WJC: WJC Best-on-Best Rosters

[Wings4Life]

We know many top prospects missed the WJC this year due to injuries, NHL time, coaching preferences, or outright refusal to play when invited. Looking at the rosters, this year in particular seemed like a down year talent wise. Which got me thinking, how much better do these teams look with all of their U20 stars available?

Throw up some rosters and rate these best-on-best U20 teams.

Click to read more...

 

[theslatcher]

Well, Sweden's D would be something like...

Brännström - Dahlin
Sandin - Liljegren
Söderström - Boqvist

 

[Wings4Life]

I'll start us off:

Switzerland

Nussbaumer - Hischier - Bruschweiler
Eggenberger - Kurashev - Muller
Wyss - Sigrist - Verboon
Lehmann - Schmid - Leuenberger
Tanner

Geisser - Gross
Le Coultre - Aebischer
Berni - Burger
Moser

Luca Hollenstein
​

Offence: B rating. Hischier's arrival gives them a nice boost in this category.
Defence: B+ rating. The D was already capable. Adding AHL veteran Tobias Geisser makes it rock solid.
Goaltending: A- rating. Hollenstein is playing lights out, and is only 18 years old to boot.

 

[FinPanda]

Nordgren-Kotkaniemi-Vesalainen
Tolvanen-Kupari-Kakko
Heponiemi-Lundell-Talvitie
Ylönen-Virtanen-Ikonen
13. forward Pajuniemi

Heiskanen-Jokiharju
Vaakanainen-Laaksonen
Kokkonen-Räsänen
7. defenseman Heinola/Utunen

Goalies same: Lehtinen, Luukkonen, Lindberg


E: forgot Lundell

 

[Wings4Life]

Sweden

Holmberg - Lundeström - Elvenes
Hugg - Gustafsson - Bemström
Berggren - Olofsson - Zetterlund
Leufvenius - Lycksell - Sodergran
Sylvegård

Dahlin - Liljegren
Brannström - Westerlund
Lundkvist - Boqvist
Sandin

Olle Eriksson Ek
​

Offence: B+ rating. Monten lucked into finding that 2nd line, but messed up the top one.
Defence: A+ rating. With the addition of a Dahlin-Liljegren top pairing, this defence will clearly be the best in the world.
Goaltending: A- rating. Eriksson Ek was the starter prior to the suspension, I would have stuck with him.​

 

[MattiasSnall]

Nordgren-Kotkaniemi-Vesalainen
Tolvanen-Kupari-Kakko
Heponiemi-Ikonen-Talvitie
Ylönen-Virtanen-Pajuniemi
13. forward Tanus/Moilanen/Puustinen/Maccelli or someone.

Heiskanen-Jokiharju
Vaakanainen-Räsänen
Kokkonen-Heinola
7. defenseman Utunen/Thomson

Goalies same: Lehtinen, Luukkonen, Lindberg

Did you forget Laaksonen or choose to not take him?

 

[Pavel Buchnevich]

USA:

Tkachuk-Poehling-Hughes: Top line
Farabee-Norris-Turcotte: Shutdown line
Robertson-Zegras-Wahlstrom: Offense line
Boldy-Barratt-Madden: A variety of skill-sets for the 4th line
Kaliyev

Samberg-Keane: Shutdown pairing
Hughes-Wilde: Offense
Samuelsson-Walsh: Balanced third pairing
Anderson

Knight
Primeau
Keyser

 

[Pavel Buchnevich]

Well, Sweden's D would be something like...

Brännström - Dahlin
Sandin - Liljegren
Söderström - Boqvist

Dahlin-Liljegren
Brannstrom-Boqvist
Sandin-Soderstrom
Lundkvist

 

[FinPanda]

Did you forget Laaksonen or choose to not take him?

I just forgot him.

E: Added.

 

[Statsy]

Wait a minute... people are naming guys that were either cut or outright not invited to try out.

 

[theslatcher]

Wait a minute... people are naming guys that were either cut or outright not invited to try out.

Well, he did specifically mention coaching preferences.

 

[FinPanda]

Wait a minute... people are naming guys that were either cut or outright not invited to try out.

I named one guy who wasn't invited to the camp (Pajuniemi) if you don't count the 13th forward. Ikonen, Nordgren, Räsänen injured. Heiskanen, Kotkaniemi in the NHL. Vesalainen declined. Kokkonen the only cut.

 

[Rob]

We know many top prospects missed the WJC this year due to injuries, NHL time, coaching preferences, or outright refusal to play when invited.

Have there been players who turned down invites?

 

[TheGoldenJet]

Sweden

Dahlin - Liljegren
Brannström - Westerlund
Lundkvist - Boqvist
Sandin

​

This looks like the Swedish defence for the next 3 Olympics. Obviously Hedman/Karlsson will be there in 2022 though, barring injuries.

 

[MattiasSnall]

Have there been players who turned down invites?

Kristian Vesalainen.

 

[Pieck]

Canada:

Rasmussen - Thomas - Vilardi
Comtois - Glass - Suzuki
Frost - Hayton - Formenton
Lafreniere - Veleno - Leason
Tippett

Smith - Dobson
Brook - Mitchell
Joseph - Bouchard
Phillips

DiPietro
Scott

 

[alko]

Slovak team would look like.... actual Slovak team.

 

[Erikfromfin]

Kristian Vesalainen - Jesperi Kotkaniemi - Eeli Tolvanen
Aleksi Heponiemi - Rasmus Kupari - Kaapo Kakko
Niklas Nordgren - Anton Lundell - Joni Ikonen
Aarne Talvitie - Santeri Virtanen - Jesse Ylönen
Lauri Pajuniemi

Miro Heiskanen - Henri Jokiharju
Urho Vaakanainen - Oskari Laaksonen
Ville Heinola - Eemeli Räsänen
Mikko Kokkonen

Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen
Lassi Lehtinen
Filip Lindberg

 

[FinPanda]

Kristian Vesalainen - Jesperi Kotkaniemi - Eeli Tolvanen
Aleksi Heponiemi - Rasmus Kupari - Kaapo Kakko
Niklas Nordgren - Anton Lundell - Joni Ikonen
Aarne Talvitie - Santeri Virtanen - Jesse Ylönen
Lauri Pajuniemi

Miro Heiskanen - Henri Jokiharju
Urho Vaakanainen - Oskari Laaksonen
Ville Heinola - Eemeli Räsänen
Mikko Kokkonen

Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen
Lassi Lehtinen
Filip Lindberg

I don't know how I forgot Lundell from my roster.