Written By: Ryan Humphrey
Edited By: Cameron Schoffro
Once again, another World Juniors Championships has come and gone with Canada coming oh so close to victory. Unfortunately, team Canada was outmatched by the high-flying United States team, ultimately leading to defeat in the gold medal game. The World Juniors consists of some of the best NHL prospects and the most coveted future draft eligible players where they can showcase their talents on the big stage. Every World Juniors, prospects attempt to rise to the challenge and stamp their mark as NHL ready players, however, some prospects fail to perform in such a challenging environment. We are going to take a look at some of the studs and duds of the World Juniors and break down their play throughout the tournament.
The Studs of the Tournament:
Trevor Zegras
Anaheim Ducks 2019 9th overall pick, Trevor Zegras, absolutely annihilated the 2021 World Junior Championship. He put up 18 points in just 7 games, leading him on the road to be the top point producer in the tournament and gold medalist. Zegras displayed his elite offensive talent with both goals and assists, with a staggering 7 goals and 11 assists with an even more impressive +9 plus/minus. Throughout the tournament Zegras seemed to have the puck follow him around, a player you hate to play against but love having by your side; this is evident due to his high positional awareness to be in the right spot at the right time. Zegras’ World Juniors performance also spotlighted his two key attributes as a potential NHL ready player, his elite distribution of the puck and his consistent defensive responsibility. His puck distribution translated into his power play success making him a deadly player with his quick touch passes. Zegras’ pin-point accurate and deadly shot will transfer over nicely to the NHL, as the Ducks are lacking in the powerplay department. Trevor Zegras made substantial development from last year’s tournament, where he only put up 9 points and zero goals. His line may have broken Canadians hearts during the gold medal game, by absolutely dominating our top line, but man, were they ever fun to watch.
Dylan Cozens
The “Workhorse from Whitehorse” as many Canadians have come to know him from this last World Juniors Championship. Dylan Cozens was a complete stud for team Canada consistently throughout the tournament filling in for injured Kirby Dach as team captain, shared with Bowen Byram. Cozens displayed his dominant leadership by setting the tone for team Canada each and every game, which eventually led to him finishing second in overall point production for the tournament. Cozens finished just under USA’s Trevor Zegras amounting 16 points with 8 goals and 8 assists, and +11 plus/minus in just seven games. His play style is nothing flashy, but he brings a physical presence to his two-way game, being able to protect the puck with his toughness and strength. As impressive as Cozens was this tournament, he has consistently been a top producer for Canada at the World Juniors sitting at 4th overall in points among Canadian players all-time. Being the Buffalo Sabres 7th overall draft pick in 2019, Cozens has separated himself as an NHL ready player with nothing more to prove on the junior level. It is also evident his size and strength will transfer over smoothly to NHL play.
Tim Stuetzel
Now, where to even begin? After signing his entry level contract with the Ottawa Senators during the World Juniors tournament, Stuetzle continued to put on a show, taking control of the low-regarded German team. Stuetzle finished the tournament with 5 goals and 5 assists, 2 goals and 2 assists being against Switzerland, leading his reduced roster to the country’s first ever quarterfinals. He has begun to be a human highlight real and displays excellent strength, shiftiness, and poise as a leader. Sens fans will ever need to worry about his conditioning, as he played a staggering average ice time that makes viewers tired just thinking about it. Tim Stuetzle is a true leader whose tenacity and skill resonates with his teammates and will eventually lead to dominance in his role on the Ottawa Senators’ offensive front.
Duds of The Tournament
Quinton Byfield
With a star-studded Canadian World Juniors lineup overflowed with first-round NHL draft picks, once again Quinton Byfield failed to showcase his elite potential during the tournament. The second overall pick in this year’s draft was unable to produce in his first World Juniors appearance last year, which is understandable considering the tournament usually revolves around an older set of rosters. Unfortunately, Byfield’s performance once again was underwhelming as he finished the tournament with 2 goals and 5 assists. Although this may seem like a stellar performance, 6 of Byfield’s 7 points came against an easy 10-0 win against Switzerland during the preliminary rounds. Byfield seemed to lack a sense of confidence and poise in his play, easily getting stripped of the puck and not being able to get his elite offensive production skills going. Also, Byfield lacked the physical dominance that you would expect from a 6’4 skater and does not seem to use his size to his advantage with puck protection. Byfield was the youngest skater on team Canada, so this could have been a contributor to his underwhelming success, as he has not had the same NHL camp opportunities as his teammates. If Byfield wants to make the next jump onto the Los Angeles Kings roster, we need to see more physical presence and control out of his game.
The World Juniors is one of the most exciting annual tournaments, where junior players can showcase their skills on the mainstage. With NHL camps in progression, there will be a ton of World Juniors studs that are going to contribute to their team’s success on the next level. Many players are eligible to return to the World Juniors next year, making the battle for World Juniors gold oh so exciting once again.
References
- IIHF. (2020, January 5). IIHF - Statistics 2020 IIHF World Junior Championship. Retrieved January 12, 2021, from https://www.iihf.com/en/events/2020/wm20/skaters/scoringleaders
- IIHF. (2021, January 5). IIHF - Statistics 2021 IIHF WORLD JUNIOR CHAMPIONSHIP. Retrieved January 12, 2021, from https://www.iihf.com/en/events/2021/wm20/skaters/scoringleaders
- NHL. (n.d.). Trevor Zegras Stats and News. Retrieved January 12, 2021, from https://www.nhl.com/player/trevor-zegras-8481533
- TSN. (2019, June 22). Yukon's Dylan Cozens drafted seventh overall by Buffalo Sabres at NHL draft. Retrieved January 12, 2021, from https://www.tsn.ca/yukon-s-dylan-cozens-drafted-seventh-overall-by-buffalo-sabres-at-nhl-draft-1.1326691
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