engaging physically. Known as a transitional defenceman, a power-play quarterback who consistently competes but is a light defender.
NHL Projection: Second-pairing, transitional defenceman, power-play quarterback and distributor.
Konsta Helenius, Forward, Team Finland
On Day 1 of the tournament, he was one of the more visibly active players among the teams present.
He plays quickly and fast. A threat off the rush and leads zone entries at even strength and on the power play.
He is creative, makes small-area plays through checks and is always in motion, which makes him hard to contain and defend. Generally, he competes the entire length of the ice and doesn’t cut corners defensively.
Helenius is a top-end talent, play driver with his best attributes being his offence and speed.
NHL Projection: Top-line speed forward, reliable offensive producer at even strength and on the power-play.
Emil Hemming, Forward, Team Finland
Hemming plays the game his own way.
There are moments in games when he needs to be moving his feet more and consistently more engaged off the puck, including offensive-zone exits and checking back to assist defensively.
He is not a burner in open ice as his best work comes from the hash marks down and working off the cycle. He brings a fantastic release and leans more shooter than a natural playmaker/distributor.
Hemming has top-six upside but could end up landing on a third line at even strength and find a role on a team’s top power-play unit.
NHL Projection: Potential top-six, more likely third-line forward at even strength, power-play, seen as a shooter more than a distributor.
Nils Roberts Maurins, Goaltender, Team Latvia
This tournament is renowned for having a player or two rise to the occasion and catch the attention of the scouting fraternity with a high-end finish to their season.
Maurins is one of the nice surprises at the U18 Worlds for Team Latvia.
A big body who plays the butterfly style, he’s a good athlete who is flexible, plays with active pads. Generally squares up well and takes up a ton of net with his stature with a very good glove hand that tracks and catches pucks clean.
He makes more saves in traffic than some of his counterparts due to his size in the net as the pucks find him.
Maurins is very young for this draft class born on Sept 6, 2006, brings significant upside and has time on his side with a nice foundation to build upon overall.
Leon Muggli, Defenceman, Team Switzerland
Muggli is an intriguing prospect who played the majority of his year at the pro level in Switzerland with Zug.
He is an excellent, agile skater who tracks up and down the ice with ease. Muggli has the ability and vision to make plays on the offensive blue line.
He is more of a distributor than shooter, but possesses a sneaky-accurate release from distance that has proven it can beat goalies.
Muggli was named captain of Switzerland’s U18 team as a two-way defenceman who has a transitional element and escape ability to lead the rush on his own. He is also an area defender defensively. Smart. Engaged.
NHL Projection: Middle-pairing, two-way defenceman with hockey sense to be used in all situations.
Danil Ustinkov, Defenceman, Team Switzerland
Ustinkov is a bit of an enigma. He appears capable of impacting the game offensively more than his stats suggest. At times, he is creative but other times his puck management is a bit risky and can result in turnovers in key areas of the ice.
He is a compact, sturdy and a strong skater but his fatigue threshold arrives earlier than some prospects.
Team Switzerland uses him in all situations and is best described as a two-way defenceman who accomplishes a lot of positive things versus his age group/peers — but doesn’t possess an elite element in any one category.
NHL Projection: Bottom-pairing, two-way defenceman who plays a bulk of his ice time at even strength.
Carter George, Goaltender, Team Canada
George is the second-rated goalie for North America from NHL Central Scouting. He battled through some growing pains his year playing for Owen Sound in the OHL.
George looked solid in the game he played against Team Czechia.
He is athletic, battles, has good feet and quick pads but his rebound control can range at times, and he’s working to eat pucks from distance.
George’s lateral push has been strong. He has the leg strength, read/react/push, to get across and make saves on the backside post. He competes, never quits on the play and fronts the puck well.
This draft cycle doesn’t have many high-end goalies to chose from. George has the net in Owen Sound as the starter, and two years of development ahead of him after he’s drafted this June. His foundation is strong. George should be one of the first goalies selected in Vegas.
NHL Projection: Second-tier No. 1, first-tier No. 2 NHL goalie, butterfly style and plays the puck very well.
