Some of the top NHL draft prospects were on display at the world juniors. Did they do enough to improve their place in the draft? James Hagens [https://thehockeynews.com/.image/c_fit,h_600,w_600/MjEyMDAxMjU5NDI1ODM0NTMx/akd_7384.jpg] James Hagens NHL draft prospects usually aren’t taking center stage at the world juniors because it’s typically a 19-year-old’s tournament. But it's exciting when they shine on junior hockey's biggest stage. There were several excellent performances from NHL draft-eligible players at the 2025 World Junior Championship. They had a chance for players to improve their draft stock with very little chance of hurting it because finding success at the WJC isn’t expected for draft-eligible players. Let’s look at some of the top names and emerging prospects at the world juniors. STOCK UP: VICTOR EKLUND [https://thehockeynews.com/news/world-juniors-swedens-victor-eklund-enters-the-spotlight], RW, SWEDEN Coming into the world juniors, the question around Eklund was how big of an opportunity he would get. He consistently played on the second line, setting the tone and pace for his line and really showing he belonged. Eklund was everything Sweden could have hoped for. The Swedes’ youngest player had six points in seven games, bringing a high-octane forechecking element and relentless work ethic. Eklund looks poised to be a monster at next year’s tournament and should be one of Sweden’s best players. STOCK STEADY: JAMES HAGENS, C, USA Hagens merely solidified his position at the top of the draft class. His nine points were two off the tournament lead, and he was a pivotal piece in helping the Americans secure back-to-back gold medals. Centering their top line, Hagens was a playmaking whiz, and he came up with some timely goals throughout the tournament as well. He got the Americans on the board in the gold medal game by crashing the net and cleaning up the loose puck, helping spur them to victory. Hagens doesn’t have much more room to improve his draft stock, but he certainly did nothing to hurt it. STOCK UP: MATTHEW SCHAEFER [https://thehockeynews.com/ohl/latest-news/canadas-tournament-just-went-from-bad-to-worse-matthew-schaefer-out-for-remainder-of-world-junior-championship], D, CANADA Matthew Schaefer was fantastic, whether in the pre-tournament games or in his brief round-robin action before his injury. What really helped his draft stock even more, though, was how discombobulated the Canadian defense looked when he was out of the lineup. The 17-year-old was an incredibly important piece of the puzzle for Canada because of his skating, intelligence, and creativity with the puck. It was shocking how much less effective the rest of the defense looked when they had to step up in his absence. STOCK DOWN: PORTER MARTONE, RW, CANADA It’s not as if Martone did anything to drop his stock – he barely even played – but his stock dropped a bit because it seemed like there was an acceptance that he was just below the tier of Schaefer and Hagens at this tournament. When you’re at the top, even doing nothing wrong can warrant a slight drop, and that’s what’s happening with Martone. He remains a top-four prospect, but he seems to fit at the back end of the group rather than pushing for a spot at the top. His power and skill combination were on display a few times in this tournament, but he wasn’t given much room to operate throughout. STOCK UP: BRUNO OSMANIS [https://thehockeynews.com/news/nhl-draft-notebook-hagens-eklund-and-osmanis-thrive-at-world-juniors], RW, LATVIA The Latvians were very impressive as a whole, and one player who deserves plenty of praise is Bruno Osmanis. Although he only got into three games, he had four points, and Osmanis showcased his playmaking ability a number of times. He protected the puck well, read the ice and found teammates in the middle of the ice. Osmanis will be a player worth watching as the year goes on, already having had some success at the Allsvenskan level in Sweden this year. STOCK DOWN: TOMAS POBEZAL, C, SLOVAKIA In his five games, Pobezal never seemed to take over, control play or make much of an impact. He seemed disengaged and behind play at times, making him one of Slovakia’s less effective players. Pobezal must have a big second half if he wants to remain in the conversation among draft-eligible players who could make an impact in the NHL. STOCK UP: PETTERI RIMPINEN [https://thehockeynews.com/international/latest-news/finnish-silver-medal-goalie-petteri-rimpinen-you-get-the-feeling-youve-done-everything-you-could-and-that-helps], G, FINLAND Although he’s an overager, the Finnish netminder was an absolute menace for opposing teams. Rimpinen stood on his head all tournament long, leading the Finns to a silver medal in the process. Building on his fantastic season in the Liiga, Rimpinen put his name on the map as a potential steal in the NHL draft as an overage goaltender. He’s not the biggest goalie out there, but his athleticism and positional play were impressive and caught the eye of NHL scouts.
