World Junior Summer Showcase Review The Detroit Red Wings saw four of their prospects play in the World Junior Summer Showcase, but perhaps they unknowingly saw others. There were a number of undrafted players at the event, especially for Finland, who stood out for their performances. When it comes to the 2025 NHL Draft, these players started their draft years with largely positive showings. Here’s who stood out, and what made them so effective. James Hagens, Center There’s no undrafted player that stood out more than presumptive No. 1 pick James Hagens, who was Team USA’s top line center for almost the entire tournament with and without returners in the lineup. After nearly making last year’s World Junior Team, Hagens figures to be a big part of it this year. He’s a smooth skater with a high IQ, and he puts himself in the mix nearly every play. His scoring stands out, but his forechecking and battling off the puck makes him a well-rounded impact player. He’s also gotten taller and stronger in the past eight months, which should help him as he enters his freshman season at Boston College this fall. It's safe to say that he won't be a Red Wing come the NHL Draft, but he should be a star for some team. Emil Kuusla, Left Wing I have no clue how Kuusla hasn’t yet been drafted. Against and alongside competition picked across a variety of rounds and teams, Kuusla stood out as one of Finland’s best players. There was a certain “there he is” factor to Kuusla, where his tendency to be involved not only on the forecheck but also in post-whistle antics made him quite the intrigue. He was a pot-stirrer, a guy who played heavy and to win, and he combined that with a scoring knack that racked up three goals across the showcase. His forechecking and general pugnacity should provide function at the pro levels, including with Jokerit in the Finnish Mestis this season. He feels like a great investment for a late round pick, perhaps in the fourth or fifth round. Victor Eklund, Left Wing For Finland and Sweden, the lack of nameplates on their jerseys made for a bit of a learning process to match numbers to names. It was easy to match Sweden’s 18 to Victor Eklund because he seemed to be everywhere on the ice. For a guy whose brother went seventh overall in 2021 and is in the NHL with San Jose, I expected Eklund to be a scoring threat. What I didn’t expect is how well he battled, getting on the walls and digging the puck in a way most 17-year-olds don’t. His skating is great, which enables him to be in the mix all over the ice. He’s able to effect the game in so many different ways. For my first time watching Eklund, I was really impressed with what I saw. He projects to be a mid-to-late first round pick, which could make him an intriguing prospect for the Red Wings to draft if they're picking there. Niklas Nykyri, Left Defense Nykyri was quiet on the box score, recording nary a point. His defending really stood out to me, though, particularly because of his positioning. Finland — and everyone at the showcase — gave up a lot of odd-man rushes and transition offense. Nykyri did his part to limit the payoff of these chances. He was a dogged defender, boxing out opponents and forcing them to the perimeter where they could either squeeze off a difficult shot or try to pass to someone who a teammate had caught up to. He smothered rush offense when he was on the ice, and I was particularly impressed with how big he played, even if 6-foot-2 is already big. He did a nice job of dropping his hip into opponents and riding them down the ice. Considering his game is known for its offensive impact, a week of such determined defense adds a nice layer to his profile that should be intriguing to NHL teams. L.J. Mooney, Right Wing For a 5-foot-6 player who earned a late invite to Team USA, Mooney had a productive camp. He hung with the big dogs and looked like he belonged, something that means a lot for a U18 skater playing against older and bigger opponents. His skating was excellent, but it also has to be in order for him to be effective as an undersized skater. He also knows how to manipulate leverage against those big opponents. His impact wasn’t tremendous, but put in the context of his age and size, he looked solid. This camp was experiential learning for Mooney more so than a real tryout, and he passed the test. He's ranked as a late first round pick, though height concerns could cause him to sleep like so many peers. If he has a successful season with the National Team Development Program's U18 team, I could see whichever team lands him being very excited about his promising potential. ALSO FROM THN DETROIT World Junior Summer Showcase Review: The Silky Mitten State Episode 36 [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/detroit-red-wings/latest-news/world-junior-summer-showcase-review-the-silky-mitten-state-episode-36] 2024 World Junior Summer Showcase Notebook [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/detroit-red-wings/game-day/2024-world-junior-summer-showcase-notebook] The Draft, Summer Showcase and Youth Hockey Camps: Max Plante is Enjoying his Busy Summer [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/detroit-red-wings/game-day/the-draft-summer-showcase-and-youth-hockey-camps-max-plante-is-enjoying-his-busy-summer] Andrew Gibson Aiming to Prove Himself After Trade from Detroit [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/detroit-red-wings/game-day/andrew-gibson-aiming-to-prove-himself-after-trade-from-detroit-] Who Will the Red Wings Play with Moritz Seider This Season? [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/detroit-red-wings/game-day/who-will-the-red-wings-play-with-moritz-seider-this-season] Around the League: NHL Will Miss Kuznetsov's Creativity, Personality as He Returns to Russia [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/detroit-red-wings/latest-news/around-the-league-nhl-will-miss-kuznetsovs-creativity-personality-as-he-returns-to-russia] Red Wings Prospect Jesse Kiiskinen Shows Skills, Leadership at World Junior Summer Showcase [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/detroit-red-wings/game-day/red-wings-prospect-jesse-kiiskinen-shows-skills-leadership-at-world-junior-summer-showcase] World Junior Summer Showcase Review
