The 2016 World Junior Championship begins Saturday in Finland and the Anaheim Ducks will have three of their top prospects taking part in the tournament.
Jun 26, 2015; Sunrise, FL, USA; Jacob Larsson adjust his cap as he stands with head coach Bruce Boudreau after being selected as the number twenty-seven overall pick to the Anaheim Ducks in the first round of the 2015 NHL Draft at BB&T Center. Mandatory Credit: Steve Mitchell-USA TODAY Sports
While a slow start has hurt the spirit of many Anaheim Ducks fans, there is one thing to get excited about right now. The 2016 World Junior Championship begins in less than 24 hours and three of the Anaheim Ducks top prospects should be on display.
2015 second round pick, forward Julius Nattinen, has already been named to Finland’s final roster and should play a big role for the host country.
Nattinen was taken 59th overall by the Ducks at this most recent draft and was impressive at rookie camp over the summer. So far this season playing in juniors, he has 10 goals and 22 assist in 24 games with the Barrie Colts of the Ontario Hockey League. Nattinen has drawn comparisons to Anze Kopitar for his style of play, he’s poised and plays a smart game.
Nattinen is part of a strong Finland squad that will look to take advantage of playing on home ice in Helsinki.
2014 second round pick, defensemen Marcus Pettersson, and 2015 first round pick, defensemen Jacob Larsson, should both make Sweden’s final roster when it is announced sometime Friday.
More from Ducks News
- Who could the Anaheim Ducks consider presenting offer sheets to?
- Is Pierre-Luc Dubois on the cards for the rebuilding Anaheim Ducks?
- Making the case for the Anaheim Ducks to trade with the Edmonton Oilers
- Anaheim Ducks might benefit tremendously by trading John Gibson
- How close are the Anaheim Ducks to becoming contenders again?
Pettersson was taken 38th overall by the Ducks in 2014 and is a tall big-bodied blue-liner at 6 foot 4, 195 pounds. So far this season, Pettersson has 2 goals and 2 assists with a +13 rating in 27 games with Skelleftea AIK of the SHL. Pettersson is a 2-way defender that plays a smart game with strong positioning and passing.
Pettersson was not a lock to make Sweden’s final roster but after injury and strong play this year from the Ducks prospect, he should now be a part of a loaded Sweden team.
Larsson was taken 27th overall by the Ducks at the most recent draft. So far this season Larsson has 3 goals and 6 assist with a +12 rating in 26 games with Frolunda HC of the SHL. Larsson is 6 foot 2, 190 pounds and is a smart 2-way defender with elite skating ability and is able to read the game well and execute with strong passing.
Sweden has played a few exhibition games with both Larsson and Pettersson playing well. The Swedes nearly mounted a giant comeback against Canada earlier this week but ended falling short. Larsson scored a goal and Pettersson scored twice.
Larsson has been getting action in Sweden’s top four, playing alongside talented Columbus prospect Gabriel Carlsson, who was taken 29th overall by the Blue Jackets at the most recent draft. It is not known whether or not the two will continue to play together.
Sweden is regarded as the favorite to win the tournament along with Canada. The Swedes team will be headlined by Toronto Maple Leafs prospect William Nylander (taken 8th overall by the Leafs in 2014) and his brother Alexander, who should be a top 10 pick in 2016.
Sweden’s final roster will be released soon so make sure to follow @Pucksofafeather on twitter to get the latest news on the announcement.
One additional note is that Anaheim Ducks legend Teemu Selanne will have his Finnish olympic jersey retired before the Finland versus Slovakia game on December 30th.
Beyond Finland and Sweden, Ducks fans may have more of an interest in this years tournament.
More from Ducks News
- Who could the Anaheim Ducks consider presenting offer sheets to?
- Is Pierre-Luc Dubois on the cards for the rebuilding Anaheim Ducks?
- Making the case for the Anaheim Ducks to trade with the Edmonton Oilers
- Anaheim Ducks might benefit tremendously by trading John Gibson
- How close are the Anaheim Ducks to becoming contenders again?
As you all know, the Ducks have not had a great season thus far and if the season ended today they would have the second best odds to win the draft lottery. The prize in this years draft is U.S center Auston Matthews who I recommend watching play during the tournament.
Beyond Matthews, there are a number of other talented players who will be on display in Helsinki that you should watch as the Ducks may find themselves with a pretty high draft pick this season if this poor play continues.
Here’s a link to 2016 draft rankings for more info on who to watch.
NHL Network will televise nearly every game of the opening round, here is the T.V. schedule for Finland and Sweden.
December 26th
Switzerland Vs. Sweden – NHL Network @9:30am E.T
Finland Vs. Belarus – NHL Network @3:30pm E.T
USA Vs. Canada (for those interested) – NHL Network @1pm E.T
December 28th
Sweden Vs. USA – NHL Network 9am E.T
Russia Vs. Finland – Not Televised
December 31st
Finland Vs. Czech Republic – Not Televised
Canada Vs. Sweden – NHL Netwrok @3:30pm E.T
January 2nd
Quarterfinal Games – Time=TBD
January 4th
Semifinal Games – Time=TBD
January 5th
Gold Medal Game – Time=TBD
As always, follow us on twitter (@pucksofafeather) for live game tweeting of Finland and Sweden as well as more news from the tournament.