Everybody's favourite annual hockey tournament has been in full force for four days now, heading into their fifth day. Team Canada has won all three of their games so far, with one coming in overtime. Meanwhile, both Team Sweden and Team USA are leading the tournament with three wins in regulation. While there hasn't been much to report on from a Toronto Maple Leafs standpoint, prospects Ben Danford and Victor Johansson have been plugging away for Canada and Sweden, respectively.
We're into December, which means the World Juniors are just around the corner. Team Canada is expected to name its roster in the coming days, while holding a 10-day training camp in Niagara Falls from December 12-22. Daily Faceoff prospect expert Steven Ellis listed Toronto Maple Leafs top prospect Ben Danford in his final roster projection last week, which would be a massive accomplishment for the 2024 first-round pick.
In a world that revolves around the Celebrini vs. Bedard arguments, the NHL world seems to be blind to the fact that Leo Carlsson of the Anaheim Ducks is one of the hottest players in the league right now, and has every right to be involved in those conversations. As a former second overall pick, Carlsson has only improved as the years have gone by, and after hitting 100 career NHL points,
Beyond that, the team could go a bunch of different ways. I like (Cameron) Reid's skating, while Danford can shut down just about anyone. (Charlie) Elick can be paired up with anyone and bring toughness and a willingness to win every shift. Overall, there's still a lot of "wait and see" with the D-corps - and I don't think that's a bad thing, given the depth available to them.
former fourth overall pick back in 2023 Will Smith is starting to write his own story in San Jose, and is slowly becoming one of the more electrifying and exciting young prospects in hockey. Smith, who was selected as a very promising young forward out of Boston College, is now becoming one of the most integral and rapidly-developing prospects in the Sharks prospect pool, and with what he is already doing this season doesn't seem to be getting enough recognition.
Heineman scored two more goals on Thursday night versus Detroit and looks more than comfortable playing alongside Bo Horvat on the Islanders' top line. That's five goals in seven games. The 23-year-old was off to a blazing start with Montreal last season before being in a freak car accident in Salt Lake City. The injury sustained prevented the winger from having a breakout season and made him expendable to Montreal when Darche zeroed in on him to acquire Dobson.
Perhaps no one on this year's 25 Under 25 list has more to prove this season than San Jose Sharks prospect Yaroslav Askarov. After all, this year is exactly why he requested a trade out of Nashville. Over the next nine months, Askarov has the opportunity to prove that he can be an NHL starter, or at the very least, that he has the chops to make it in the NHL.
Samoskevich became a full-time NHL player this season for Florida with some very good stretches of play. He's a talented winger with a lot of NHL offensive traits. He's a quick skater with very good hands who can create scoring chances with speed. He also has an excellent shot and is a threat to score from range. Samoskevich has improved his effort over time, but he does still tend to stay too much on the outside of the offensive zone. He projects as a middle-six scoring winger.
Calgary defenseman Zayne Parekh made his NHL debut last season and played only one game but left a lasting impression. He debuted on April 17, 2024, against the Los Angeles Kings. It was a memorable game for him as he scored his first NHL goal o 20 minutes of action but was also a +3. That gave the youngster confidence heading into this season to grab a permanent role on the blue line.He is Calgary's top prospect on defense
When the New York Islanders take the ice for training camp this September, one of the new faces to watch will be forward Joey Larson. The 24-year-old Michigan State product signed a one-year entry-level contract with the club earlier this summer, officially beginning his professional career with a chance to make an impression on Long Island. He was the state of Michigan's "Mr. Hockey" winner as the top player in the state in 2019 while playing for his hometown Hartland High School.
"(The roster) is always fluid because of eligibility, injuries, et cetera. So I don't think it's fair to ever say, always, you know, we are absolutely done or we're not done, I think, because there's too many factors that can happen."
