5 Prospects To Watch At The WJC 2020
Who’s going to be the MVP?
Every year, during December and January, hundreds of U-20 players battle to win the World Junior Championship. Many prospects get interesting and hype them up for the draft or an upcoming NHL entry. It is the best way for young teens to get remarked. Above these players, there are always elite ones, as Connor McDavid in 2015, who was watched by a ton of scouts. Here is your top 10 list of the best prospects for the 2020 World Junior Championship in the Czech Republic.
1. Alexis Lafrenière (LW, Rimouski Oceanic, QMJHL)
Alexis Lafrenière is a powerful two-way forward playing for the Rimouski Océanic. Racking 80 points in 60 games on his first season with the Océanic, he proved himself a lot as a future number one pick for the 2020 NHL draft. Considered as an exceptional player, he never stopped surprising us. With 70 points in 32 games, nobody can say the opposite; he is the one you have to glance at. Appearing to be the next Connor McDavid, he makes honor to his small region of Saint-Eustache, where talent is small but making a name for the heart of hockey.
2. Cole Caufield (LW, University of Wisconsin, NCAA)
Cole Caufield, born in 2001, is a pure goalscorer who is often compared with Alex Ovechkin because of his natural goalscoring talent. The Montreal Canadiens prospect, evolving with the University of Wisconsin, recorded 72 goals in 64 games last year with the U18 US National Team, which is the most for any player in the history of the program. This year, in the NCAA, he has 12 goals and 8 assists for 20 points in 18 games, the best for a U19 player. The American 5-foot-7 winger is the first to explode up ice in transition. The hallmark of his game is his exceptional goal-scoring ability. He has a shot that leaps off his stick with pinpoint accuracy when he lets loose and a low center of gravity that facilitates fast and flashy puckhandling at pace.
3. Rasmus Sandin (D, Toronto Marlies, AHL)
Rasmus Sandin is an offensive defenseman evolving for the Toronto Marlies in the AHL. The Sweden defenseman has 12 points in 19 games in the AHL, which is extremely good knowing that he is only 19 years old. He plays like a veteran and never fears to carry the puck in the offensive zone.
4. Moritz Seider (D, Grand Rapids Griffins, AHL)
Moritz Seider is a right-wing defenseman drafted 6th overall in 2019 by the Detroit Red Wings. The 6-foot-4, 207-pound frame athlete currently has 12 points in 28 games in the AHL. The German player is a mobile and very smart two-way defenseman with few weaknesses. Plays a mature game with strong and consistent defensive decisions. Offensively, his vision allows him to be a very good passer and he is also good at getting his shot through. He is part of the World Junior Championship this year with the future top 5 pick, Tim Stutzle.
5. Ville Heinola (D, Lukko, Liiga)
Ville Heinola is an offensive defenseman drafted 20th overall in 2019. He is the only defender drafted in 2019 to have made an appearance in the NHL this year. The Finnish athlete currently has 1 assist in 11 games in the Liiga but recorded 5 points in 8 games with the Winnipeg Jets. The 5-foot-11, 181-pound frame player is incredibly poised and rarely makes poor decisions on the puck.
Notable mentions:
- Trevor Zegras
- K’Andre Miller
- Alexander Romanov
- Grigori Denisenko
- Arthur Kaliyev
