Hablover...
I think you've got a tendency to place too much emphasis on stats for this tournament. There are many examples of players who have put up a ton of points in this tournament but didn't end up being the best in their age group. I remember in the '85 age group that the Czech line of Petr Vrana, Vojtech Polak, and Ivo Kratena dominated statistically with something like 15 points a piece. In the NHL draft two went in the second round while one went undrafted. This year, the only player to make the Czech WJC team of the three was Vrana.
Another good example from the US team last year is Nick Foligno who outscored Phil Kessel. However, nobody would say that that proves Foligno is the better player. Heck, Jack Skille and Ryan Stoa didn't even get a point a game and a number of publications have them as first rounders for this years draft.
Winning and losing also isn't the best barometer of talent. Most people would say that the US '87 squad who finished 4th is way more talented than the US '85 group who won the whole thing. That US '85 team didn't include Patrick O'Sullivan or Dan Fritsche who were thought of as easily being the top US '85 forwards. Instead, forwards like Robbie Earl, TJ Hensick and John Vigilante led the US to victory, including a 7-2 win over an Ontario team which included guys like Nathan Horton, Jeff Carter, Corey Perry and Mike Richards. That's a sixth rounder, a likely third rounder, and an undrafted player against four first rounders just off the top of my head.
