2025 NHL Draft Notes from the World Junior A Challenge Gold Medal Game
Our prolific prospect profiler Trevor Curtis opens up his scouting notebook:
Four teams met in Camrose, AB for this tournament: Team Sweden, Team USA, Team Canada East, and Team Canada West.
The two Canadian teams were made up of unknowns, but the other two teams featured several prominent draft-eligibles- including C Anton Frondell. Team USA won the event by beating Team Sweden, 7-4 in the Gold Medal Game, meaning Sweden took home Silver.
D Oliwer Sjostrom: He's called a "speedster", but I must be crazy because he looked deficient in the skating department with a rather short and stiff stride. There were instances where he was hemmed in down low without the ability to outskate the American forecheckers, and had to stickhandle out of trouble. 2 assists in this game, and he looked the part of a smart offensive generator with some brilliant passing on display, but lacks size at 5'11". He finishes the tourney with 4 points in 5 games- tied for 4th among D in the event. He's in the midst of a disappointing draft year in the J20, with only 10 points in 24 games, after a promising season in 2023-24 that saw him post 24 points in 38 games, with a call-up to the SHL.
W Jacob Ihs-Wozniak: He was easily one of Sweden's best players, making several smart plays all over the ice, and showing an ability to solve problems on the fly. He has good hands and a quick shot, and scored a goal where he picked the top corner on their 3rd goal. On the PP, he was being set up to shoot. He's 6'3", skates well, and puts in a good two-way effort, but he could stand to use his body more, IMO. He was tied for 7th in the tournament with 6 points in 5 games, and is enjoying a good season in the J20, with 28 points in 22 games- after a rather slow start. Should be a first-round pick this summer.
C Anton Frondell: The marquee player of the tourney, and Team Sweden's Captain must still be trying to get up to speed after his early season injury, because he just isn't himself. For two periods in this game at least, he looked ordinary, and was committing giveaways with some soft plays, and losing races to loose pucks. In the third, he took an interference call for tackling an opposing player who was about to beat him for a breakaway along the boards- after the refs seemed to be putting away the whistles. He was better in the third frame though, and showed better smarts with more jump. At one point in the second, he completely walked an American D for a partial breakaway but hit the post. Frondell reminds me a bit of a poor-man's Peter Forsberg, in how he pays close attention to his defensive play, and is uncommonly strong- he doesn't get outmuscled too often, despite standing only 6'0", and 196lbs. No points in this game, and he finished the event tied with Sjostrom for 8th on team Sweden (tied for 14th-overall) with 4 points in 5 games. His struggles are ongoing back home as well, with 7 points in 10 J20 games, and 3 points in 7 Allsvenskan contests.
RW Arvid Drott: This is a player I like and feel is a bit underrated, although I was a bit disappointed by his offensive output in this tourney (3 points in 5 games). Drott is 6'1",187lbs and plays a rambunctious power game- he loves to initiate contact whenever he can. He may not be overflowing with skill, but he's good at everything and has an explosive skating stride with good edges and agility. He's doing well back home, with 13 goals and 25 points in 24 J20 games. He's a second-rounder in my book.
LW Eddie Genborg: Like Drott, I really like this player and feel like he's being overlooked a bit. Genborg is usually Sweden's most physical player by far- he's a 6'2",185lb power forward, plays with superb energy, and is meaner than Drott. Genborg wins battles, goes hard to the net, and exhibits excellent puck-protection. He threw many hits in this game, but tagged an American in the 2nd with an open-ice hit that took the wind out of his victim's sails. He reminds me (stylistically only) of Micheal Ferland with his swift skating and motor. Only 3 points in 5 games in Camrose, but he's putting up first-round numbers in the J20, with 29 points in 22 games- earning him an 8-game call-up to the SHL. I think he's headed for a second-round selection.
LW Victor Klingsell: He finished the tourney tied for 5th in scoring, with 7 points in 5 games, and has some hype from being Team Sweden's top player in the Hlinka, with 12 points in 5 games. Klingsell is only 5'10", but is a top-end offensive player with sublime skill, and sharp hands- his PP goal in the second period was a top-corner snipe through traffic, just a thing of beauty. From what I've seen though, he does not like physical confrontations unless he’s the one initiating , and at one point pumped the brakes to avoid taking contact at the blueline when he was trying to clear a loose puck from the zone. The Amerks got the puck deep, but thankfully for him, nothing came of it- it really disgusted me though. For an offensive player, he's having a rather poor season in the J20, with only 17 points in 24 games. I have him in the third round, but he just might slip.
C Eric Nilson: Like his Dad, former Flame Marcus Nilson, he's a hard-nosed, intelligent two-way C, and one of my favorites. He reminds a bit of Lucas Petterson or Linus Eriksson from last year's draft, in that he might have a high NHL-floor due to his responsible game. In addition, Nilson is a crisp passer and a fine playmaker, and his skills were on display in this game. No points in the Gold-Medal game, but he finished in a tie with Ihs-Wozniak for 7th in scoring in this event, and is doing well back home with 28 points in 23 J20 games, and a cup of coffee in the Allsvenskan (1 point in 2 games).
LW Melvin Novotny: He was always aware of his defensive responsibilities, and was taking a proactive approach to his positioning in this regard- perhaps at the expense of his offense. He is 6'1", and 187lbs, but was using his stick to dislodge pucks rather than engage physically- I feel he needs more intensity, aggression, and physicality. He's a smart player though, and his forte' is his vision and passing skills, with the ability to find teammates through traffic. No points in the Gold Medal game, but he was tied for 10th in scoring with 5 points in 5 games. Back home, I feel like he's got a whole lot more than what he's showing on the scoreboard- with 10 points in 11 games in 2023-24, he should be putting up more than 21 points in 23 J20 games this season. I think the scouts will know this too, and he'll go in the second round.
D Malte Vass: Only 1 point (and 35 PIM) in the tourney, but he more than made his presence felt with his mean physical game that drove the Americans nuts. Obviously, he loves to initiate contact, and threw some real jarring hits that stopped his victims in their tracks, and made him a target. He's got good mobility, and plays a shutdown game with a deft stick, good gap control, and smart positioning. He won't ever be a big offensive contributor though, as the 6'1",180lb rearguard only has 5 points (and 37 PIM) in 22 J20 games. Look for him in the late 3rd, or 4th round.
G Love Haremstam: Not the best showing for this 6'1",185lb netminder, who finished the event with a 2.68 GAA, and a .882 SV% in 3 games. He was beaten on the first shot he faced with a rather soft goal, and gave up a juicy rebound that he completely lost sight of on the second goal. The third goal against was a breakaway from one of the best offensive players for team USA, Will Zellers, and the 4th goal was from Team USA buzzing around the slot unchecked. The 5th goal was an end-to-end rush by USA Captain Finn McLaughlin, who beat him through the five-hole. That was followed by an empty-netter, and then a late goal by D Luke Osburn, at 19:37. In 4 games with Lulea HF J20, he was 2.28 GAA, and .927 SV%, but he has since been playing for Skelleftea AIK J20, where he's not faring as well with a 3.52 GAA, and an .899 SV%.
*Honorable mention to 2026 Draft-eligible F Ivar Stenberg (Otto's brother). This kid is one to watch, as he led this tourney with 7 goals and 11 points in 5 games (and was 3rd in the Hlinka with 10 points in 5 games). He's a slight 5'11", and 170lbs, and gets pushed around and knocked over easily, but he's a real talent who doesn't shy away from playing in traffic, or skating through his opponents' hands.
F Ryker Lee: He only played 3 games due to injury, but he had an assist in this game. His skating is average at best, but he still manages to play with pace due to his work-ethic, which is aided by his deft stickhandling ability. He showed off his excellent shot in this one, which is said to be his primary weapon. In the USHL, he has put up 24 points in 20 games- which puts him 7th in scoring for that league, at a pace that would put him at 70 points in 58 games.
C/LW Mason Moe: He's a good skater with size (6'1",185lbs), and uses both to forecheck hard- although he prefers to use his stick to poke pucks free from opponents. He had plenty of time on special teams in this one, and was a net-front presence on the PP, with good faceoff ability. Only 2 points in 5 games, and I doubt he'll ever be an offensive weapon, but rather a reliable defensive player in the pros. He plays with Ryker Lee for the Madison Capitols of the USHL, and has 14 points in 17 games.
C Teddy Mutryn: A big (6'1",207lbs), tough center who plays with high intensity and pace. He may not be a blazer, but he keeps his feet pumping hard, and is highly disruptive on the forecheck. He plays a heavy game, and managed to finish in a tie for 14th, with 4 points in 5 games. He has a good shooting arsenal, but failed to score a goal in this event- his points were all assists. Back home, he plays in the USHL for one of the worst (and lowest-scoring) teams, in the Chicago Steel- which may contribute somewhat to his less-than-impressive stats- 7 goals and 10 points in 21 games, to go with 35 PIM.
RW Ben Kevan: He's a player I really like, and I have him at the top of the second round. In Camrose, he was 4th in scoring with 6 goals (2nd behind Stenberg) and 8 points in 5 games, and was one of the best players for either team in this game, despite only getting 1 assist. Kevan (6'0",183lbs) is tough and hard-nosed, but he's also a speedster with soft hands and a skilled playmaking touch. USA's third goal was all him, grabbing the puck off the faceoff, working his way up the ice and sending Zellers in on a breakaway while taking an enormous hit. For the USHL's Des Moines Buccaneers, another one of the circuit's worst teams, he has managed 6 goals and 16 points in 16 games, to go with 23 PIM.
D Jacob Rombach: There's something beautiful and almost poetic about watching a player who is 6'6", and 200lbs float around the ice with the ease that Rombach does. He's impossible to miss, and with his mobility, he's not afraid to join the rush. He's also not at all afraid to initiate contact (though he will use his reach and stick first) and he's good in retrievals. Rombach exhibits excellent shutdown ability, with tight gap control and a long, well-timed stick that he uses well to kill penalties- and if he pins you to the boards, you're done. He keeps his puck game simple, and will never be an offensive dynamo, but that's not his game. In Camrose, he managed 2 points in 5 games, and only has 5 assists in 22 games for Lincoln of the USHL.
