Under-18 World Championship: Logan Cooley, Connor Bedard lead players to watch

Chris Peters
Chris Peters
Under-18 World Championship: Logan Cooley, Connor Bedard lead players to watch

The 2022 IIHF Men’s Under-18 World Championship is set to begin Saturday in Landshut and Kaufbeuren, Germany, marking the last opportunity for a significant number of high-profile 2022 NHL draft eligible players to impress the NHL scouts and executives that will be in attendance.

Normally a 10-team affair, this year’s event will feature just eight entrants as Russia and Belarus are banned from all IIHF competitions.

Canada enters the tournament as defending champion and will have its leading goal scorer back in 16-year-old Connor Bedard, who had 14 points in seven games at 15 years old last spring. It won’t have the depth it did a season ago, however. Meanwhile, the U.S. failed to medal in the 2021 World U18s, its first tournament without a medal since 2003, but will have six returnees and a number of projected first-round prospects in its roster. The Americans may well be favored for gold as a result.

But don’t count out Sweden, either. It won bronze last year and will have some returnees from that team, including goaltender Hugo Havelid as well as defenders Mattias Havelid and Elias Salomonsson. The strength of the Swedish roster, however, looks like it will be up front with multiple first-round candidates led by Jonathan Lekkerimaki. Sweden certainly has enough talent to go on a run here.

Finland may have a bit of an uphill battle in terms of depth against the other countries, but it has a high-end scorer in Joakim Kemell and the top-rated European goaltender in Topias Leinonan. The tournament will also offer the first major international tournament look at 16-year-old sensation Aron Kiviharju.

The tournament will also feature Czechia, Latvia, Switzerland and host Germany.

The tournament will be televised in the U.S. and Canada on the NHL Network, and TSN, respectively. Here’s a look at the players to be aware of for the 2022 draft, both top prospects and those that could make bigger names for themselves in this tournament, as well as top 2023 and 2024 draft prospects competing.

Top 2022 draft prospects to watch

Logan Cooley, C, USA: After being listed at No. 1 on our midseason ranking, Cooley has seen his scoring and overall effectiveness drop while Shane Wright’s has surged. As a result, the two have flipped on my board at this point. That said, Cooley’s best games make him one of this draft’s most dynamic players. His speed is a major factor and he’ll be looked to as USA’s No. 1 center in this tournament. He has a chance to make another statement to stake his claim among the draft’s top players.

Frank Nazar, C, USA: Rising all season, Nazar has given USA a tremendous one-two punch down the middle. His speed and skill level have made Nazar difficult to contain. He’s especially good at getting behind defenders and creating dangerous chances off the rush. There’s not a lot separating him and Cooley at the moment as Nazar has become more firmly entrenched in the top-10 conversation.

Joakim Kemell, RW, Finland: After competing for Finland last year, Kemell is back and should be viewed as the offensive driver for his team. He’s an especially skilled sniper who can make plays in transition and can score from distance. Finland doesn’t have a ton of scoring depth, which puts a lot more pressure on Kemell to produce.

Cutter Gauthier, LW, USA: Another massive riser up draft boards. I spoke to a Western Conference scout earlier this week who thought Gauthier deserved more love for the top 10 in this draft. He has size, skates well and he has one of the draft’s best shots. With 31 goals already this season, Gauthier could be a big-time player in this tournament.

Jonathan Lekkerimaki, RW, Sweden: After his breakout five-goal performance at the Hlinka-Gretzky Cup last summer, Lekkerimaki has risen up the draft boards steadily and looks like a good bet to be no worse than a top-20 pick and more likely goes in the top 15. He had seven goals and nine points in 26 SHL games this season to go along with 20 goals and 35 points in 26 U20 games.

Rutger McGroarty, LW, USA: A power forward who can cause some problems at the net-front for the opposition, McGroarty put up 60 points in 46 games this season with the NTDP. His ability to make plays at the net-front and physical strength should be factors against his own age group.

Owen Pickering, D, Canada: One of the top draft-eligible defensemen in the tournament casts an imposing figure at 6-foot-5. Pickering had a strong season for the Swift Current Broncos, posting 33 points in 62 games. There’s some raw ability there on the puck-moving front and Pickering defends adequately. He should be looked to for big minutes.

Liam Ohgren, LW, Sweden: He dominated Sweden’s top U20 league, averaging better than a goal per game. He wasn’t able to have much of an impact in a limited role with the pro team, but there were a lot of signs of great promise from Ohgren, who is a consensus first-round prospect at this point. This tournament offers him a big-time showcase to finish the season strong.

Isaac Howard, LW, USA: A dynamic, skilled player, Howard has done very well internationally this season. He led the NTDP with 70 points. One of multiple returnees for the U.S., Howard will be a key offensive contributor this time around.

Jimmy Snuggerud, RW, USA: Snuggerud combines skill with excellent competitiveness, particularly in the hard areas of the ice. He wins battles along the walls and at the net-front, which can be particularly important to winning at this level.

Matyas Sapovaliv, C/W, Czechia: With draft stock on the rise after an especially strong season where he had 52 points in 68 games with the Saginaw Spirit of the OHL, Sapovaliv will be looked to as an offensive leader in this tournament. He was part of Czechia’s team at the last U18 Worlds, but appeared in just three games.

2022 Draft prospects with something to prove


Noah Ostlund, C, Sweden: A returning player from last year’s bronze medal team, Ostlund should play a more prominent role this time around. He’s a gifted playmaker with excellent vision, but opinions on Ostlund have been all over the map. Not being able to make an impact at the pro level has altered his projection some, but if he can thrive and possibly even dominate within his age group as he did in Sweden’s U20 ranks, he will have a chance to build some pre-draft momentum.

Rieger Lorenz, C/W, Canada: It always seems like players in Canadian Junior A always have to prove a little more than their CHL and USHL counterparts. This season, Lorenz had 85 points in 60 games for Okotoks in the AJHL. Having the chance to play with and against top-tier players in this tournament gives Lorenz a chance to prove his skillset is comparable to that of the top draft-eligibles in this tournament.

David Goyette, C, Canada: It really depends on who you ask when it comes to determining Goyette’s draft stock, but he’s hovered well outside of the first round for most of the season. He had 73 points in 66 games for Sudbury and clearly has a higher-end skillset. He can prove that further by playing a leading offensive role for Canada.

Lane Hutson, D, USA: He is the most dynamic defenseman in this draft class in terms of skill, but at 5-8, 148, most teams are especially reluctant to view him as a top defense candidate for this draft. He played in this event last year and really broke out, earning a selection as one of the top three players for Team USA. He averaged better than a point per game from the back end, which only one other NTDP defenseman – Flyers prospect Cam York – has done in his U18 season.

Elias Salomonsson, D, Sweden: One of the toughest players to read in this class, Salomonsson appears to have a lot of the tools needed to be successful. He also got some time with Skelleftea’s pro side this season, playing in a limited role. At one time viewed as a first-round caliber talent, Salomonsson has a chance to rebuild some credibility if he can thrive in big minutes for Sweden.

Julian Lutz, C/W, Germany: After playing for Germany in this tournament last year, he’ll be the featured player on this year’s squad on home ice. Lutz has good size and a sneaky skillset. He appeared in 14 games with Red Bull Munich in Germany’s top pro league. After scoring two goals at the Hlinka-Gretzky Cup in the spring, he has a chance to remind scouts what he’s capable of in front of a home crowd.

Topias Leinonen, G, Finland: The top-rated European goalie, Leinonen brings a massive frame to the table. He had fair numbers over the course of this season, playing at three different levels in Finland including four games in the top pro league with JYP. With 2022 being an especially weak year for goalies, this is a golden opportunity for Leinonen to show he can put a team on his back.

2023 draft prospects to watch

Connor Bedard, C, Canada: After matching Connor McDavid’s output at the U18s at the same age and helping lead Canada to a gold medal last year, Bedard put the hockey world on even greater notice. This last season with the Regina Pats, Bedard became the youngest 50-goal scorer in WHL history, finishing with 51 goals and 100 points in 62 games. He is the odds-on favorite to go No. 1 in 2023 and can win games all on his own if necessary at this level. Buckle up.

Adam Fantilli, C, Canada: Not as well-known as Bedard but certainly in the mix to be a top-three pick next year, Fantilli will briefly leave his USHL team, the Chicago Steel, to join Team Canada. With the Steel, Fantilli had 37 goals and 74 points in 54 regular-season games. He’s big, he’s got a bit of a nasty streak and he gives you the same effort every game. He led the Steel with eight goals on the way to the Clark Cup last season. He’s heading to the University of Michigan next season.

Charlie Stramel, C, USA: ‘The Big Rig’ missed a huge chunk of the season due to injury but came back pretty strong, putting up 16 points in 19 games. He had four points in five games at this tournament last year and was in line to make the U.S. World Junior team if he was healthy. At his best, he’s the type of quick, hard-shooting, hard-driving power forward NHL teams crave.

Otto Stenberg, C, Sweden: Playing in the vaunted Frolunda system, Stenberg had 35 points in 38 games at the U20 level after averaging two points per game at the U18 level. This will be his first major introduction to the hockey world at large after starring for Sweden’s U17 team at some smaller tournaments over the course of the season.

Lukas Dragicevic, D, Canada: The youngest defenseman on Canada’s roster, Dragicevic is a 6-foot-2, right-shot defenseman who will turn 17 during the tournament. A former top-five pick in the WHL bantam draft, Dragicevic made an impression this year with 32 points in 62 games for the Tri-City Americans.

Ryan Leonard, RW, USA: A speedy forward who has spent a large portion of this season called up to the U.S. Under-18 Team from the U17 squad, Leonard put up 37 points in 62 games between the two sides. He does a lot of little things well and his speed can cause problems.

Gavin Brindley, RW, USA: The only player from outside the NTDP invited to play for Team USA, Brindley helped the Tri-City Storm capture the USHL’s regular-season title last week. Brindley had 42 points in 51 games in his second full USHL season.

Will Smith, C/W, USA: Called up a few months back from the U17 team, Smith has averaged a point per game since joining the U18s. He has good speed and a non-stop motor with excellent touch.

2024 draft prospect to watch

Aron Kiviharju, D, Finland: I don’t usually get too invested in players two years out from their drafts, but there’s a ton of buzz around Kiviharju coming out of Finland. He had 30 points in 35 games at the U20 level and just turned 16 in January, the second most ever by a player in his U16 season in that level. Patrik Laine is first.

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