2026 World Juniors: Top 10 NHL prospects who stood out during round robin
ST. PAUL AND MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. – The longest portion of the 2026 World Junior Championship is complete. Now, the real fun begins.
The round robin is complete, meaning every battle from now on will be a single-game elimination. Friday will feature five games, starting with the relegation contest between Germany and Denmark, and then four solid quarterfinal matchups.
We have lots of player data to build on – and after watching all 20 games so far, we’ve decided to identify 10 of the best NHL prospects after four games per team. For those looking for more on the undrafted prospects shining through, check back on Saturday.
But for now, let’s take a look at 10 of the top standouts in Minnesota so far this month:
1. Adam Jiricek, D, Czechia (St. Louis Blues)
The Czechs would probably have allowed another 2-3 goals against Canada if not for Jiricek’s blocked shots. They were going to lose against Finland if it wasn’t for his incredible between-the-legs goal, too. Not only has Jiricek been the best defenseman at this tournament, but he has been the best player, period. He’s not as flashy as Tomas Galvas (the undrafted wizard making some incredible plays for the Czechs), but his refined two-way game made it look like he was playing on another level the past week.
2. Michael Hage, C, Canada (Montreal Canadiens)
Canada’s early performance in the tournament was underwhelming, but Hage was one of the few who thrived every night. He had at least one point in every game, including three points against Czechia. His game-winning goal in overtime against Latvia – on his sixth shot of the game – showed how lethal he could be in open space. He has recorded at least one point in every game since the start of the pre-tournament against Sweden, putting him on a 12-game point streak dating back to November with the University of Michigan. He’s feeling it, and Canada will need that momentum the rest of the way.
3. Zayne Parekh, D, Canada (Calgary Flames)
If you’re looking for simple, controlled hockey, Parekh isn’t for you. But if you want chaos, Parekh is the absolute best at it. Overall, he has done a decent job of bouncing back from mistakes, but he needs to limit them if he’s going to be truly impactful. But the highs have been so high that you can’t help but be happy here. Parekh was a bit slow to the punch, but now that he’s fully in the swing of things, you can easily understand why he was an NHLer this season – he’s as skilled a defender as you’ll find at this tournament. Parekh is a rockstar, through and through. I’m just giving Hage the edge just because I’ve seen him make fewer mistakes.
4. Will Zellers, RW, USA (Boston Bruins)
The Americans initially omitted Zellers on their camp roster, only for him to be added later and shine during the pre-tournament. An injury to Trevor Connelly opened up more opportunities for Zellers, and he didn’t let it go to waste. He scored the game-winning goal in each of USA’s first three games, and finished the round-robin with seven points total. His ability to come up clutch, especially against Germany when that game was still tight, was crucial. Zellers is an early MVP candidate because the Americans would have had a much tougher tournament without him.
5. Vojtěch Čihař, LW, Czechia (Los Angeles Kings)
The Czechs don’t have a No. 1 forward like Sweden, but they win by committee. Čihař, in particular, was the most impressive with seven points in four games. He had a huge opener against Canada, registering five shots and three points in the eventual loss. He had points in each of the next three games, including a pair of assists to win 2-1 over Finland. Čihař has been playing with so much confidence, which, after posting just eight points in 27 games against men in the top Czech league in the first half, has to be great for his confidence.
6. Brady Martin, RW, Canada (Nashville Predators)
Martin is a tough cookie to crack. He’s a great passer who has given Canada’s second line some serious energy and muscle. His ability to create opportunities through the middle for Hage and Gavin McKenna has proven to be a perfect fit, and he’s been nabbing points in each game, as well. Martin plays his best hockey when the stakes are high and he’s needed to create chaos. He’s one of Canada’s top forwards in the offensive zone, and is equally good as a shooter and a passer. As one scout recently said, “He’s built for the spotlight.”
7. Václav Nestrašil, RW, Czechia (Chicago Blackhawks)
I really, really Nestrašil. The 6-foot-6 forward is truly a menacing figure. He hits hard, plays hard and shoots even harder. He dominated Canada and Denmark physically and appeared quicker than the last time I saw him in person. Even away from the puck, I thought he did an outstanding job of breaking up plays and winning individual battles. I wrote earlier in the tournament that Blackhawks fans should absolutely believe the hype around Nestrašil – he’s a monster.
8. Heikki Ruohonen, C, Finland (Philadelphia Flyers)
Ruohonen was a two-way beast for the Finns. Like Czechia, the Finns lacked a true offensive game-changer, so they had to rely more on the group as a whole. Fortunately, that allowed someone like Ruohonen to shine. He never seemed to take a shift off – his footwork was great, and he broke up a lot of plays in the defensive zone. Between him and Montreal Canadiens prospect Aatos Koivu, it felt like the Finns were in control whenever one of them was on the ice. In Ruohonen’s case, he also had a few great passes that led to goals, and I think he was one of the better two-way players overall.
9. Anton Frondell, RW, Sweden (Chicago Blackhawks)
Frondell getting moved to the wing at the start of training camp really paid off here. Frondell is better when he’s focusing on generating offense, especially with his patented one-timer from the right dot. Sweden looked significantly worse when Frondell wasn’t able to get any pucks on net against Switzerland, but he made up for it with great showings the rest of the night. Frondell did most of his shot generation on the man advantage, but if it wasn’t for Frondell, the Swedes could have easily found themselves with a disappointing record in the round-robin. That’s how important he was.
10. Love Härenstam, G, Sweden (St. Louis Blues)
I didn’t love Sweden’s goalie situation heading into the tournament but I was won over thanks to Härenstam. He went 3-0-0 with a .920 save percentage, facing over 30 shots twice. Sweden wasn’t a high-end scoring machine until the second half of the tournament, which meant Härenstam had to be important in those tight games against Switzerland and Slovakia. For what it’s worth, he was the best goalie in the round robin.
Other notables: Emil Hemming, RW, Finland (Dallas Stars); Jack Berglund, C, Sweden (Philadelphia Flyers); Leo Sahlin Wallenius, D, Sweden (San Jose Sharks); Leon Muggli, D, Switzerland (Washington Capitals); Brodie Ziemer, RW, USA (Buffalo Sabres)