It’s everyone’s favorite time of the year: the 2025 World Junior Championship (WJC) is here. The annual showcase brings together the world’s best prospects for a two-week tournament that has catalyzed countless of NHL careers.
Kicking off on Thursday, the Nashville Predators will have eight prospects playing in the tournament. Andrew Gibson and Tanner Molendyk will play for Team Canada; Teddy Stiga and Joey Willis will suit up for the United States; Viggo Gustafsson, Felix Nilsson, and David Edstrom will star for Team Sweden, and Jakub Milota will play for Czechia.
Below is a breakdown of what to watch for in each prospect and the nation they’re representing.
Team Canada
After losing to Sweden in the round robin last year, Canada started the playoffs as the third seed eventually being upset by Team Czechia. This year, they’ll look to rebound in a round-robin group with the U.S., Finland, Latvia, and Germany.
Per usual, Canada is bringing a roster loaded with NHL draft picks. Their forward group will be led by Calum Ritchie (COL), Easton Cowan (TOR), Brayden Yager (WPG), and Bradly Nadeau (CAR). And while this squad is poised to score plenty of goals, Canada’s blue line will be just as exciting; that crew will be headlined by Nashville prospects Andrew Gibson and Tanner Molendyk.
Gibson, who was traded to Nashville over the summer, may initially have been on the bubble to make Canada’s roster, but he excelled in selection camp and has continued that trend during their pre-tournament contests. Gibson has struggled offensively for a mediocre Soo Greyhounds team this year but has maintained his defensive astuteness, leading to (I expect) a trade to an Ontario Hockey League (OHL) contender after the WJC.
Molendyk has been dominant in his fourth season in the Western Hockey League (WHL). In 21 games for the Saskatoon Blades, Molendyk has notched four goals and 21 points, continuing to demonstrate his NHL readiness. His skating remains his standout skill and should turn heads at this tournament the next two weeks. Molendyk will serve as an assistant captain for Team Canada.
Gibson and Molendyk will start the WJC as their nation’s top pair, and Molendyk is scheduled to quarterback one of their power-play units. I expect Molendyk to be one of the best defenders across the showcase and compete for all-tournament team honors at the end of things. Regardless, at this point there’s little he can do to boost his NHL stock. With such an offensively active partner, I’ll be curious to see how involved Andrew Gibson gets up the ice. On top of that, the WJC will be a good opportunity for him to boost his defensive skills against the world’s top talent. Per usual, the 2025 WJC will be gold or bust for Team Canada, and their top defensive pair will be a key reason why should they get there.
Canada kicks off their tournament on Thursday against Finland at 6:30 p.m. CT.
Team Czechia
Despite finishing the round robin as the fifth seed in 2024, Czechia ended up with a bronze medal, topping Finland in the third-place game. This year, they’ll take on Sweden, Slovakia, Switzerland, and Kazakhstan in the easier of the WJC’s two groups.
Representing his nation will be Nashville prospect Jakub Milota; the netminder was taken 99th overall at the 2024 NHL Entry Draft. Playing for the Cape Breton Eagles of the Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League (QMJHL), Milota has rebounded nicely after a tough start to the season. In 24 games, he’s posted a 0.908 save percentage and stopped 5.90 goals above average.
Despite that, Michael Hrabal (UTA) should get the day-one start for Team Czechia. The 6’6″ goalie struggled at the 2024 WJC with a 0.877 save percentage in seven appearances, so if he falters, Milota will be in line to take over for the plucky Czechs who have a decent shot to win their group.
Czechia begins their tournament against Switzerland on Thursday at 4:00 p.m. CT.
Team Sweden
Leading into the 2020 WJC, Sweden had won 54 straight round-robin games, and yet they haven’t won a gold medal since 2012. Once again, there’s little reason why they shouldn’t compete for the top step this year.
The Swedes will have a deep blueline led by Axel Sandin Pellikka (DET) and Tom Willander (VAN); Nashville prospect Viggo Gustafsson will join them and should play top-four minutes with a decent chunk of penalty-kill time. Gustafsson is a WJC rookie but has been a quiet surprise this year. The 77th overall pick at the 2024 NHL Entry Draft began the year with HV71’s U20 squad as their top defender; before long, however, Gustafsson earned a loan to Timrå IK in the Swedish Hockey League (SHL), keeping his own in 14 professional games so far this season.
Up front, Sweden’s top line will be centered by David Edstrom, who was acquired by Nashville in the Yaroslav Askarov trade earlier this year. Edstrom has shown improvement in his second full SHL season, posting 13 points in 22 games for Frölunda HC as a middle-six pivot. He notched just three assists at last year’s WJC and will be counted on to produce more this year—along with providing his usual defensive prowess. Edstrom will be flanked by Otto Stenberg (STL) and Felix Unger Sörum (CAR); a productive tournament points-wise will certainly help boost Edstrom’s NHL stock.
Nashville’s Felix Nilsson, who was a late cut from Sweden’s WJC squad last year, could be an important piece of their middle-six. Nilsson has rebounded from an assignment to Sweden’s second-tier league to an impressive junior campaign in the SHL; through 20 games, he’s posted one goal and 12 points. I don’t expect Nilsson to be a lights-out scorer at the WJC, but I’ll be looking for some offensive confidence against his peers and a few goals here and there.
Sweden opens the WJC at 11:00 a.m. CT on Thursday against Slovakia.
Team United States
The United States cruised their way through the 2024 WJC only facing a bit of a test from Czechia in the round robin and Finland in the semifinals. Now, they look poised to defend their title with a legitimate shot at winning gold again.
America’s blueline will lean heavily on Zeev Buium (MIN) and Cole Hutson (WSH), but all eyes will be on the forward group. Their firepower starts with a top line of Gabe Perreault (NYR), James Hagens (2025), and Ryan Leonard (WSH); the middle six will provide secondary scoring with the likes of Cole Eiserman (NYI) and Oliver Moore (CHI). Nashville prospect Teddy Stiga should play the wing on the second or third line, earning a spot on this roster after an impressive start to his freshman year at Boston College (11 points in 16 games). Stiga is a confident puck carrier, and I’ll be looking for him to showcase those playdriving skills in a more limited role. I also think there’s a chance Stiga secures some critical penalty-kill minutes and even a spot on the man advantage in certain situations.
Joining Stiga will be Joey Willis, who most wouldn’t have pegged for a roster spot at the beginning of the year. Willis has exploded this season, posting 34 points, including 17 primary ones scored at even strength, in 26 games for the OHL’s Saginaw Spirit. Willis may find himself on the ice sparingly at the WJC as he’ll most likely be the United State’s 13th forward. When he does get into the lineup, look for how the 2023 fourth-round pick lines up defensively against other teams’ top forwards.
The United States opens their tournament against Germany on Thursday at 1:30 p.m. CT.
