World Junior Summer Showcase Gameday Three Standouts

A review for some top performers at the third round of games from the 2023 World Junior Summer Showcase in Plymouth, featuring Axel Sandin Pellikka, Topi Ronni, and Cole Eiserman

The third gameday of the 2023 World Junior Summer Showcase pitted the two European nations against one another in the early game and the two American squads in the late game.

In the first game of the day, the contrasting styles of Sweden and Finland came into stark relief, but it was the Swedes who better managed to exert that style on this afternoon.  Where Finland plays with pace and directness on the counter, the Swedes prefer a more patient, possession-centric game.  In the end, Sweden more than doubled its neighbors in shots (34-15) and emerged with a 3-2 victory in a penalty-muddled affair.  

In the American Blue-White game, Blue took an early lead through Oliver Moore, but conceded the next six goals in what would become a 7-3 White victory.  Six different Americans scored for USA White: Cutter Gauthier, Zeev Buium, Gabe Perreault, Jimmy Snuggerud, Cole Knuble, and Cole Eiserman.

Here are three standouts from the third gameday of the 2023 World Junior Summer Showcase:

Axel Sandin Pellikka's World Junior Summer Showcase didn't start the way he planned.  The 2023 Detroit Red Wing first rounder did not play in the Swedes first game of the event, instead debuting in the 10-1 loss at the hands of USA White.

"I had a rough, rough first game," said Sandin Pellikka.  "Losing 10-1 is not the best way to start the season, but I think the whole team bounced back in this game and we showed who we really are."

That the recovery came against the Fins made the victory even sweeter.  "We always want to beat Finland, and that's one of our biggest rivalries right now, so it's always nice to beat them," he added.

"He had a tough game Monday, more mistakes than normal from what we can expect from him," said Swedish coach Magnus Havelid.  "Now you can see he's back again on the track, and I hope he can take another step on Friday."

Every time I watch Sandin Pellikka—whether at last year's World Juniors, Red Wings development camp at the beginning of July, or this week in Plymouth—there are more alluring details to his game that catch my eye.

On Wednesday at USA Hockey Arena, I was struck by three things.

First up was Sandin Pellikka's physicality.  As an under-sized, puck-moving defenseman, he will have to prove his ability to play sound in-zone defense at the NHL level.  That will be a challenge, but one thing that's clear is that Detroit's latest first rounder is more than willing to play a physical game at the goal mouth.

On more than one occasion, the 18-year-old sought out contact against players to whom he gave up a size advantage—clearing the crease and protecting the slot.  Even if it wasn't always perfectly executed, Sandin Pellikka's eagerness to engage in these types of net-front battles portends good things for his NHL future.

Secondly, a subtle moment I appreciated from Sandin Pellikka came in the first period.  The young defenseman cut out a Finnish counter-attack, gained the offensive zone with possession, fed a teammate below the goal line, then went off to change.  

Making a line change in the offensive zone can often be anathema to young players, who want to extend their shift that little bit longer for one last chance at pursuing offense; unfortunately, doing just that is a path that typically leads to getting caught out and pinned in your defensive end.  As an alternative, changing in the O zone sets up your teammates to continue the good work you've done.  It's an excellent habit for a young player to be in.

Third, I noticed that Sweden used Sandin Pellikka on the left flank of its power play, rather than in the traditional defenseman's spot at the top of the 1-3-1 formation at the point.  That Havelid and his staff see fit to use Sandin Pellikka in that role (normally reserved for a skilled forward) reflects his fluency in the offensive zone.

"I like to be on the point and on the half-wall. Whatever the coach is telling me, I'm going to play there...I like to play both positions," Sandin Pellikka told The Hockey News when asked about his prefernce.

Of course, the most eye-catching part of Sandin Pellikka's performance was a dazzling solo effort that turned into the game-winning goal and perhaps the goal of the Showcase.  He took a pass from fellow Red Wing prospect Anton Johansson at his own blue line, cruised through neutral ice, then stick handled through three Finnish defenders, before burying a wrist shot.

"He's skillful. He can read and see the ice really well," Havelid added of Sandin Pellikka. "On Monday he played too slow, but it was his first game...He knows when he doesn't play well there's no excuses. We need him to move the puck quick and take good decisions and help us that way."

Havelid referred to Sandin Pellikka's puck moving as "top class," and, while it is something I've come to expect from him, his ability to solve problems on the breakout appears unparalleled at the WJSS.  He can skate the puck himself, evade pressure in his own end, and snap a precise pass through neutral zone traffic.  He is the sort of player his teammates can always turn to when it's time to escape the defensive zone, and they often exercise that option.

With him on the ice, "we can move with efficiency" says Havelid. "We talk a lot about it because in the Swedish league sometimes we go slow with controlled breakouts. We don't want to have that here, so he can help us move the puck quicker under pressure. He's so skillful there, so I think he took the next step up today, but I hope we can take one more up on Friday."

On the whole, it was an outstanding bounce-back performance from Axel Sandin Pellikka.

As discussed above, much of Finland's game revolves around speed and directness.  Defensemen play high flips and quick, vertical wingers pursue the loose puck.  It's a formula that can put any team under pressure, and it doesn't require much time or space for something nice and chaotic to break Finland's way.

However, Topi Ronni (a 2022 second round selection from the Calgary Flames) brings a slightly different element to the Finnish line-up.  He is an excellent neutral zone facilitator, who does tremendous work in build-up play for the Fins.  He is quick and alert with good vision.  He didn't find his way onto the scoresheet, but he's constantly making little plays to keep everything moving in the right direction for his team.

Ronni played in the bumper spot on Finland's power play, where he was effective both in drifting toward the perimeter to create or in collapsing in toward the crease to apply pressure to Sweden's goaltender.

Ronni also turned in a serious shift short-handed for his team.  Finland had a full two-minute 5-on-3 to kill off, and Ronni was among the key factors in pulling that off.  He remained calm and patient, allowing Sweden to effectively kill off its own power play with perimeter passing as he stood firm and protected the slot.

“I think I’m just all around more ready, ready to play pro games,” Ronni said at Flames development camp. “I think I’m mentally a lot tougher than I was a year ago."  He went on to add that he intends to work his way up the lineup with Tappare in the SM-Liiga in Finland.  If his performance this week in Plymouth is any indicator, that should be well within reach.

Throughout the week at the World Junior Summer Showcase, Eiserman (the second youngest American at camp, behind only NTDP teammate James Hagens) has flashed moments of brilliance.

As a volume goalscorer, Eiserman isn't necessarily the most visible player on a shift-to-shift basis, but out of those shadows, he emerges for spells of supreme skill and command far out-pacing his age.  That was never on clearer display than on his third period goal Wednesday afternoon.

Eiserman carried through the neutral zone with plenty of space in which to operate.  He gained the offensive zone along the left wing before bearing down on Charlie Leddy, who was cursed with an ocean of space to defend.  Eiserman broke down Leddy with a toe drag, knifing across the slot with the puck on his backhand with which he beat Jacob Fowler.

After Logan Cooley announced that he would not be returning for his sophomore season at the University of Minnesota and instead sign with Arizona, rumors swirled about whether Eiserman (who will turn 17 at the end of the month and is a Gopher commit) might make an early leap to the NCAA ranks.

That isn't going to happen, and I think that's for the best.  Adam Fantilli had a similar opportunity to take on the NCAA at 17 with North Dakota but instead opted for another season in the USHL with the Chicago Steel.  In his freshman season at the University of Michigan at 18, he destroyed worlds, led the country in scoring, and won the Hobey Baker as top player in college hockey.

Minnesota could probably use him, especially without Cooley, but I think Eiserman is wise to play a long game with his own development.  After all, it couldn't have gone better for Fantilli.

Of course, that also means a healthy amount of world destroying lies in Eiserman's immediate future.  Last year, he scored 69 goals for the U.S. NTDP, the second best single season total in program history (trailing only Cole Caufield's 72 in 2018-19).  Back for more next season, Caufield's record is in serious jeopardy.