NHL draft prospects on Canada, Team USA, Sweden, Finland and more made it to the quarterfinals at the World U-18s. What have they done at the tournament so far, and what's to come?
Recency bias is a very real thing in NHL draft scouting.
Whether it should be that way or not, performances at the World Men's Under-18 Championship always hold a little more value when NHL scouts settle in and make decisions on draft day.
It's easier to justify drafting the kid you just saw tear it up at the U-18s than it is to select the kid who hasn't played since mid-March.
This year's tournament has been a redemption tour for many NHL draft prospects who came into the year with some very high expectations but faltered for one reason or another.
We've seen some outstanding performances throughout this tournament, and scouts are certainly taking notice.
The U-18 Worlds group stage is complete, and we have the following quarterfinal matchups for Wednesday in Slovakia:
Czechia vs. Finland, 6 a.m. ET
Canada vs. Sweden, 8 a.m. ET
USA vs. Latvia, 10 a.m. ET
Slovakia vs. Denmark, 12 p.m. ET
Scouts will value the high-pressure atmosphere of these games as half of these teams will go home, and the other half will fight it out for medals.
Let's look at some of the key players in the quarters that scouts will be keeping their eye on for the NHL draft.
Wyatt Cullen, LW, USA
Cullen is the co-leader in scoring at the under-18s, and he's been a true difference-maker at every turn for the Americans.
His speed and skill with the puck have been the talk of the tournament. Despite one poorly timed overtime gaffe, Cullen has arguably been the tournament's best player.
Cullen is one of the most highly regarded players from the USA Hockey National Team Development Program in a relatively quiet year for it.
He may not have the size that teams look for, but it's hard to discredit his offensive upside. If he can push the Americans to a U-18 medal, he should be a candidate to push his draft stock toward the top 15.
Adam Valentini, LW, Canada
Valentini has been one of Canada's most consistent players at the under-18s.
His dog-on-a-bone mentality has the commentary team gushing on the broadcast, and his offensive intelligence has seen him generate chance after chance.
Valentini is a smaller winger, but his insistence on getting to the middle of the ice and forcing his way to the net off the puck has mitigated that concern to an extent. His performance at the NCAA level is also proof that he can get it done against players who are bigger and stronger than he is.
Valentini might be pushing himself into the conversation around the end of the first round.
Ryan Lin, D, Canada
The rollercoaster that has been Lin's draft stock seems to be climbing at just the right time. The Vancouver Giants defender and University of Denver commit has been a true difference-maker for Canada on the blueline.
His two-way play has been quite solid, using his mobility to affect the game at both ends of the ice. His defensive reads have been good, and he's making good decisions in his zone.
Offensively, Lin has been deceptive and manipulative. He leads all defensemen in scoring at the tournament with one goal and five assists.
If the undersized defender keeps this level of play up through the medal rounds, he could hear his name called fairly early as the momentum of the U-18s carries him to a high first-round pick.
Elton Hermansson, RW, Sweden
Tied with Cullen for the tournament scoring lead, Hermansson could have been in sole possession had one of the most seamless lacrosse goals ever not been called back for an offside.
The Swede is one of the most skilled players in the class, and he's used this tournament as a showcase for all of it.
From his puckhandling to his passing, Hermansson has been a game breaker for Sweden despite the team's struggles to put it all together.
They have the toughest quarterfinal matchup, facing Canada, and if they are going to get through it, Hermansson will certainly have to be front and center. If he manages to get them to the medal round, Hermansson's stock could skyrocket and all but guarantee a pick in the top 20.
Adam Goljer, D, Slovakia
Although he has found the scoresheet a few times, Goljer hasn't had the best tournament.
He's struggled at times at both ends of the ice, making some poor decisions with the puck and failing to stay with attackers in his own end.
A few bad performances don't make a season, though, so he certainly has some room to turn things around and leave a good impression on scouts.
Slovakia was the top seed in their group, and that was without their best defender having a strong tournament.
If Goljer can get back to his positional, physical defensive game and sound puck-moving en route to helping Slovakia to a medal, we could see him push his way into conversations at the end of the first round.
Oliver Murnieks, C, Latvia
Latvia's most highly regarded prospect, Murnieks, has been solid throughout the tournament, and he's had flashes of clearly being the team's most dynamic and impactful forward.
Without much help around him, he's managed to be a point-per-game player and showcase some really solid two-way habits.
Murnieks may only have his quarterfinal game to prove himself, since Latvia aren't expected to upset the Americans, but if he can at least make things interesting, he could raise his draft stock.
He's a mid-round prospect at this point, and a big performance isn't going to move him up too much, but if he gets caved in, it could sour his name in the eyes of NHL scouts.
Oliver Suvanto, C, Finland
There have been flashes, but this has been a largely disappointing tournament for Suvanto.
The hulking center's performance against Canada in a 7-0 loss on Monday was the perfect example of that. The game got out of hand fairly quickly. Suvanto provided a bit of pushback, but ultimately, his game was nullified because he lacked the high-end skill to compete with the Canadians.
Suvanto has flashed some really intelligent and tactical offensive generation throughout the year, and he has a heavy shot, but this tournament hasn't exactly been kind to him.
Now in the most high-pressure games of the event, he must prove he still deserves to be picked in the mid-first round.
Anton Wilde, G, Denmark
The potential breakout performer of the event so far was an absolute monster in net against the Americans, allowing just two goals on 54 shots. He faltered against the Swedes but was stellar against Germany, leading Denmark to a win and avoiding the relegation round as a result.
Wilde is big and athletic, and he's shown excellent poise throughout the U-18s. If a team believes it can develop him, Wilde might be a fantastic swing in the draft for a goalie-needy team.
He's raw and moldable still, so some NHL club is surely salivating at the potential of adding him to their system. If they do, he likely moves from Denmark's pro league to a different European league or to North America.
Marek Sklenicka/Martin Psohlavec, G, Czechia
Czechia have been quite strong at this event so far, and a large part of that has been their duo in net.
Sklenicka and Psohlavec have stood tall in the crease and proven the Czech team can win with either of them.
Whoever gets the nod in the elimination rounds will have a chance to really boost their stock.
Sklenicka has been more highly regarded to this point, so he has the edge, but we will have to see what the Czech coaching staff wants to do. No matter who is in net, any Czech netminder that potentially leads the nation to a U-18 final or a gold medal would become instantly one of the more coveted netminders in the class on Day 2 of the draft.
Luke Schairer, D, USA
Schairer, the most consistent blueliner all year for the NTDP, has been an underrated part of their highly successful run at the U-18s.
His two-way impact is impressive yet quiet. He's not flashy, but he's simply effective. There are moments when he just finds a way to get the puck out of trouble, and it's almost never a highlight-reel play. Schairer is just a positional defender who moves well.
If he can continue to be a steady force on the back end for the Americans, he could build a bigger fan base among scouts. The Americans aren't loaded on the back end as they have been in previous years, but Schairer consistently shows up as the go-to guy.
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