The excitement continues to build for the 2018 International Ice Hockey Federation World Junior Championship. Every year this tournament is heaven for fans who enjoy following hockey prospects, but I think it might be particularly exceptional year when it comes to the European rosters.
Three European teams join Team USA and Team Canada with legitimate gold medal hopes, while a sixth squad -- the Czech Republic -- makes for an intriguing dark horse. The level of future NHL talent on these rosters seems to be as good as we've seen it.
There are too many high-level players coming from the eight European nations traveling to Buffalo to cover them all, but to get you ready for the tournament, here's a sampling of top NHL prospects on the European teams to watch throughout the tournament. Be sure to check out our Team USA and Team Canada team previews, as well.
Team USA | Team Canada
Sweden
From top to bottom, I think Sweden has the most talent of any team in this tournament. The Swedes also just got word that Alex Nylander will be loaned from the Buffalo Sabres, making an elite roster even better. They have been a force at the World Juniors over the past decade, but they have just one gold medal to show for it, coming back in 2012. This team should absolutely compete for gold, but we say that every single year. I think this group might have the goods to break the country's unfortunate trend at this tournament.
Rasmus Dahlin, D, Frolunda (2018): The consensus No. 1 pick for the 2018 draft, Dahlin has a golden opportunity to solidify his position and give NHL fans a taste of what's to come in what should be an entertaining career. Sweden really needs him to have a big tournament if it expects to shake its label as a medal-round choker.
You've probably already seen the highlight reels of Dahlin. He is a highly skilled blueliner with the ability to take over every shift. Few defensemen are more dangerous with the puck on their sticks. He has 11 points in 26 Swedish Hockey League games this season, but will have a chance to really showcase his skills against his same-age peers. He was on the team as an under-ager last season, but was planted on the bench during Sweden's semifinal against Canada, a harshly-criticized decision by Tomas Monten (behind the bench again for the Swedes this year). One would expect it will be a much different story this year. Expect massive minutes and ice time in crucial situations from Dahlin.
Elias Pettersson, C/RW, Vaxjo (Vancouver Canucks): With the season Pettersson is having, the expectations for him could not be higher in this tournament. The No. 5 pick in 2017 was the leading scorer in the Swedish Hockey League before leaving to prepare for the WJC, tallying 35 points in just 26 games for Vaxjo. His 1.35 points per game is the second-best all-time scoring rate in the SHL for an under-20 player, trailing only Kent Nilsson's 1.5 rate in 1975-76. The names not far behind Pettersson on that list are incredible: Peter Forsberg, Markus Naslund and the Sedin brothers. So if he's doing that at the professional level, what is he going to do at the World Juniors?
At last year's tournament, Pettersson had just one assist, but he'll play a featured role on the team this year. I've only had the chance to see Pettersson on video a few times so far this year, but the confidence he possesses with the puck and his ability to do pretty much whatever he wants with it is a sight to behold. He has solid puck skills and can make space for himself to really open things up in the offensive zone. He could be the key to unlocking the next level Sweden has to get to in order to win the tournament.
Alexander Nylander, RW, Rochester Americans (Buffalo Sabres): After just being assigned to Sweden from the Amerks earlier in the week, Nylander has a big opportunity to get back on track. He has had a rocky road as a drafted prospect, but he'll be returning to a tournament that he absolutely dominated last year with 12 points in seven games. Now he'll have a chance to play in front of Sabres fans. With only six points in 15 AHL games since returning from injury, sending Nylander to the World Juniors was absolutely the right call for the Sabres as Nylander looks to build back his confidence.
Timothy Liljegren, D, Toronto Marlies (Toronto Maple Leafs): Another Swede plying his trade in the AHL, Liljegren will have a chance to play a big role at the WJC. He has been a solid performer for the Marlies with eight points in 17 games so far. This defense corps has exceptional depth, so it will be interesting to see what kind of situations Liljegren will end up being used in. Having played the entire year in North America, Sweden won't have to worry about him defending on the smaller ice surface.
Lias Andersson, C, Frolunda (New York Rangers): Another high-impact returnee from last year's team, Andersson is going to have a lot of interested observers. After being sent back to Sweden, he's performed pretty well. The 2017 No. 7 pick is second among U20 players in the Swedish league with 14 points and is certainly showing progression this year. He'll be viewed as a potential offensive leader for the Swedes. With three goals last year, we should expect to see an uptick as he takes on an elevated role.
Finland
Another incredibly skilled team, Finland has a great chance to storm back from a dreadful 2017 WJC that saw it finish ninth. The strength of this squad will be its dynamic blue line which could be stacked with as many as five first-round draft picks. As usual, Finland should be particularly stingy in their own end, but with all of that talent on the back end, it should be a bigger threat in transition, as well. Don't sleep on the Finns in what should be a big bounce-back year for their U20 program.
Eeli Tolvanen, LW, Jokerit (Nashville Predators): Perhaps one of the most dynamic goal scorers in this tournament, Tolvanen has taken the KHL by storm as an 18-year-old rookie. While Tolvanen is a great talent, I don't think anyone could have foreseen him becoming a top-20 scorer in the KHL and putting together the most productive season by an under-19 player in the league's history. His success this year raises expectations sky high for him at the World Juniors, and he may even end up on Finland's Olympic team this year.
Tolvanen possesses a lot of the tools it takes to be a high-end goal scorer. The release on his shot is certainly right up there among the best in his peer group, but he is also really good at getting himself to high-percentage areas on the ice. Despite that skill, he'll let shots fly from anywhere, which is why teams are always going to have to be aware of him when he's on the ice. Tolvanen had six points in last year's tournament as a 17-year-old.
Miro Heiskanen, D, HIFK (Dallas Stars): He has been overshadowed a bit coming into the tournament, but I think Heiskanen has a chance to be the best blueliner in Buffalo. He is having an incredible season for HIFK, playing more minutes than any other defenseman in Liiga at nearly 25 minutes per game. He'll be seeing the ice a bunch against top opponents in this tournament. This is a really smart defenseman, who is as effective in his own end as he is at the other. With nine goals and 14 points in 20 games this year, Heiskanen appears to be unlocking more elements in his game.
Though Finland has a lot of options on the back end, you'd have to think the 2017 No. 3 pick will be looked to as their centerpiece on the blue line. With both the U.S. and Canada in the same group in the preliminary round, this is going to be an excellent chance to see how Heiskanen can handle going head-to-head against the best. Aside from Sweden's Dahlin, there isn't a defenseman I'm looking forward to watching more in this tournament.
Aleksi Heponiemi, C, Swift Current Broncos (Florida Panthers): Currently having an absurd season with 71 points in just 29 games (not a typo) in the WHL, Heponiemi is going to be an interesting player up front for Finland for a number of reasons. First off, he has never played in an IIHF World Championship event at either the U18 or U20 level. This is arguably the biggest stage of he has ever played on in his career. With such high-end playmaking ability, it will be interesting to see where Finland puts him in the lineup to maximize his talents.
Olli Juolevi, D, TPS (Vancouver Canucks): It has been an interesting few years for Juolevi. The Canucks sending him home to get some pro reps with TPS this season may help the 19-year-old, and by most accounts, he is playing well in Liiga. He has 14 points in 20 games while playing top-four minutes for TPS. He should be looking for redemption this year, as well. He was excellent when Finland won gold in this tournament two years ago, but struggled as the team's captain last year. This will be a good chance to see where he's at this season.
Russia
There is always a lot of talent on Russia's rosters, but it's going to be interesting to see how longtime U20 coach Valeri Bragin uses what is available to him. The last time the tournament was in Buffalo, Russia took home the gold in dramatic fashion. It would take another monumental effort to achieve such a feat given the depth of its opposition this year, but with some especially potent scorers, you can never count out the Russians.
Andrei Svechnikov, RW, Barrie Colts (2018): Assuming he makes the team as an 17-year-old -- Russia tends to lean toward older players for their World Junior rosters -- Svechnikov could be an impact player. The consensus No. 2 ranked prospect for the 2018 draft, Svechnikov has been a dominant player in the OHL with 14 goals in 16 games for Barrie. He was sidelined for a few weeks with an injury, but I watched some film of his second game back, and he hasn't lost a step. He remains a powerful winger with great finishing abilities, particularly in close. Svechnikov is a really difficult player to contain.
Klim Kostin, C/W, San Antonio Rampage (St. Louis Blues): It should be a pretty intriguing WJC for Blues fans with players like Jordan Kyrou and Robert Thomas playing for Canada and Kostin likely on the Russia roster. The big forward had a really strong start in the AHL, but has cooled off of late with just two points in his last 12 games. The AHL is a remarkably tough league for an 18-year-old, so the lack of scoring is far from concerning.
Vitaly Abramov, LW, Victoriaville Tigres (Columbus Blue Jackets): One of the more dynamic forwards on this highly skilled Russian team, Abramov has 47 points in 39 QMJHL games this year. The undersized winger is going to help Russia match up with a lot of the speedier teams it'll see in the tournament. It has been a few years since Abramov represented Russia in an international tournament, so we'll have to see if that affects the way he is used in this tournament.
Mikhail Maltsev, SKA St. Petersburg (New Jersey Devils): Russia tends to lean most heavily on their home-based players, and they're usually good enough to deliver. Maltsev really stood out to me at the Canada-Russia series in the fall. He's a big guy who moves well and has a devastating release. He's been moved around a bit in the SKA St. Petersburg organization this year, but there is no doubt he has a high level of talent. If he's used in this tournament like he was in that Canada-Russia series, he should be a pretty important piece for Russia.
Czech Republic
The Czechs are my dark horse. Not necessarily to win, but to make things a little uncomfortable for some of the top teams. There are more higher-end skill players coming out after some recent lean years. I don't think they have the depth to compete with top clubs, but if you get some goaltending, they have enough skill up front to keep their opponents honest.
Filip Chytil, C, Hartford Wolf Pack (New York Rangers): After managing to stick with the Rangers for a little bit to start the season, expectations for Chytil are continuing to soar at the AHL level. Though he had to deal with some injury trouble of late, he has 12 points in 15 AHL games. At just 18, that's a pretty strong stat line. Having played at such an advanced level, the Czechs desperately need Chytil to make an impact and take advantage of the chances he'll create for himself.
Filip Zadina, LW, Halifax Mooseheads (2018): Zadina is probably one of the forwards I'm most looking forward to seeing in this tournament. He has been incredible in the QMJHL for a stacked Halifax squad with 46 points in 32 games, and a productive tournament for Zadina would be huge for the Czechs. He has a great chance to go in the top five of the upcoming NHL Draft.
Martin Necas, C/RW, HC Brno (Carolina Hurricanes): Last year's No. 12 pick was sent back to develop some more in the Czech Republic pro ranks. It appears to be going well so far, as he has five points in 12 league games and added a pair in Champions League play, as well. Necas is a returning player for the Czechs, having put up three points in five games last year.
Other nations
Switzerland: Philipp Kurashev, C/W, Quebec Remparts (2018)
Denmark: Joachim Blichfeld, LW, Portland Winterhawks (San Jose Sharks)
Slovakia: Adam Ruzicka, C/W, Sarnia Sting (Calgary Flames)
Belarus: Maxim Sushko, RW, Owen Sound Attack (Philadelphia Flyers)