Welcome to another edition of the Hockeybuzz hotstove.
With the 2014-15 World Junior Championships just a few days away, we're going to keep with the World Junior theme and share our breakout picks for the upcoming tournament.
Todd Cordell: Ivan Provorov
I'm going to go with a bit of an under-the-radar pick in 17-year-old Russian defenseman Ivan Provorov.
I have Russia making it to the gold medal game, and the 2015 draft eligible is one of the reasons why.
He is a good skater and confident skating it up ice, owns a big shot and is a good passer, which will come in handy when moving the puck to all the skilled forwards he has to work with.
I think he will have a big tournament, and that his draft stock will rise as a result.
Adam French: Kevin Fiala I've hitched myself to the Fiala bandwagon throughout last year. I'm a believer. He was amazing last U20 tournament, but nobody cared. Now? Well nobody will care, but he will probably be one of the best players on a stronger team that he won't have to control the entire offense on. The Swiss forward has been one of the most underrated prospects in the world. Being an elite player in the Elitserien, one of the most dynamic forwards in the U18 tournament, a solid player in the World Champonships and a HARD WORKER. Not only does he have elite skill and speed, he never stops moving. I love him as a prospect and I hope you guys will too. Switzerland will be a difficult defeat if their unknown goaltending holds up...and if they hope to win it will rest a lot on Fiala's shoulders.
Tim Chiasson: William Nylander Nylander is a point-per-game player over in the Swedish Elite League with MoDo this year and is one of the best NHL prospects right now. Sweden will be looking for a big offensive output from the first round pick and he's no stranger at delivering on the international level. At last years U18 IIHF tournament Nylander had 16 points in 7 games.
The stage is set for Nylander to put on a show at the WJHC in front of his future home crowd.
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