Top Ten Players to Watch

Here are my Top Ten Players to Watch during the World Junior Championships

10. Mikael Backlund (Sweden)

Calgary's 1st round pick in 2007. The rumors are flying around that he will be released from his club team if he doesn't have a great tournament. He didn't have a great game against Canada on Friday. Sweden can't just rely on Oscar Moller.

9. Thomas McColllum (USA)

A lot of talk about this United States team will be the Van Riemsdyk-Wilson-Schroeder line. McCollum looks to be America's best goaltender at this tournament since Al Montoya. Expect him to be a top three goaltender.

8. Magnus Pääjärvi-Svensson (Sweden)

He burst on the scene last year against Canada as a 16 year-old. He will need another big tournament to solidify his place in the top five for this summer's draft.

7. Thomas Hickey and P.K. Subban (Canada)

They are the only returning from last year's team on defense. They need to be the leaders especially with Ryan Ellis out there. Both players need to bring the intensity that they brought during the preseason for their respective clubs.

6. Cody Hodgson (Canada)

If you have watched any of the two pre-tournament games, he has been Canada's best all around player. No wander why the Vancouver Canucks almost kept him to start the season. He will be up there as one of the leading scorers of this tournament.

5. Nikita Filatov (Russia)

Not a lot of buzz about the sixth pick of the 2008 draft. He's done very well in his first season in the AHL. He has 7 goals and 10 assists in 23 games. Expect him to be an offensive leader in this tournament. Last year, he had four goals and five assists.

4. Oscar Moller (Sweden)

A big surprise for Sweden when Moller decided to come to this tournament. He has the most NHL experience out of any player. That should help him and this team to make a run. He had five points last year.

3. James vanRiemsdyk/Colin Wilson/Jordan Schroeder (USA)

The most dominate line from last year. They combined for 26 points 13 goals. They will jump start the United States offense. Their opponents will put their best shut down line against them. They could allow the second and third line to contribute.

2. Jacob Markstrom (Sweden)

The Swedish netminder has been the best goaltender in the Swedish Elite League this season. In a short tournament like this, you need a hot goaltender. With the amount of scouts at this event I believe he wants to put on a show and show them he was a first round talent last year. He went in the second round to the Florida Panthers.

1. John Tavares (Canada)/Victor Hedman (Sweden)

The biggest storyline heading into this tournament is the battle for the number one pick in the 2009 draft. Tavares won the first battle Friday. Tavares looks like a complete player this time around. You can't find a guy that's 6'7 and the offensive ablities that Hedman provides as a defenseman. If Sweden and Canada meet in the Medal round, it will most likely be the most watched game in World Junior Championship history.

That's My Take

(Nathan also is a writer for Maineiacs Post to Post and the Maine Hockey Journal. He can be reached at fourniern@students.nescom.edu)