Rachel KryshakDec 23, 2025, 07:00 AM ETCloseRachel Kryshak is a professional data consultant specializing in data communication and modelling. She’s worked in the NHL and consulted for professional teams across North American and Europe. She hosts the Staff & Graph Podcast and discusses sports from a data-driven perspective.
Both Canada and Finland will be without their best talent, as obligations to professional hockey resulted in Macklin Celebrini, Beckett Sennecke, Sam Dickinson, Berkly Catton, Matthew Schaefer and Konsta Helenius all remaining with NHL and AHL clubs.
NHL teams usually allow prospects playing in the AHL to play in the World Juniors. The most notable player to not be released in recent seasons was Leon Draisaitl who was not made available for Germany in 2015. With Helenius not being released by the Buffalo Sabres, Finland’s chances of medaling take a hit.
Canada is missing an entire line and defense pairing worth of players, which will have an extraordinary impact. Not that anyone expected Celebrini or Schaefer to be released, but there was hope for the other three at various points earlier in the season. With those five, Canada would have been the runaway favorite. As it is, gold is still an expectation, but the competition is much closer.
Group A has the United States, Germany Slovakia, Sweden and Switzerland. Group B has Canada, Czechia, Denmark, Finland and Latvia.
So what can we expect from the upcoming tournament? Look for lots of speed and skill, mistakes, back-and-forth action, emotions running high and some exuberant goal celebrations.
Here’s a look at every country’s top prospects and an overall tournament outlook for each team, starting with the ones least likely to medal:
Denmark’s best chance at avoiding relegation is by beating Latvia in its group game on Dec. 30. Denmark will be without one of its best offensive players in Linus Rørth, who is injured.
The team’s only NHL prospect is Mads Kongsbak Klyvø (Florida Panthers), selected in the fourth round of the 2025 draft. He and William Bundgaard will be the players that Denmark leans upon heavily to create offense. The reality is that if Denmark is to avoid relegation, it will need a standout goaltending performance from Anton Emil Wilde Larsen.
Latvia upset Canada in last year’s tournament — the country’s biggest result at the junior level — and now hopes to build on that by qualifying for the quarterfinals this year. Given the strength of Group A, Latvia will be in a tough spot regardless of its opponent in the quarterfinal. Latvia’s path to quarterfinal qualification should be smoother because is stronger than Denmark and only needs a victory in their matchup to qualify.
It is highly likely that one of Germany or Switzerland will find itself in the relegation round given the toughness of Group A. Both teams always work hard and put a scare into at least one of the powers, but both are shorter on talent than in years past.
The Germans are buoyed by two goaltenders who have performed well in international play, Linus Vieillard and Lukas Stuhrmann. Both are capable of stealing games, with Vieillard expected to get the lion’s share of the work as the returnee.
The reason the goaltending will be relied upon heavily is because the Germans are going to struggle on the blue line. They lack depth and speed, which will lead to elongated defensive zone shifts and issues defending in transition. Because of this, the Germans are more likely to give up odd-man rushes by getting beat in transition.
Up front, Max Penkin is considered to be the next big German prospect, but he’s only 16. Elias Schneider, David Lewandowski (Edmonton Oilers) and Maxim Schäfer (Washington Capitals) are expected to be the top line for Germany, and the one capable of providing offense. If the Germans can get key contributions from those four forwards and excellent goaltending, they might reach the quarterfinals. If not, it should be enough to win the relegation round.
The Swiss had a great run of results in the early 2010s but have been reached that standard of late. Gone are the days of Nico Hischier and Timo Meier up front and what felt like consistently excellent goaltending year after year. The goal is to avoid the relegation round, even if it means a noncompetitive quarterfinal matchup.
Slovakia is bringing one of its youngest teams in recent memory, with more than 15 players expected to return to the 2027 tournament. A team in that situation will not carry high expectations, but Slovakia has a quality goaltender in Michal Pradel (Detroit Red Wings). He is going to play all of the important games, and his only rest figures to come in a back-to-back situation. If Slovakia is going to make noise at this tournament with a very young team, Pradel is going to be a major reason why.
If Slovakia can defend well in its own zone and not give up a ton in transition, it might put a real scare into one of the contenders.
Finland’s trajectory changed dramatically with Buffalo’s refusal to release Konsta Helenius from AHL obligations. The Sabres believe Helenius is close to getting a look at the NHL level after bouncing back nicely from a poor rookie season in the AHL. Losing a top-line center is difficult, specifically when he has proved to be a fantastic play driver at the junior level.
Without Helenius, Finland will rely on Aatos Koivu (Canadiens), Julius Miettinen (Seattle Kraken) and Matias Vanhanen (undrafted) to drive offense. Max Westergard (Philadelphia Flyers), who has been excellent against his peers, and Vanhanen should be the creative playmakers that Finland relies on throughout the tournament. Two Dallas Stars draft picks — Emil Hemming and Atte Joki — will be relied upon in heavy matchup roles for Finland while providing secondary offense.
The Czechs look really good this year, and should challenge for a medal for the fourth consecutive year. They have a quality goaltender in Michal Orsulak, who has been excellent in the WHL this season and should start the key games for Czechia.
This is one the deepest teams Czechia has brought to the tournament, and it bodes well for it to make the semifinal, and perhaps the gold medal game.
Viggo Gustafsson (Predators) provides more depth for Sweden, and should play a key penalty-killing role. He’s a good puck mover as well and can more than hold his own when defending. Overall, Sweden’s blue line is loaded with excellent skaters with good hockey sense and reliable puck-moving abilities. It is likely to get the Swedes out of trouble on more than a few occasions in the tournament.
Up front, the Swedes are loaded with talent. Anton Frondell (Blackhawks) and Viktor Eklund (New York Islanders) will form Sweden’s top line with Ivar Stenberg (2026 draft-eligible), and could be one of the best trios in the tournament. All three players have more than enough talent to be a force for Sweden throughout the event, and will need to be for Sweden to capture an elusive gold medal.
Overall, Sweden is as deep as it has been in a long time, with no shortage of offensive firepower and the foundation to be the best defensive team in the tournament. If Sweden is to win the gold medal, this feels like the year it can be done.
The Canadians should be considered the favorite to win the tournament, regardless of the players missing because of NHL obligations. Canada’s issue has never been a lack of talent — it has always been a lack of discipline, shaky goaltending or a lack of scoring depth because of its team-building mantra of “role players.”
Shaky goaltending should not be an issue at this year’s tournament, as Canada returns Carter George (Kings) and Jack Ivankovic (Predators). George has been good at the AHL level, was good at last year’s tournament and should be the player upon whom Canada relies. Should he falter, Ivankovic is more than capable of stepping in. He’s having a great season at Michigan, and has also been excellent for Canada in international play.
Cameron Reid (Predators) should get secondary power-play time and be a quality puck mover for Canada in big minutes. Expect those five defenders to play major roles in the tournament with two draft-eligible players (Carson Carels, Keaton Verhoeff) and one reentry (Ethan Mackenzie) rotating into the lineup.
Up front, the trio of Michael Misa (Sharks), Porter Martone (Philadelphia Flyers) and Gavin McKenna (2026 draft-eligible) will be expected to produce offense. Two returnees and an NHL loanee should have all the speed, skill and hockey sense necessary to lead Canada’s offensive threat. Given Canada’s choice to bring role players instead of an overload of offensive firepower, it is imperative that these three players perform.
Michael Hage (Canadiens), Tij Iginla (Mammoth) and Liam Greentree (Kings) will be expected to provide secondary offense for Canada, with all of them likely to get power-play time. Canada has no shortage of two-way forwards on its roster, meaning there is no excuse for penalty killing or checking to be an Achilles’ heel. If anything, the Dale Hunter-led squad should thrive on its defensive play, and hope its offensive talent creates and finishes on enough of its opportunities.
Canada has players at every position that will challenge for the tournament directorate awards. Misa, McKenna, Martone, Parekh and George are all capable of being the best at their position in the tournament. If that happens, “O Canada” probably will be the anthem played at the end of the tournament. Anything less than gold would be disappointing.
In a tournament in which mistakes and blown coverage can be the difference between gold and silver, that matters.
In goal, Nick Kempf (Capitals) is expected to be the starter, but the United States bringing Brady Knowling — who could be a first-round selection in the 2026 draft — is a pleasant surprise. Knowling has demonstrated that he can hold firm and make timely saves when called upon. The United States will not have the luxury of Trey Augustine or Jacob Fowler to call on as they had in years past, but Kempf should be able to make key saves throughout the tournament.