1 prospect from each NHL team to watch at 2026 world juniors
The 2026 World Junior Hockey Championship starts Friday, and as per usual, there will be plenty of future NHL talent on display.
The Americans are striving for a third straight gold medal after taking the title last year in overtime against Finland.
Here's one prospect from each NHL team to watch at the tournament.
Note: The Carolina Hurricanes, Columbus Blue Jackets, and Vegas Golden Knights don't have a prospect playing at this year's tournament. Vegas prospect Trevor Connelly was ruled out Monday night due to injury. The other 29 NHL teams have at least one affiliated player participating.
Pettersson has tallied an impressive nine goals in Sweden's top league. If he gets time alongside thrilling 2026 draft prospect Ivar Stenberg, he could be a surprise player near the top of the scoring charts.
Hagens centered the United States' first line last year and will get the same assignment in the coming days. The Boston College standout must be an MVP candidate if the U.S. is to three-peat, unlike a year ago when he was the complementary center next to Ryan Leonard and Gabe Perreault.
The Sabres opted not to loan Finland's Konsta Helenius from the AHL, making Mrtka the prime prospect to watch for Buffalo fans. The 6-foot-6 rearguard moves well for his size and will play important defensive minutes for Czechia.
Parekh gets his chance to show out at the world juniors after being snubbed by Canada last year. One of the most dominant offensive defensemen in OHL history, Parekh will be expected to shine in a big role, particularly on the power play, after his underwhelming start in the NHL with the Flames.
Blackhawks fans will be thrilled to watch Chicago's third overall pick in a prominent role with Sweden. Frondell is a lethal sniper and a candidate to lead the tournament in goals, as Sweden looks to end its 14-year gold-medal drought.
Curran, Colorado's lone representative, is primed to feature in Czechia's top six amid a strong offensive season in the WHL with the Edmonton Oil Kings.
A 2024 first-round pick, Hemming has exploded offensively with the OHL's Barrie Colts this season. He ranks fourth in the league with 1.65 points per game. He'll be a key offensive weapon for Finland in his third world junior.
Plante, the midseason front-runner for the Hobey Baker, should feature prominently for the United States. He's an intelligent and crafty winger and may slide to the middle given the team's lack of center options.
Lewandowski is one of three NHL-drafted players on Germany's roster. The fourth-rounder, who leads the WHL's Saskatoon Blades in scoring, will play a significant role as Germany looks to bounce back from a lackluster 2025 tournament.
Eriksson returns from last year's Swedish team. He hasn't been a notable offensive driver since being drafted in the second round by the Panthers, but he's a former captain of Sweden's under-18 team and is likely to be a valuable defensive center at this year's event.
Petteri Rimpinen won Best Goaltender last year and was drafted by the Kings this summer, but eyes will be on Carter George as Canada's netminder. George, soon to become a rare two-time Canadian starter, had the best numbers of any starter a year ago, but the team bowed out in the quarters.
The diminutive Benak - Czechia's big X-factor - has done nothing but produce. The 5-foot-8 forward is the all-time top scorer at the Hlinka Gretzky Cup and has torn up the OHL this year with 43 points in 26 contests. A big tournament from the fourth-round pick could mean Czechia takes home a medal.
Habs fans are rightfully excited about Hage, who's been excellent at the University of Michigan and has earned his first international appearance. He could be Montreal's fix at second-line center long term, but for now, Hage is primed to feature in a notable role for Canada.
The fifth overall pick in June, Martin will be a huge asset for Team Canada with his physicality, and he has the offensive chops to finish the great looks he'll get playing next to elite talent. He was a big standout in Canada's pre-tournament action.
Pikkarainen is the Devils' only prospect at the tournament. He missed most of last season due to a knee injury and has yet to score a goal in Finland's pro league upon returning this campaign. A stint at the world juniors could be what the 2024 third-rounder needs.
Even with 18-year-old Matthew Schaefer on the NHL roster, Islanders fans have multiple exciting prospects to watch at this year's world juniors. Top of the list is returning American sniper Eiserman. He didn't play much in the U.S.' gold-medal effort a year ago but was very productive in his minutes. He's expected to play a much more significant role this time around.
Emery may not record a point at the tournament, but what he lacks in the offensive zone, he makes up for defensively. Emery is expected to be a key penalty killer for Team USA and could feature on the first pair with Cole Hutson.
Hensler won gold with Team USA a year ago before being selected by the Senators. The University of Wisconsin blue-liner isn't small at 6-foot-3, yet he's quite mobile. Hensler projects to log important minutes for the Americans.
Martone got a taste of the world juniors last year in a depth role and now projects to feature on Canada's top line with Michael Misa and Gavin McKenna. The 6-foot-3 winger has found his groove at Michigan State and will play a massive offensive role for Team Canada. He has superb skill and could dominate the event with his size.
Canada's Harrison Brunicke has been playing in the NHL, but the player to watch for the Penguins is University of Michigan sophomore Will Horcoff. The son of former NHLer Shawn Horcoff, Will has 19 goals and 28 points in only 20 games. The 6-foot-5 forward could lead the tournament in goals.
Misa will be just the third top-two pick in the past decade to play at the world juniors after being drafted. As a result, expectations will be high for Misa, especially after he was snubbed from last year's Canadian roster. He's centered the top line for the tournament favorites in pre-tournament play.
With Canada's Berkly Catton still on the NHL roster, Kraken fans' attention turns to Miettinen for the world junior. The 6-foot-4 forward ranks fourth in the WHL in points per game with 42 points in 27 contests. He'll need to be a tournament standout if Finland is to repeat last year's silver medal effort.
Jiricek leads a strong Czech blue line. He's at his third world junior, though his first was cut short due to a knee injury. Jiricek has been superb on a dominant Brantford Bulldogs team in the OHL and will play significant minutes as Czechia seriously threatens for a medal.
It's no surprise to see O'Reilly on Team Canada given his experience playing for its general manager (Mark Hunter) and head coach (Dale Hunter) with the OHL's London Knights. He'll play a depth role and factor into defensive situations primarily.
The Maple Leafs have a prospect on Team Canada for the third consecutive year. Danford won't make noise as an offensive contributor, but he looks set to play a key defensive and penalty-killing role.
Iginla has come back flying after missing much of last season due to hip surgery. The 2024 sixth overall pick has 27 points in just 17 WHL games. Jarome Iginla, Hockey Hall of Famer and Tij's father, won Best Forward at the world juniors in 1996 and led Canada to gold. Maybe Tij has some world junior magic in his genes.
The Canucks gave Cootes a look in the NHL to begin the year, and he's been very good upon returning to the junior level. He'll be a bottom-six energy guy and penalty killer for Canada. Next year, Cootes will get more shine higher in the lineup - if he isn't in the NHL.
Hutson already led last year's tournament in scoring. What heights can he reach this time around? The highly skilled blue-liner has a chance to be the first defenseman to win tournament MVP since Thomas Chabot in 2017.
The Jets selected Boumedienne in the first round in June after he showed out at the Under-18s with 14 points in seven games. He could get a look as Sweden's power-play quarterback on what's expected to be a lethal unit.