VSN Presents: S89 WJC Rosters & Analysis

[McLovin 393]

 

The World Junior Championship is upon us! This go around is no different from seasons past, as both General Managers of the teams and players alike look to prove they have what it takes to be the best of the best of the future in VHL competition. The rosters are set and the teams are ready. Let’s take a look at who’s playing where, and which team might possibly take home Gold at this World Juniors!

 

Team Europe:

 

Starting with the team that did the impossible and won it all last season, we’ve got Team Europe! It seems they’re sticking to what worked last season, leaning on the offense to carry games. Familiar faces like Viktor Jensen @Advantage, BjorkaBjorn BjornaBjorkson @JardyB10, Legacy Gaming @Gaming Ringleader, Steve Lattimer @pugsood, and Admir Bala @Tyler headline the team again, and look to be some of the best players the Tournament has to offer. Additionally, Goaltender Karl Herzlich @LastGoon007 is making his return to the WJC after a completely dominant VHLM season with the Philadelphia Reapers, and looks to win his second consecutive Gold Medal at the Tournament.

 

The roster is absolutely stacked, and personally I’d say they’re favorites to win the Tournament. That being said though, Team USA was by far the favorite to win last season's World Juniors, and with how they only walked away with a Bronze for their Round Robin showing, favorites mean little in the grand scheme of things. Regardless, I’d expect a big WJC from Team Europe, and a Medal Round appearance minimum.

 

Team World:

 

Moving on, we’ve got last season's Silver Medal winner, Team World! Looking to make another Cinderella story type run, they’re expanding upon what made them so good last season and leaning on their top line and defensive core. Keita Kourou @woog and Pope Francis @nurx are the players to look out for, as they are likely who Team World will rely heavily on to keep them competitive in Medal Round contention. With new depth pieces being added as well, they’ve got a solid shot at making something happen. The big, glaring issue, however, is absolutely the goaltending. Skill wise, their goaltending duo is of the worst in the tournament, and if they goalies can’t keep up with heavy hitter teams in the Round Robin, it’s looking very scary for Team World.

 

I believe that should the goaltending hold its ground and make games competitive, World has a solid chance at making a serious run at Gold, but they have a long road ahead of them to get to that point. It’s safe to say World has their work cut out for them, but should they rise to the challenge, I see a wonderful underdog story in the making that would be very reminiscent of Team Europe's own Cinderella run and win from last season's World Juniors. This will be a very interesting team to watch, so make sure to keep them in mind once the puck drops tomorrow!

 

 

 

Team USA:

 

Next up, we have Team USA! After a strong Round Robin in S88’s World Juniors, they look to improve upon their previous success and make a run at Gold once more! The roster, similarly to ones mentioned previously, has many familiar faces making their return to the red, white and blue. With players like Justin Williams @JCV and Eric Queefson @twists returning, and the additions of Fradin McGryer @Fradin99, Jack Jeckler @Uncommon, and Ben Laas @dustywilson22, this is a much more defensively minded Team USA that looks to shut down competition, and level the playing field against more offensively minded teams like Europe. Matchups between them should be very interesting to watch indeed!

 

Overall, I believe that Team USA has a very strong chance at making the Medal Round once more, and even competing for a Gold Medal. The question lies in the defense and goaltending however, as if they’re unable to prevent goals from going in at rapid pace, they’ll be eaten alive by the lack of offensive depth to match juggernaut teams like Europe or Canada. Goaltending shouldn’t be an issue, however, as Team USA bolsters one of the better goaltending duos of the Tournament, and aims to lean on them to shut down games. Should Jonny Elgar @Jonny pull this off, watch out for Team USA!

 

 

 

 

Team Canada:

 

Here’s a dark horse candidate for the competition, we have Team Canada! After failing to win a Medal in the S88 World Juniors, Team Canada is coming back with a vengeance, and it’s going to be everyone else’s problem. Canada bolsters arguably the second best roster (at least TPE wise) of the entire Tournament, and on paper, they’re a very, very scary team. 7 of the top 11 players for Canada are forwards, and similarly to Europe, will look to utilize this strength in the Round Robin by exploding on offensive production at every opportunity. Jeff Lewis @nerji  and Montgomery Burns @LastOneUp especially are some of the best forwards playing in the World Juniors, and look to be deciding factors in whether Canada can return to Medal contention in this season's go.

 

As I said previously, these guys are good, and I honestly expect big things from them. They’ve got the pieces, they’ve got the experience, they’ve got what it takes. Their kryptonite, however, is easily their defense. While they have a strong first pairing, it severely drops off after that, and it’s been proven time and time again that depth is what wins Championships. If the offense can pull through, or the defense pulls a miracle out, I can easily see Canada playing and potentially even winning Gold. Keep an eye out for them!

 

 

 

 

Team Asia:

 

Last but not least, we have Team Asia. A first look at the roster, and it’s rather plain to see. The lack of Asian players hurts the team, as a majority of the team isn’t actually from Asia, but players that the rest of the Tournament didn’t select for their rosters. With a team of misfits, however, draws opportunity. While it’s tough to argue that they’d be a contender for a Medal Round appearance, they have the potential to be upsetters for teams looking to make it there. Shubham Anand @Will3 and Savaisk Tzear @comrade cat are definitely the stars of this roster, and will likely be leaned on heavily to maintain competitiveness against stacked teams who have deep depth. Throw in the misfits and you got yourself a very unique opportunity to be a rather nice comeback story in the making. 

 

Not to mince words, but I can’t see them being a very strong contender for Gold. As mentioned previously however, they’re going to fight hard and heavy for every game, and make the rest of the Tournament sweat. You won’t be able to walk over these guys, that’s for sure, and they’re going to make you earn a win whenever you play them. With that said, however, I’m sure some teams will underestimate them, and they’ll quickly come to learn that no team should be written off when playing on the world stage.

 

 

 

Concluding this VSN coverage of the WJC rosters for S89, I have to say that I’m extremely excited to see what happens in the coming weeks with this tournament. Everyone has a chance at doing something great, and the potential stories to be told are infinite. This is a very exciting time to be a fan of the WJC, so make sure you cheer on your teams as they attempt to win glory on the world's largest prospect stage. This has been Marcus Svedberg, VSN, wishing you all a happy WJC!

[Banackock 7,654]

ASIA ASIA ASIA

[JCV 88]

Jack Jeckler actually played for USA last WJC

[McLovin 393]

Claiming week 2/2