​Let me start this off by saying that I really dislike numerical rankings that we all see and nitpick. I think it takes away from the whole point of drafting and developing junior talent. A professional hockey team is a large organization of various small groups of people trying to put the best product on the ice that they can. Coaches, managers and players of all kinds will have effects on the new players acquired, be it through free agency, a trade or the draft. The point, at least to me, is to draft the players you think are at the highest level that you believe can develop into being impact NHL players. Nearly every player ever drafted has required some level of care when it comes to development, and often teams that rush their prospects are the ones that end up paying for it the most, especially outside of the very highest of draft picks. My approach is to group players according to a tier system that I would be happy discussing at any of the picks within that group at a draft. I find that it provides room for much more nuanced discussion about what exactly you're looking for at a given pick.

My whole goal with this project is to help fans and teams to better understand exactly what it is that they're acquiring in a draft pick in a more empirical way, as well as highlight some names I've come across in my >600 players from around the world tracked in real time. Well over 15,000 games of data have been logged with quite a bit of hockey left to play. I've tried to watch as many games as I possibly can to refine the rankings a bit, but obviously all that data pushes things in a bit of a different direction.

A few notes before we get started:

1. There are no goalies on this list. I'm skeptical of drafting goalies in the first 2 rounds unless there are truly exceptional cases, but if you're wondering, I'd have a look at Spencer Knight and Hunter Jones towards the end of the 2nd, with some bigger swings like Pavel Kochetkov, Mads Sogaard, Erik Portillo, and Jesper Myrenberg later on.
2. Below the ranking table, there's a writeup with some notes on the aforementioned groups I would have these guys in. So check that out before providing feedback!
3. If you want more background on the metrics below, check out the YouTube video here!
4. If you want access to this full, live spreadsheet, it's accessed through Patreon!

• DY = Draft year. D+1 is a player undrafted once, etc.
• ​NHLeScore - Age, league, and position adjusted measure of production. A score of 20 is considered a solid 1st round talent. 30 is historically notable production.
• Inv% - Average involvement of a player in team offense. Calculated as player points per game divided by team goals per game. In the CHL and other junior leagues, a defender at or above 25% and a forward above 40% is considered top-level. Men's leagues overseas is much murkier, so I usually take the league with the most games played or most ice time.
• Cat% - Impact on even strength goals for and against as a percentage vs. team average. If your Off.Cat% is 100%, you're doubling your team's output of even strength goals for (good). If your Def.Cat% is 100%, you are doubling your team's input of even strength goals against (bad). Total is the sum of both.
• Tier - A general view of where I could see a ceiling, with how confident I am of reaching that success. Tier I players could be significant impact players, but a tier I-E would be a real swing on high production with a big risk of falling short. SFTM indicates a shoot-for-the-moon player. I have no idea what the ceiling could be, but these guys show up well on the sheet and could be good value if available later on.

• Group 1 - Rank 1 - The Jack Hughes Group
  • ​It is almost a certainty that Jack Hughes will be the 1st overall selection in June. His speed through the neutral zone, ability to find open men in the offensive zone, ability to make himself the open man with the puck, and his relentless pace to his game is remarkable.  A slowish start with some poor playmaking decisions has given way to a steady and quick improvement leading to a good showing at the World Juniors.
  • That being said, the vast majority of his production in his USHL games has been on the power play. Under 10% of the NTDP's goals at even strength on average have Jack Hughes as the goal scorer or landing a primary assist. If his ES production matched his PP production, he'd be much, much further ahead in the NHLeScore department.
  • One other thing is, from my research, nobody has ever jumped from the USHL to the NHL. While I believe the level of play in the USHL has rapidly improved in the last decade, the team that drafts Hughes may need to be fearless in their willingness to either shelter his minutes early on, or even loaning him to a team in a lower level league, be it the Mississauga Steelheads or otherwise. 
  • The line between Hughes and Kakko has slimmed in my opinion, but there is still a clear dividing line in terms of upside between the two.
• Group 2 - Rank 2 - Kappo Kakko
  • ​Kakko is another one who almost certainly will go where he's ranked. His performance at the World Juniors was excellent overall and his year in the Liiga has been one of the best in recent years.
  • Kakko excels with the puck, just like Jack Hughes does, but his game is (in my opinion) much more suited to jump straight to the NHL today. He has a lot of strength with the puck and is able to work his way off of men twice his age to get to scoring areas. He's got the ability to dangle through players as well. He uses his speed to fly through the offensive zone in a variety of ways to draw defenses away from other players on his line, and he'll get them the puck. If they don't follow him, he'll find a way to get a great scoring chance.
  • He's been playing at most forward positions over this season, and while he's fought off injuries and cooled since a hot start, I find it hard to bump him off the #2 spot in favour of the next group.
• Group 3 - Ranks 3-14 - The Also Good's
  • ​While I would be surprised to see a team take a swing on say, Alex Newhook at #3, these groups are more about who could be in the discussion, however unlikely they would be as a pick.
  • Bobby Brink is a speedy winger who has exploded onto the map with little fanfare. A 50%INV in the USHL is unprecedented, and he's effective at both ends. He is an equally dangerous playmaker and goal scorer with great separation speed. As of today, it's possible Brink could go anywhere in the first two round, but I would not hesitate to put him in this group. He also beat out Vasily Podkolzin to win the Under-19 World Junior A Championship MVP award
  • Between Cozens, Dach and Krebs, I don't think you could go wrong as long as you develop their skillsets properly. I'm enticed by Krebs' raw production, as well as Dach and Cozens' combination of production, skillsets and their physical frames.
  • Alex Turcotte is a huge wildcard for me, but I have really liked what I've seen. Great skill with his stick one-on-one and a very agile and shifty skater who could have massive upside if you can snag him after a few picks roll by.
  • I'm a fan of Matthew Boldy's speed through the neutral zone like Jack Hughes, but he brings more of a goal scorer's flavour in the offensive zone. All these USHL guys are very much interchangeable to me.
  • Every way I slice it shows that OHL winger Arthur Kaliyev as an excellent prospect. He doubles goal differential when he's on the ice in Hamilton, and involves himself in over 40% of team goals. Perceived consistency/personality problems might need to be set aside if he's on the board at the later end of this group.
  • Bowen Byram fits the profile of last year's ridiculous CHL crop in an offensive sense, but he falls down a bit due to his apparent defensive shortcomings. He is likely the best defender available until the mid-late teens, so if you want a defenseman, I could see him going immediately after the big three WHL forwards between 3rd-5th.
  • Vasily Podkolzin is one heck of an enigma to me. He had a great World Junior A Championship, but his World Junior has left a lot to be desired. I see a lot of Grigori Denisenko in his profile. A tenacious, skilled winger who shows well with the eyes most of the time, but doesn't show up on the scoresheet as often as you'd like. His individual goal scoring ability using his speed and puck skill is special and worth buying on,  but I find his overall profile a bit overrated considering who else could be available where he's rumoured to be selected.​
• Group 4 - Ranks 16-30 - The Rest of the Best
  • ​"Leading" this group is MHL winger Pavel Dorofeyev. He's a very strong skater who may not be the fastest guy on the ice, but he excels at positioning his body and the puck in such a way where he can maneuver around defenders with ease. He's both a smart playmaker and shooter, and is able to assist in breakouts with his great hand-eye coordination knocking down clearing attempts and bad passes to keep the play flowing forward. His production is the best I've ever seen from a draft eligible in the MHL and he's been playing solid minutes in the KHL with Magnitogorsk. He's one I'm very curious to watch.
  • Anttoni Honka might be the biggest boom or bust prospect on this list. An excellent skating defenseman who has had troubles in the Liiga this year. He needs to get much stronger, especially in his own end, and he is an undersized defender who looks undersized. He's a great puck mover though, and his skating is excellent. If you're later in the 1st round and want to take a risk on big upside on the defensive side, he could be a good option.
  • Constantinou, Pelletier, Thomson and Kokkonen show up very well on my sheet, and are here due to just how much they do so. Constantinou is well over a point per 60 minutes at even strength, which is excellent for a defender in the OHL, and he's likely to fly under the radar on a poor Kingston team. Thomson may get more production from the power play, but he's a shoot-first guy who has big upside.
  • People compare Cole Caufield to Alex DeBrincat, but I really am not so sure. Caufield shoots the puck a ton, and he can really rip it. He's got agility on his feet that can help him find open space, but he's a pure finisher and I'm skeptical of the upside of past guys with a similar profile.
  • Cam York is an interesting case. If you want a dependable, intelligent puck mover who can help break you out of the defensive zone well, he's your guy. He makes the odd play in the offensive zone that really surprises me positively, so he has a pretty solid ceiling, I just don't see that instinct a whole lot every game. He uses the other players on the ice very effectively, and he could be a solid supplementary defenseman on any team with his passing ability and effortless skating ability.
  • Matt Robertson was a guy I really liked before the season, and has started a bit slow. He's improving, and his two-way numbers are looking good, so I think you could have a dependable all-around defenseman similar to Cam York. He's heating up, so it's entirely possible he ends up higher at the end of the season.
  • Nils Höglander is here because guys with his profile are rarely misses. Guys who produce well in the SuperElit league, and then produce decent points in the SHL are often undervalued.
• ​Group 5 - Ranks 31-50 - The Bubble BoiZ
  • ​​Shane Pinto is someone I need to watch more of. His profile is that of a 1st round pick, so he might be someone that sneaks in if he keeps up his production for the year.
  • Albert Johansson is the same. Point-per-game SuperElit defensemen at his age are rare, let alone 30%INV defenders. He's playing in the SHL off and on, and is one I'd want to see more of.
  • Ryan Johnson is my token eyetest guy. Really like his patience with the puck and his ability to calmly use his skill to find open space and move the puck effectively. He produces tremendously per 60 at even strength for a defender, and I wouldn't be surprised to see someone take a leap late in the 1st, but I think adding him to a rebuilding team early in the 2nd and letting him grow in college might be more advisable.
  • Thomas Harley is one I've been watching him for a few years now and I like how he's coming along. I imagine someone jumps at his production in the 1st round, but he has measurable defensive shortcomings, and his production is heavily drawn on the power play it seems.
  • Yegor Serdyuk has an excellent profile on a bad team, and often players like him fall inexplicably in the draft. He's a guy who I could see being great value unless he continues to improve as he has.
  • Artemi Knyazev is my other Ryan Johnson. Absolutely love his mobility and he's adjusting to the QMJHL more and more as time goes on. Goals aren't scored often when he's on the ice, but he's getting points on over 30% of those goals, and at time of data collection, they were all primary points. He's an excellent skater with a really great ability to spot teammates and get them the puck in the offensive zone. Even as a potential power play specialist, there could be great value with Knyazev.
  • Brett Leason is the first overager to appear on the list. His production is highly enticing, and even after age-adjustments, it isn't ridiculous to think he goes in the 1st round, especially to a contender who could use a potential boost in the next year or two. He's shown real good flashes of being a guy who just seems to "get it". Pucks land on his stick and stay there, he gets the puck to open men, and he works to be dangerous on any shift. His production at even strength is ridiculous, and there could be solid value. Just seems to feel like a guy you want your younger players to aspire to be.
• ​Group 6 - Ranks 51-101 - Everyone Else​
  • ​I'm a believer in Dmitri Sheshin. He's caught my eye more than once watching Pavel Dorofeyev. Really small, but very skilled and very speedy in transition. He's elusive and I think that over time he could become a very interesting skilled forward. Same goes for Matthew Brown, a D+2 in Des Moines. He's scored a ton wherever he plays with an off-year in his draft year. Lots of speed, dangerous goal scorer. I see buy-low upside there.
  • Nikola Pasic follows the Höglander rule. He's playing in the SHL and producing. His SuperElit year is very solid too. Samuel Fagemo is a measurably excellent goal scorer historically who went undrafted last year on the grounds of being one-dimensional, but he seems to be doing just fine in the SHL as well. Producing at near-1st round levels for a 19 year old, it wouldn't be insane to see him go much earlier than 51.
  • ​Everyone talks about Alex Newhook, but do not sleep on his linemate Alexander Campbell, nor his D+1 teammate Carter Berger, who isn't on this list for some reason. A bit smaller, Campbell is a reliable scorer from the last couple years who has excelled with Newhook. Really skilled and slippery, he may not be as strong along the boards, but in open ice he's a dangerous puck handler who makes a great 1/2 punch with Newhook. Berger is a defender with fantastic skating ability and is an extremely exciting to watch. I imagine he'll be available later on, and a defender with mobility like his, a willingness to shoot, and a great mind for making hard, accurate passes could be very enticing. I mean the guy has 22 goals in 35 games; as a defender.
  • Eric Ciccolini is an OJHL winger who I've seen quite a bit of. He's got good separation speed and can be lethal offensively especially with his wrist shot, but leaves a bit to be desired in his own end and tends to disappear from play a little bit. A ~40%INV is still very good, and I could see him being good value in the middle rounds.
  • Justin Bergeron is an interesting D+1 defender in the QMJHL who shoots first and asks questions later. 21%INV is also very good, and he drives two-way play well. If you want someone who's development is a bit fast-tracked, he could be an option.
  • Kristian Tanus, Axel Bergqvist, Nikita Rozhkov, and Antti Tuomisto are guys who have great statistical profiles, but are a bit undersized at their positions. Tanus is a great playmaker who has been cleaning up Finland's 2nd division with some time in the Liiga. These guys would all be projects, but they're all good skaters with good playmaking ability.
  • Garrett Pinoniemi is rocking a 63.2%INV in high school in Minnesota, which is hilariously high. He and Mike Koster are high school guys I absolutely have my eye on as June approaches. John Farinacci is another high school guy I've liked, but I've only seen a game he played with the USA U-18 team in the USHL. He showed some great transition ability with the puck and always seemed to be applying pressure on the puck if he wasn't the one carrying him.

To many hockey fans, the IIHF World Junior Championships creates some of the most exciting games of the year before the Stanley Cup Playoffs. Whether it's fans whose favourite team is in the running for the top talent in the upcoming draft, fans of teams with prospects in the tournament, or the sheer excitement that comes from a tournament of young men representing their nations at what might be the highest level they will do so. Some of my fondest and most heartbreaking memories in hockey come from the stories that sprout from this tournament. Benjamin Conz saving 50 of 52 shots to eliminate the Vladimir Tarasenko-led Russians, Marc-Andre Fleury's own goal that handed the United States their first goal, or Kasperi Kapanen sealing the 2016 tournament in overtime, it's some of the wildest hockey you'll see.

The 2019 installment begins on December 26 in Vancouver, almost assuredly a fanatical host city. The story of the tournament will likely be the Jack Hughes/Kappo Kakko show, with a potential coming out party for Canadian 2020 eligible Alexis Lafreniere. For those unfamiliar, Jack Hughes is the unanimous selection for 1st overall selection in the 2019 NHL Draft, also to be held in Vancouver. Hughes is a somewhat small, but incredibly skilled centreman currently playing with the U.S. National Program. He's extremely skilled, extremely smart, extremely fast, and has only gotten better as the year has progressed. Kappo Kakko is a bigger, heavier player currently playing professionally in Turku, Finland. Kappo gets by on his ability to protect the puck with speed, creating open space with his agility, and both create scoring chances and score goals himself. He started the season extremely hot, but has cooled to a much more reasonable profile, still indicative of a top draft pick. Lafreniere is a winger who is extremely highly regarded as a top pick in 2020. He is just a few days too old to be eligible for the 2019 NHL Draft, and his metrics point to what very likely would be a Top-3 pick in this year's draft. His 41.5% INV% and 28.64 NHLeScore is a remarkable achievement for a prospect of any age, and I'm hoping he makes the Canadian team and plays a significant role. His NHLeScore (an age, position, and league adjusted metric to examine the value of a player's production) sits 2nd on a fully loaded team.There will be some very high level at this tournament on a few different teams, and in the World Juniors, a few great performances can be the difference between an early elimination and a gold medal.

The preliminary rosters have been released, and the player data has been compiled into a spreadsheet that will be linked at the bottom of this article, so feel free to peruse but only once you've finished the little profiles thrown together for each team's camp roster.

We're going to look at each team in ascending order of average NHLeScore. Our 10th ranked team is the team saved in relegation last year: Denmark.

The Danish team scored just two goals in the preliminary round last year, but won where it counted saving themselves from relegation against Belarus. The Belorussian team has a ton of young talent looking to earn their spot back in the 2020 tournament, but at time of publishing are likely to lose out to the similarly talented German hosts. The Danish team are a weak looking team that will likely need to do some serious work to avoid relegation again. They are led by SHL defenseman and Detroit Red Wing draft pick Malte Setkov, Vegas pick Jonas Røndbjerg, and draft-eligible goaltender Mads Søgaard out of Medicine Hat in the WHL. Søgaard will be heavily relied upon, and while his 2.5gaa, 0.924 year in the WHL is a good sign, I'm unsure of where the scoring on this team will come from outside of Rondbjerg, who even still is not having the most successful SHL season (NHLeScore of 3.32).

If Søgaard can steal a game or two, then maybe Denmark is the shock of the tournament and finds themselves in a quarterfinal game, but that outcome seems remote at best. When your leading NHLeScorer is a 19 year old defenseman scoring a half a point per game in the Swedish U-20 league, things look a bit grim.

The team that will likely join Denmark in the relegation round, Kazakhstan, may not be bringing a particularly competitive team, they are still bringing a pretty solid group of talent playing in various levels within the KHL-system that may be able to avoid relegation against Denmark. Their key weakness will be in net, and if the Danish goalkeeping can hold firm, it's possible they squeak through. The Kazakhs don't really have a standout offensive threat like Denmark does in Røndbjerg, so it's possible that a great pair of games from Søgaard and a major effort from Røndbjerg helps keep the team alive, but there are some exciting, high scoring options in Kazakhstan that may be a bit of a handful.

In 2018, Kazakhstan was propelled to the top division on the backs of diminutive MHL forward Artyom Gatiyov and KHL defenseman Valeri Orekhov, and they will likely be relied upon again this season. Sayan and Samat Daniyar (unrelated) are likely to be solid supplementary options. Many of these players have played together for years in the Barys Astana program. and that kind of familiarity will likely be a benefit.

The Swiss historically manage to finish in the "just good enough" tier to usually consider themselves safe from relegation. For the bright spots this team has, there doesn't seem to be quite enough for them to make a significant amount of noise, but there shouldn't be any doubt of an expected spot in the quarterfinals.. Chicago draft pick Philipp Kurashev has all the potential to really bring some fans out of their seats with his puck skill and raw offense, Nando Eggenberger is likely to be a major piece and Columbus pick Tim Berni is a fluid skating offensive defender who could have a nice tournament on a defense core led by Washington prospect Tobias Geisser. Draft eligibles Kyen Sopa and Valentin Nussbaumer should also be very useful pieces in the lineup, and seeing them at this tournament will be a nice chance to view them playing against some high quality competition before the NHL draft.

One advantage that the Swiss have is the large number of players that are regulars in the Swiss men's leagues. With eight NLA players and an AHL defenseman, the Swiss will have plenty of names that will at least have experience against some very solid hockey talent. Experience at that level is an asset against teams made mostly of junior talent, but for the Swiss, that experience ends in goal. Luca Hollenstein and Devils prospect Akira Schmid are sub-.880 goaltenders at the NLB (Swiss Men's 2nd division) and USHL respectively, which doesn't bode well for their chances of going particularly far in the tournament.

​The Slovakian team has historically been eliminated in the quarterfinals every year since 2014, save one bronze medal win in 2015 on the back of Martin Réway and goaltender Denis Godla. That trend is likely to continue this season, but the group Slovakia is producing is one of the better ones I can remember recently. This is a team that will almost certainly make it to the quarterfinals on the backs of their offensive talent, but is unlikely to have the goaltending or defensive depth to shock their opponents in that round.

With notable names like Martin Pospisil, they will have some gritty offensive options that teams shouldn't undeestimate. Pospisil has been part of one of the more dangerous lines in the USHL with draft eligibles Bobby Brink and Marcus Kallionkieli with a massive 46% involvement in team offense.

The interesting part lies with their younger additions to the team. Maxim Cajkovic exploded onto the scene at the U18 tournament last year and has been very good on an awful team in Saint John. Andrej Kukuca and Oliver Okuliar absolutely dominated the U20 level last year in Slovakia as draft eligibles, and both have transitioned well to the Canadian Hockey League. Milos Roman, Adam Ruzicka and Michal Ivan are solid CHLers as well, so there's a strong backbone of players familiar with smaller ice who can also produce. Martin Fehérváry and Adam Liska are playing in high level professional leagues in Europe and are contributors, which only adds more pieces that will help.

They have major weaknesses on the backend and in net, but there are interesting names up front that can score goals. Anything can happen at the World Juniors, and upsets happen every year, but it's likely that the Slovakians will make the cut for next year, while missing out on medal contention.

In the 2018 tournament, the group of Filip Chytil, Martin Necas, Filip Zadina and Martin Kaut helped propel the Czechs to a 4th place finish, their best performance since 2005. This season, all of those players are back. While in terms of NHLeScore, this team is further down the table than most, it cannot be denied that this team has as much of a chance of getting far in this tournament as anyone higher than themselves on this list. Filip Chytil continues to improve in the NHL with the New York Rangers, Filip Zadina has gotten better with Grand Rapids in the AHL, Martin Necas and Martin Kaut is a major piece of the Colorado Eagles roster. All are playing in excellent leagues and performing very well for their respective ages, even if the listed scores may not illustrate that. This team is absolutely loaded with offensive talent that can score in multiple ways, and they shouldn't be underestimated.

A further strength of the team (hopefully) lies in net. Islanders pick Jakub Skarek has been one of the best goaltenders in the Liiga this season. A top goaltender in the highest men's division in Finland is no joke. Skarek has been rough in previous tournaments, but he appears to be developing nicely in men's competition and I would expect him to be one of the best goalies in the tournament. With this team's combination of raw offence with their potential in net, the Czech Republic just might be able to pull of what they couldn't last year, or any year in the last 14; a medal finish.

Historically the Russian team is almost certainly a lock to make it to at least the semifinals, but last year was a big step back as a lacklustre preliminary round resulted in an unfavourable quarterfinal against a strong American team on their way to a bronze medal. The pressure to get themselves back to the semifinals must be as intense as it gets, and the last time this team had such a poor showing, they turned around and won the whole thing the following year led by Evgeny Kuznetsov and Vladimir Tarasenko. This season the Russians are bringing a very talented squad full of players who have broken into full-time KHL work, and some who have found tremendous success at the highest levels in Russia. Most notably, Rangers Top-10 pick, skilled and powerful winger Vitali Kravtsov is the highest NHLeScore of any player in the tournament at a massive 37.5 playing for the KHL's Traktor Chelyabinsk. I wouldn't be surprised to see Kravstov take this tournament over, especially if he's paired with a solid puck possession centre like Minnesota's Alex Khovanov. Draft eligible Vasili Podkozlin should be a contributor as well, and this could be a nice time for him to show the scouting world that his lack of production thus far is no cause for concern.

The questions arise when you realize who the team left off the roster. Calgary's Dmitri Zavgorodny didn't even receive a camp invite, even though his performances on Russian national teams have been exemplary before, and his year in Rimouski has been remarkable thus far. Edmonton pick Kirill Maximov has been great in Niagara and he too was left off the list. Toronto Maple Leafs fan-favourite Semyon Der-Arguchintsev was another name somewhat surprisingly left off. All of these players are used to the smaller ice in North America and have measurable success compared to some of the forward names listed and could've likely been supplementary assets. Russia's defense is traditionally not great, but Washington first rounder Alexander Alexeyev has taken a big step in Red Deer and simply couldn't have been left off the list. He and Kravtsov will be relied upon heavily to offset the likely porous defense this team will have.

The Russians have further strength in net with Columbus pick Daniil Tarasov, Amir Miftakhov and Pyotr Kochetkov to choose from. All are solid goaltenders against men in the KHL's 2nd division, the VHL. They may be busy, but they'll likely be able to keep goals against under control.

This is not a team that I'd write off, and they'll be hungry. They have the individual talent to really take over the tournament, but time will tell if the depth is there to validate the lineup  decisions they made.

While we're on the topic of disappointing teams from 2018, the Finns were upset by the Czechs in a quarterfinal shootout and they'll be looking to avenge their defeat with one heck of a team. The Finns are not afraid to go with young skill, and this year is no different. Kappo Kakko, Mikko Kokkonen, Anton Lundell, Lassi Thomson, Ville Heinola, and Anttoni Honka are all draft eligible in either 2019 or 2020, and many should be expected to make the team and be contributors. Even if this group doesn't achieve the highest standing, the future of the Finnish program is remarkably bright. Kappo Kakko is a lock to be the #2 pick in the draft, and his season against men in the Liiga matches that of Patrik Laine. 

For every great youth player, the Finns also have drafted talent that has the ability to take this tournament over. Rasmus Kupari and Alexsi Heponiemi have been lethal together with Kärpät in the Liiga, Oskari Laaksonen has been a nice surprise for Buffalo, and stocky goal scorer Niklas Nordgren will be hoping to build off of an excellent U-18 tournament last spring. The team may also get a massive boost from skilled power forward Kristian Vesalainen, reliable defender Urho Vaakaanainen, and speedy sniper Eeli Tolvanen should their respective NHL teams release them. Talent like that could make them favourites very quickly.

Their defense is mobile, their forwards are creative and skilled, and they're one of the younger teams in the tournament. With a solid goaltending option in Ukko-Pekka Luukonen, who has transitioned to smaller ice quite nicely, the Finns have a very high ceiling for both this year and next.

It is painfully evident to me that the construction of the American team is perplexing to say the least. There is a solid group of forwards and a good selection of goaltenders, but there have been some remarkable hockey players completely left off the list for this year, especially on defense. Mobile puck movers like Reilly Walsh, Max Gildon, Jack Rathbone, and most egregious of all, Bode Wilde were all left off the camp list in favour of larger, tougher and safer defensemen such as Ty Emberson, Dylan Samberg, Mattias Samuelsson, and Phillip Kemp. That being said, Quinn Hughes, Joey Keane and K'Andre Miller will provide a good group with regards to mobility, it's just that there was so much talent left behind that I wouldn't be surprised to see this team get exposed defensively by faster teams like the Canadians and perhaps the Finns. I get the idea, but it really strikes me as trying 2014 hockey in 2018 by relying on slowing the game down. Young players these days are often just too quick and skilled for players like these to counter, especially in international tournaments where referees are much more likely to send guys to the penalty box for rough n' tough play.

The forward group does look quite dangerous, and they're led by the almost certain #1 pick in 2019, Jack Hughes. Hughes is a gifted skater with great vision while on the ice. If he's getting the puck in the defensive zone, he'll weave through the neutral zone like it's no problem, and he'll do so with tremendous speed. He can make plays out of nothing, and no matter who he's playing with, he'll get the puck where it needs to be in order to put points on the board. The idea of a line of Jack Hughes, Dallas pick Jason Robertson and Islanders first rounder Oliver Wahlstrom should terrify just about everyone, especially if Jack's brother Quinn Hughes is patrolling the blueline. Blackhawks pick Evan Barratt, Canadiens pick Ryan Poehling, San Jose's Alex Chmelevski, Josh "Traded for Erik Karlsson" Norris, and Philadelphia's Joel Farabee will be an excellent group to rely on for secondary scoring as well, and if the team can keep the puck out of their own zone, they will be a tough team to outscore. Defeating this team will also include getting pucks past one of Kyle Keyser, Spencer Knight or Cayden Primeau. All are enticing options and this team will likely be right in contention for a medal. It's just a question of how much a more mobile, modern defense group could have helped to really push this team over the edge.

If the Americans and Finns are going to earn success from their offensive talent, the Swedes will win from the defense out. Simply put, the Swedish defense group should be an absolute menace in this year's tournament. Erik Brännström, Adam Boqvist, Rasmus Sandin, Timothy Liljegren, and Nils Lundqvist and all NHL first round picks. They are all very good hockey players. Three currently play in the AHL, one plays in the SHL, and the other is improving very quickly with the London Knights. There are names up front who can score, and omissions like Albin Eriksson and Jonatan Berggren are questionable, but this is a team that could quietly pick away at your team, generate a ton of shots from the blueline, and capitalize on any greasy goals around the net that may present themselves. Filip Hållander and Jacob Olofsson were steals in the NHL draft,  and they should be a pair to watch. Samuel Fagemo is one of the best overage NHL draft eligibles on paper this year, Emil Bemstrom and Johan Södergran have been great goal scorers in the SHL, and Vegas pick Lukas Elvenes could be a great option to get the puck to them.

The Swedes look like a very strong team. They may have some issues with goal scoring depth, but their defense is likely to go toe-to-toe with the Canadian group this season. So long as their goaltending can hold things together, they should be a force in this year's tournament. 

I'm trying very hard to remove my Canadian bias, but this team is a favourite to medal, and to me, the favourite to win. There were some names they left at home that were particularly disappointing to me, such as Ryan Merkley, Akil Thomas, WHL leading scorer Trey Fix-Wolansky, or Connor Dewar, but overall this team looks deep, skilled, fast, and smart.

Ty Smith has had one of the best season of any drafted prospect of any age outside of the NHL this season with an enormous 41% INV%, and Montreal 2017 pick Josh Brook is not far behind with a 40.3%. Having those two in the same defense group is outrageous, and the idea of tossing Evan Bouchard, Calen Addison, and Noah Dobson, into that group is mouthwatering. Beyond that, you've got Jacob Bernard-Docker, Nicolas Beaudin, and Jared McIsaac to choose from. Many of the top names are right-handed, so there may be some heartbreak if the team chooses to play strictly to handedness, but the raw talent is there to be an absolute force. Up front you have absolutely ridiculous names like Cody Glass, Nick Suzuki, Morgan Frost, Barrett Hayton, Ty Dellandrea, Owen Tippett, and 2020 eligible Alexis Lafrenière. This team is built to win the thing.

I'll put it this way, a 20+ NHLeScore is roughtly what you'd expect from a first round NHL pick in a given year, regardless of age or position. There are 30 listed on camp rosters so far. Canada has 13 of them. That doesn't include Gabe Vilardi or Max Comtois either.  Finland is next with 6. Swapping out names like Crotty, Joseph, Phillips, Entwistle, and Bowers for names like Ryan Merkley, Trey Fix-Wolansky, Stelio Mattheos, and even Serron Noel or Kirby Dach would've pushed that number even higher. It isn't all about production of course, but the measurable difference would be significant.

To to the pile of talent, Ian Scott, the hottest goaltender in Canadian hockey is likely to make the team with Mike DiPietro. Both have been tough to beat this year and will likely be a reliable group behind an exceptional defense core.

This Canadian team contains one of the best junior defense groups that I can remember, and their offense isn't far behind. While there were names I would've liked to have been given a chance by Hockey Canada, the team they've selected is an interesting blend of skill that has huge talent where it counts. They'll likely be a team that will be a major issue to deal with regardless of who they put on the ice and they look like an early team to beat.

NOTE: At time of writing, no cuts had been made, but as of publishing, Ty Dellandrea has been cut from the Canadian Camp. This is somewhat surprising considering his year so far, but likely doesn't remove the team from their position on this list.

The 2019 World Junior Championship is poised to be another great installment in what has become some of the best non-NHL hockey of the year. For a lot of these kids, it's the pinnacle of their hockey careers. For many, it's a great chance to impress NHL scouts on a major stage. For fans, it's a fantastic way to get a look at your favourite prospects. Names like Jack Hughes, Alexis Lafreniere, Quinn Hughes, and Kappo Kakko are looking to add to their already lengthy resumes and all hope to go far.

While Canada is a favourite, this tournament is known for it's upsets and surprises. A team like the Czech Republic is loaded with some high level talent playing a step below the NHL and could surprise someone in their expected quarterfinal game. The junior hockey world is equalizing over time, and every year that trend gets put on display and often times, the unexpected happens. This tournament is one that I look forward to every year, and if you and your family haven't gotten drunk on the World Junior Kool-Aid yet, it's very delicious.

As promised, in case the embedded spreadsheet isn't ​functioning properly for you, here's the direct link to the Google Sheet. Enjoy!

Today is quite a big day for me, as it's the beginning of the launch of a more full and robust Scouching platform. The studio for video production is nearing completion, the subscriptions are starting to be paid for, and the fundraising platform is close to being ready for launch.

I started Scouching in 2016 with the hope of bringing some more analytical insight into the NHL and it's draft, but over time, I've sunk more and more time into the project, and I feel ready to push it to the next step. Here's what you can expect moving forward:

1. Video Analysis of prospects for the upcoming NHL draft.
2. Monthly NHL review videos on the state of the league.
3. NHL prospect pool analysis.
4. Livestreaming during select NHL broadcasts.
5. Eventually, road tripping to junior games, documenting the whole thing for you on the YouTube.
6. With enough interest, a cash prize fantasy hockey league, the Golden Scouch Association.

There's more to come as well, but there's a decent framework, to keep up, definitely keep an eye on the pages linked below.