With the first games of the 2022 World Junior Tournament quickly approaching, four Buffalo Sabres prospects have been selected to represent their respective countries. Along with Buffalo’s current prospects in action, there will also be several 2022 draft-eligible skaters fans should keep their eyes on at this year’s World Juniors. This tournament will be a quick look into the Sabres’ close future.
By Carson G
Sabres Prospects in the 2022 World Junior Tournament
Owen Power | Canada
Buffalo’s most recent number one overall selection will be on the world stage once again. Owen Power will be one of the keys to Team Canada’s success. This will be Power’s first time suiting up for Team Canada in the World Juniors. Last year, Power was unable to crack the stacked silver medal squad, however Power played for Team Canada in the World Championships last season, where he backed Canada to a gold medal. While only accumulating three assists in ten games, the blueliner played very well against NHL talent.
This World Junior Tournament should be all about Power. He will once again be brought into the world’s spotlight, but this time go up against players his own age. Power is currently dominating against players as old as 25 while at Michigan. In this tournament, Power will be in the oldest crop of players. For Sabres fans, this tournament will be a big showing of how good Power is compared to players his own age.
This season, Power has played 18 games for the University of Michigan. During that time, he has amounted 23 points, 20 of them being assists. Power currently leads all NCAA defensemen in points, while also making his case for the Hobey Baker Award. Sabres fans will be able to view their future blueliner in action starting December 26th when he faces the Czech Republic team.
Jakub Konecny | Czech Republic
This year will also be the first time forward prospect Jakub Konecny will be competing at the World Junior Tournament. The 2020 seventh-round pick is a fast skater and is known for his ability to move the puck in transition. This season, Konecny has spent his time playing in the top Czech league, and at the international under-20 level, representing the Czech Republic.
Konecny is on the smaller end of players, listed at 5-foot-10, but brings a lot of speed up the middle of the ice. While his point-production doesn’t fully represent the player he is, he brings a lot to the game away from the score sheet. Konecny is one of Buffalo’s most interesting prospects in the system.
Playing with a strong transition game and speed, Konecny has scored almost every one of his goals on breakaways. It will be interesting to see how this play will work at the international level, especially with the Czech’s strong puck-moving defensive unit. While it is unknown whether Konecny will be able to make the jump to the NHL level, he will be a player Sabres fans should keep their eye on.
Isak Rosén | Sweden
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The 2021 first-round pick Isak Rosén is someone Sabres fans should be excited to watch. The prominent return in the Rasmus Ristolainen trade is one of the youngest Sabres prospects in the tournament this year. Rosén is expected to be a key contributor to a very solid Swedish forward core. For fans who are unfamiliar with Rosén’s game, he is a shifty skater with a strong shot. Rosén plays a fast transition style of hockey, while also being able to control the play in zone and get a quality shot off.
Rosén has spent much of his 2021 campaign in the SHL, and international under-20 league. While Rosén’s numbers have not been crazy high, he is only 18-years-old. It will be interesting to see how the first-round pick plays with players his own age. With players like William Eklund and Fabian Lycell, Rosén will have the opportunity to play with some of the top NHL prospects in this tournament.
It is unlikely Rosén makes the jump to North America next season, however a great tournament may open the possibility for that to happen. Rosén plays the game quickly and should see plenty of ice time with Sweden’s top forwards this tournament. Isak Rosén and Sweden will play their first game December 26th when they play Team Russia.
Nikita Novikov | Russia
Out of the four Russian-born players selected in last year’s draft, Nikita Novikov was the only one selected to Russia’s World Junior team. The big defenseman is also making his World Junior debut this year. Novikov was the last of the Russians drafted by the Sabres and was taken in the sixth round.
While it’s surprising the other Russian players drafted ahead of Novikov were not selected, it shows the strides Novikov has taken. In this tournament, he is expected to be a shutdown defenseman for the Russians. Novikov has spent his season mostly with Dynamo Moskva in the KHL. The 18-year-old has played 30 games this year in the KHL, with four points.
While Novikov is not the flashiest Sabres prospect at the tournament, he shouldn’t be someone fans overlook. With so much fan discourse over not having a true shutdown defenseman, Novikov could be that presence at the NHL level. Like other Sabres’ prospects at the tournament, he is also playing professional hockey. Seeing Novikov play against players his own age will be a big indicator of how he will look at the next level when he is ready to make the jump in a few years.
2022 Draft Eligible Skaters at the WJC
With the Sabres’ current position in the standings, it is fair to assume they will be in lottery contention once again. Here are a few skaters fans should take notice of because there is a good chance one of them will be wearing blue and gold in the future…
The obvious prospect fans will look at is consensus number one overall pick, Shane Wright. The dynamic playmaker who can also score goals will be closely watched as his OHL season hasn’t gone exactly as planned. Wright will have to produce if Canada wants to medal this year.
David Jiricek of the Czech Republic is a prospect slotted between the top-five and the top-fifteen of this year’s draft. He has the opportunity to show the world how good of a player he is. Jiricek will be the top defenseman on the Czech blue line, and should really shine against players his own age. He moves the puck well, as well as has having a great hockey IQ. Jiricek is a prospect who is right in the range of where the Sabres currently sit in the standings.
The final prospect is Finnish forward Joakim Kemell. The 17-year-old has been on a tear this year in Liiga play with 12 goals in 21 games. Kemell is a goal-scoring forward who knows how to put the puck in the net. He is listed to go in the top-five in the draft.
With only four Sabres’ prospects in this year’s tournament, comment below on what you expect from the players that are going. The World Juniors begins in less than two weeks on Sunday the 26th.
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