Who will provide the offence? Who will be looked upon in the dying minutes of a tie game? Who will be counted upon to provide leadership on the long road to gold? International Scouting Services has selected three players from each of the six competing teams that it believes are U17 Players to Watch. Who made the list?
ATLANTIC
Oliver Cooper
power forward ... impressive collection of physical tools ... competes at high level ... dominates the boards ... good hands ... at best when physically involved ... skates well considering size
Nathan MacKinnon
offensively dynamic ... natural and smooth skating stride ... fantastic acceleration ... excellent hockey sense ... dynamic 1-on-1 ability ... scoring threat whenever on the ice ... 2011 returnee
Matt Murphy
two-way defenceman ... tough and physical ... calm and poised ... effective in all three zones ... high hockey IQ ... likes to finish checks ... confident puck handler ... solid frame ... 2011 returnee
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CZECH REPUBLIC
Jan Kostalek
very composed two-way defenceman ... good offensive instincts ... plays in all situations ... effective puck distributor ... good anticipation ... makes plays with poise ... makes crisp passes
Alex Pisarik
skilled offensive defenceman ... very mobile ... fluid skater ... excellent puck distribution skills ... ideal power play quarterback ... good hard shot ... reads the play well ... excellent instincts
Patrik Zdrahal
productive two-way forward ... takes advantage of time and space ... reads play well ... displays good anticipation ... uses size well in puck battles ... plays hard each shift ... strong skating stride
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GERMANY
Leon Draisaitl
effective two-way forward ... very tough on the puck ... doesn’t hesitate to play in traffic ... very good hands ... drives the net hard ... good strength ... uses big body well ... good in tough areas
Markus Eisenschmid
highly skilled ... good hockey IQ ... best from top of circles in ... very mobile ... fluid skater ... makes good decisions with the puck ... quick hands ... good touch ... high level of hockey sense
Frederik Tiffels
offensively-skilled forward ... has NHL speed and acceleration ... dangerous on the power play ... very energetic player ... makes plays at top speed ... can play centre or wings ... natural play-maker
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ONTARIO
Max Domi
dynamic offensive player ... highly skilled ... highly competitive ... tremendous vision ... fantastic play-making abilities ... tremendous patience with the puck ... quick feet ... excellent acceleration
Aaron Ekblad
complete package ... smooth and powerful stride ... great offensive skills ... tremendous poise with the puck ... makes crisp passes ... creative with the puck ... ideal power play quarterback
Nicholas Ritchie
skilled power forward ... soft hands ... good puck control ... very good puck protection ... competes at a high level ... goal scorer ... nose for the net ... strong stride ... nice touch around the net
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PACIFIC
Eric Comrie
poised and confident goaltender ... very good focus ... fills the net well ... moves well laterally ... very quick from post to post ... does not get affected by bad goals ... reads the play well
Curtis Lazar
dominating and exciting offensive talent ... possesses a ton of natural ability ... always a threat to score ... great speed and quickness ... can make plays and carry the puck at top speed
Sam Reinhart
explosive offensive skill set ... great hand/eye coordination ... quick hands ... agile with the puck ... fantastic play-making ability ... can make jaw-dropping plays ... talented offensive threat
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QUEBEC
Jonathan Drouin
dominating and exciting offensive talent ... excellent hands ... tremendous offensive abilities ... explosive and agile movements ... talented play-maker ... very intelligent ... good skater
Anthony Duclair
explosive skill set ... offensive-minded forward ... consistently produces offensively ... explosive speed and quickness ... tremendous potential ... not afraid to play physical ... returnee from 2011
Samuel Morin
stay-at-home defenceman ... plays safe and simple ... very effective on penalty kill ... good mobility ... covers a lot of territory ... intelligent gap and lane control ... has big shot ... strong skater
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RUSSIA
Ivan Barbashev
complete two-way forward ... excellent work ethic ... provides leadership ... displays speed and quickness ... can make plays at top speed ... good hockey sense ... responsible defensively
Pavel Buchnevich
effective two-way forward ... excellent hockey sense ... good attitude ... gets into scoring position ... good skating ability ... makes crisp and accurate passes ... shows creativity with the puck
Sergey Tolchinskiy
highly skilled ... loves to have the puck on his stick ... excellent skater ... quick feet ... finesse player ... tricky stick ... creates scoring opportunities for teammates ... sees the ice well ... good touch
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SWEDEN
André Burakowsky
highly-skilled forward ... technically-sound skater ... extremely aware of his options with the puck ... quick strike ability ... finds open ice very well ... protects the puck well ... nice touch around net
Jacob de la Rose
smart and talented ... sniper ... does good job getting into scoring position ... solid collection of physical tools ... excellent stick ... displays speed and quickness ... great stick ... good hand-eye coordination
Robert Hagg
towering defenceman ... offensive-minded blue-liner ... likes to be involved in the play ... can be physically dominant in corners ... smart around the puck ... makes crisp passes ... good awareness
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UNITED STATES
Will Butcher
offensive defenceman ... exceptional hands ... tremendous vision ... ideal power play quarterback ... strong, powerful skater ... excellent hockey sense ... has active stick ... cuts off lanes well
Hunter Miska
very strong technically ... relies on positioning to take away net ... communicates well with defencemen ... very good focus ... challenges shooters well ... moves quick from post to post
Tyler Motte
very skilled ... displays high level of skill ... great hands ... plays in all situations ... makes something happen every shift ... at best when in possession of puck ... great stick ... consistent scorer
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WEST
Madison Bowey
offensive-minded defenceman ... great vision with the puck ... makes great first pass ... very quick feet ... excellent mobility ... takes away time and space efficiently ... good size ... ton of upside
Alex Forsberg
highly-skilled forward ... possesses play-maker’s touch ... at best when in possession of puck ... excellent hands ... tremendous vision ... strong, smooth strides ... very good anticipation
Carter Hansen
effective two-way forward ... good size ... excellent stick ... plays a finesse game ... uses speed to find open space ... nice touch around net ... protects puck well ... gets into scoring positions