Wrapping Up Day Two of the World Juniors

The second day of the World Junior Championships may have been bereft of Canucks prospect, but the middleweight International teams in play put on a great and somewhat relevant show all the same.

The combined Belarusian, Suisse, Slovakian and Danish forces had six players eligible for the 2016 NHL Draft between them and another two who will likely hear their names called in 2017. While the Belarusian effort was impressive, the results were lacking as they dropped a hard fought 4-2 victory to the Slovaks. Denmark put in a similarly gutsy effort, knocking the favoured Swiss off their perch with a 2-1 win of their own.

I don’t aim to breakdown either game, as both have long since passed and bear little consequence in the Vancouver market. I will, however, provide some insight into the draft eligible players involved, as they very well could at some point.

Some of my contacts in Slovakia have indicated that the sports is losing it’s hold on their nation. Coverage is sparse and it doesn’t appear as though there will be a next generation of stars to carry the torch that players like Marian Hossa and Zdeno Chara have so admirably brandished in years past. It’s been a while since I last visited Bratislava (I have never visited Bratislava) so I can’t speak to this on a personal level. Looking at the quality of their roster, it might carry a little more weight; especially now that Martin Reway has graduated.

In terms of draft eligible players in today’s contest, the Slovakian side featured just one skater, Filip Lestan. They are also carrying a draft eligible goaltender in David Hrenak, but he didn’t see the ice in today’s contest. The World Juniors are often referred to as a nineteen year olds tournament, but it’s perhaps an ominous sign of the times that they’re so bereft of game breaking talent at the younger ranks. 

I’ve a fair amount of intrigue where Lestan is concerned. On the one hand, his counting numbers are barren as the Sahara; on the other, he’s graduated to playing against men in the SHL in spite of this. Lestan has great size at 6’5, but could stand to put a little more weight on his sub-200 pound frame. 

The Slovaks primarily used Lestan in a bottom-six role, although he slotted into their second-unit power play as well. Lestan would eventually score on a tic-tac-toe passing play, driving the net unaccounted for. Not the most difficult goal, but credit where credit is due and all that fine stuff.

Lestan’s name is near impossible to find in any of the preliminary draft rankings I scoured. Peculiar, especially given his experience against men in the SHL. The skating stride of Lestan is peculiar and agility isn’t necessarily his strong suit. Who knows, maybe this is a player that slides into the draft? Just as likely he’s passed over.

The one player who really caught my eye in this game was Yegor Sharangovic of the Belarusian’s. Sharangovic is a first year draft eligible forward, currently plying his trade in Dynamo-Raubichi of the MHL. The White Russians used Sharangovic primarily on their first line as a centre, but also deployed him on both special teams – first unit power play and second unit penalty kill alike.

None of the draft resources I’ve scoured so much as mention Sharangovic. A cursory glance at his counting numbers indicates there might be a player worth Jim Benning’s attention. If one were to prorate the production of Sharangovic, relative to the games played by Dimitry Zhukenov in his final MHL season, Sharangovic is three points ahead. What separates the two is lack of international experience, given Belarus’ inability to stay relevant more than a few years at a time.

I was highly impressed by the two-way acumen of Sharangovic and his ability to contribute in all phases of the game. Sharangovic was a great outlet for his defenders, often finding himself well below the hashmarks in support. Would not be surprised to see Sharangovic’s name enter the conversation in the later rounds of the 2016 Draft, assuming his trajectory remains constant. There’s a market inefficiency to be exploited here, methinks.

I’ve always been sympathetic to the cause of lesser hockey nations. That probably sounds a lot more elitist and #PleaseLikeMyCountry than I’d hoped, but oh well. The Danish and Suisse are two nations on the rise to prominence in the hockey world and getting to watch them slowly grow from relative obscurity has been kind of neat.

Both sides are victim to the realities of age restrictions and the graduation of some of their stars. On the Danish side, they will be without Oliver Bjorkstrand and Nikolaj Ehlers, while the Suisse are reeling off the loss of Kevin Fiala. In place of these graduated stars are a cast of draft eligible forwards on the Danish side and a highly experienced roster for Switzerland.

The Danish first line is an absolute coup for youth, as it’s centered by Nikolaj Krag Christensen with Matthias From on his left flank. Both are first year eligible prospects and one has already received a mid-to-late round ranking from CSS. Both Christensen and From are plying their trade among adults, with the former playing in the Danish men’s league while the latter has been used sparingly in the SHL.

Interestingly enough, the CSS ‘C’ ranking was applied to Christensen, rather than From. Then again, CSS thought of Lawson Crouse as the superior choice to Mitch Marner. From reminds me of Jake Virtanen, in that the physical tools jump off the screen and demand your attention. In his entirety, From is a very raw prospect who also struggles to process the game and could stand to better use his linemates.

While the raw potential of a player with From’s speed and ability to carry the puck was eye catching, the overall game of Christensen was more impressive in today’s contest. I found Christensen to be much better away from the puck and much more active in facilitating sustained offence. It was also Christensen who did the leg work in setting From up for the game winning tally in the third.

There’s some mid-round talent here to be sure and if they continue to be showcased on the International stage, there’s no doubt they will be catching the eye of Benning at some point.