The 2026 World Juniors have came and gone, here are prospects who improved and hurt their draft positions in the 2026 NHL Draft.
Related: TOP 2026 NHL DRAFT PROSPECTS AT THE WORLD JUNIORS
IMPROVED
Ivar Stenberg, LW, Sweden
Many expect Stenberg to be the top challenger to Gavin McKenna to go No. 1 at the NHL Draft. Whenever teams shut down Frondell, Stenberg was there to pick up the slack and start shooting like a maniac. There isn’t a single player in this draft class I’d trust more in a high-pressure situation to score a big goal – but that doesn’t mean I didn’t wish we had seen more from Stenberg up to this point. As the tournament progressed, Stenberg played better and better, showing not only his high level skill, but a slight edge to his game as well. Stenberg scored one goal and one assist in Sweden’s 4–3 shootout win over Finland in the semifinal; Sweden’s coach praised his poise under pressure and called him “a leader for us”. With Stenberg is on pace for 47 points in 48 SHL games, one of the best U‑19 seasons in league history, he has strengthened his case as a potential No.1 pick in 2026. Stenberg was one of the biggest risers of the entire tournament. His WJC performance reinforced his elite offensive toolkit, showed leadership and clutch scoring and strengthened his case as a potential No. 1 pick in 2026.
Viggo Bjorck, C, Sweden
Anton Frondell was Sweden’s best player, but Viggo Bjrock wasn’t far off in terms of point production. The projected first-rounder had points in all but one of his round-robin games and seemingly got better with every showing. While scouts wish he’d be bulkier (he’s 5-foot-10), his hockey IQ is off the charts. Björck’s shot is incredibly deceptive, especially on the power play. He doesn’t give you much to work with if you’re a goalie – and it’s because he doesn’t need to. His shot is quick and accurate, and he consistently releases it from a dangerous area. Björck “earns trust and opportunity everywhere he goes,” even though he’s undersized and not a prototypical top prospect. Sweden used him in meaningful minutes; Coaches leaned on him despite his size and age and his ability to play the middle of the ice at 5’9″ was repeatedly highlighted. He entered the tournament as a mid‑first‑round candidate and left as a potential top‑10 pick. He rose because of his clutch play, trusted usage in key situation, Strong two‑way play and competitiveness, consistent involvement in Sweden’s biggest games and favorable comparisions to Stenberg in terms of impact. His play
reinforced Bjorck as a high‑IQ, competitive, undersized play‑driver who thrives in pace‑controlled, high‑leverage situations.
Alberts Smits, D, Latvia
With Latvia lacking true high-end talent, Šmits was tasked with heavy minutes – and he didn’t disappoint. He was excellent at both ends of the ice, and he often was tasked with leading the team’s offense when things were looking dire. Šmits’ mix of hockey sense, mobility and disruption potential should allow him to become a top-four defenseman in the NHL. There’s still room to grow in his decision-making and in whether his offensive prowess will carry over.
Alberts Šmits was one of the breakout stars of the 2026 WJC, finishing with 5 points in 5 games, logging top‑pair minutes, and establishing himself as a legitimate top‑10 prospect for the 2026 NHL Draft. He was Latvia’s best player and one of the tournament’s most impressive draft‑eligibles. He’s already shown poise and maturity beyond his years, playing as a top pair Liiga defenseman already, showing he can play against men at the highest level. His combination of production, heavy minutes, physical dominance and pro‑league pedigres makes him one of the safest high‑end defense prospects in the class.
Chase Reid, D, USA
When Cole Hutson went down with an injury, Reid stepped up in a big way. He quickly became the team’s go-to power-play quarterback, showing a level of hockey sense and playmaking acumen that few 17-year-olds have managed to replicate. His ability to fake a shot before finding a perfect passing lane has been unmatched in Minnesota. Don’t be surprised if he’s taken in the top five of the 2026 NHL Draft – he has a massive ceiling. A 6’2″, 187 lb, right‑shot defenseman, he is the modern top‑pair archetype he’s projected to become. Elite Prospects describes Reid as a defender who completes stretch passes, activates into the play, gaps up aggressively, lands hits, shows deceptive one‑on‑one moves and “proved he’s amongst the best defenders in the class.” These traits showed up in his WJC usage and production. Reid was a clear riser; His combination of top‑pair usage, 4 points in 5 games, strong transition play, physical engagement and pre‑existing first‑overall buzz, solidified him as one of the premier defense prospects in the 2026 class.
Tomas Galvas, D, Czechia
Galvas has continued to establish himself as one of the best WJC players in recent Czech hockey history with his attempt at challenging Jiricek for tournament MVP honors. Galvas is as good a skater as you’ll find at this tournament, using his quick footwork to pivot on a dime. He also makes quick, accurate backhand passes that seem to throw off opponents quite frequently. Passed over twice before (he’s small at 5-foot-10), it’ll be interesting if teams deem his talent too good to ignore at this point. Galvas was one of Czechia’s most impactful players at the 2026 WJC, delivering offense, transition play, and big‑moment performances that helped drive Czechia all the way to the gold‑medal game. The Hockey News notes that he debuted two years earlier as a draft‑eligible, impressed with his skating and transition game, but scared teams off due to his size (5’9″, 148 lbs at the time). At the 2026 WJC, he again proved he can excel against elite U20 competition. Galvas was a clear riser at the 2026 WJC. His performance reinforced that he is a high‑end puck‑moving defenseman, a transition driver, and a legitimate NHL prospect despite being passed over twice. Given his production and impact, he likely moves into late‑round or priority‑free‑agent consideration for NHL teams looking for skill and mobility on the back end.
Matias Vanhanen, LW, Finland
Vanhanen hasn’t scored a single goal through five games, but he has been, arguably, the most important part of Finland’s top line. He’s the glue that keeps it altogether, essentially. Vanhanen has points in all but one game, the 2-1 overtime loss to the Czechs. In that span, he has averaged two shots per game, but has also assisted on some of Finland’s biggest goals – including the 3-on-3 overtime winner against the United States. Vanhanen might be small, but he has played a bit more feisty than I remember seeing, and he’s been chirping everyone on the ice. Matias Vanhanen was one of Finland’s key playmakers at the 2026 World Juniors, earning praise from the national team coach and delivering a multi‑assist performance in Finland’s dominant win over Latvia. Head coach Lauri Mikkola describing Vanhanen as: “like a young hockey professor… He has a very good computer in his head… good timing, strong stick, good in battles.” This is elite praise — coaches rarely speak this strongly about a first‑time draft‑eligible. Vanhanen strengthened his draft stock by earning top‑six usage, producing multi‑point games and receiving elite praise from Finland’s head coach. His archetype — high‑IQ, pace‑driving playmaker — was reinforced.
Bruno Osmansis, RW, Latvia
Latvia had very little skill up front, with Osmanis among the few who consistently made things happen. I loved him the most on the power play – I’d argue he was a top-five player in the tournament on the man advantage, overall. That’s mostly because he waits long enough to get the pass where it needs to be, and not on net just for the sake of trying something. Osmanis was the team’s best skater because he’s not only quick but also pivots well and is highly shifty.
Yahoo Sports explicitly states that “Bruno Osmanis stands out as one of the key players” on Latvia’s 2026 WJC roster. This is the strongest possible confirmation of his importance to the team. Osmanis earned a regular role in Sweden’s second division, which is a major credential for a draft‑eligible Latvian forward. This pro experience is a big reason he was expected to be a top offensive driver at the WJC. Being named a key player on a WJC roster is meaningful for a Latvian prospect; His role as a playmaking driver boosts his draft profile; He entered the tournament with momentum and was positioned to be Latvia’s offensive engine,
and walked away as one of the top forwards in the tournament despite his team not going far in the WJC.
Tomas Chrenko, C, Slovakia
Tomáš Chrenko was one of the breakout stars of the 2026 World Juniors, delivering a natural hat trick, tying for the tournament scoring lead, and becoming Slovakia’s offensive engine. His WJC performance vaulted him firmly into first‑round territory for the 2026 NHL Draft. The Hockey News reports that Chrenko co‑led the WJC scoring race with 8 points in 4 games, tied with Michael Hage, Zayne Parekh, and Gavin McKenna, this puts him in elite company.
He is a Massive riser because of his performance in this tournament — now a legitimate first‑round candidate. Chrenko is tied for the WJC scoring lead, delivered the tournament’s first hat trick and was Slovakia’s top scorer and offensive driver. This is the exact type of WJC breakout that historically launches European forwards into the top 20.
HURT
Gavin McKenna, LW, Canada
Gavin McKenna is one of the toughest players to evaluate in the 2026 WJC, because in terms of statistics, he has been one of Canada’s best players the entire tournament, however in the Quarterfinals match against Czechia, he was completely invisible and displayed a lack of mental toughness. In terms of skills, McKenna is gifted, but there have been red flags raised about his compete level and his tendency to stick to the perimeter. Coming into the game against the Czech’s it looked like McKenna was on a redemption arch after a slow start to his NCAA campaign, but in the biggest game of the tournament, he didn’t show up at all, and that will hurt his draft stock. If you just look at his statistics from the world juniors, you might be included to belive he was a dominant player, but if you actually watch full games, he disappears for large portions of and is most effective on the man advantage, when he is given extra time and space to operate, this extra time give him the opportunity to use his unique passing ability to set up his teammates. Gavin McKenna can definitely still be a star in the NHL, similar to the likes of Mitch Marner, but he will disappear in the big moments because he is more inclined to be a perimeter player. With all that being said, the 2026 NHL Draft is wide open and while McKenna is no longer the consensus number 1 pick, he can still lock up that position with a strong second half of the season.
Keaton Verhoeff, D, Canada
Keaton Verhoeff did play at the 2026 World Juniors, but only after being scratched for Canada’s first two games. Once inserted into the lineup, he made an immediate impact with an assist, a +2 rating, and nearly 15 minutes of ice time in Canada’s 9–1 win over Denmark. Perhaps this reinforces a fatal flaw in how Canada develops their defenseman, but Verhoeff hasn’t been really been given the opportunity to showcase his talents, as Canada chose to dress 8 defenseman, which limited his playing time. The World Juniors is a tournament that can either hurt or improve your draft stock, and Verhoeff didn’t do anything to help it. In the Quarterfinals game against Czechia, Verhoeff played only 8:39, which didn’t help his case at all. As one of the top 3 prospects in the 2026 NHL Draft, his WJC performance have hurt his draft stock slightly mainly because he didn’t get the opportunity to showcase what he can do.
Ethan MacKenzie, D, Canada
Ethan MacKenzie was one of Canada’s biggest early‑tournament stories at the 2026 World Juniors, scoring the game‑winning goal in the opener vs Czechia and adding two assists in the same game. Multiple outlets highlighted him as a breakout performer and a major draft‑stock riser. Unfortunately, he didn’t have a great game against Czechia in the Quarterfinals, only playing 11:39 and was a -1. He is still a promising prospect in the 2026, although he might not a
late first round pick anymore.
Oliver Suvanta, C, Finland
Oliver Suvanto did play for Finland at the 2026 World Juniors, and he entered the tournament with an elevated role because Konsta Helenius was not loaned. Pre‑tournament scouting emphasized that Suvanto would be a key young forward for Finland, but no game‑impact or standout mentions appear in the retrieved WJC coverage, meaning he had a quiet tournament relative to expectations. Daily Faceoff’s Finland–Canada recap lists multiple standout players but does not mention Suvanto in scoring summaries, standout lists and impact notes. This absence is meaningful: standout lists are selective, and Suvanto not appearing suggests a quiet tournament. Suvanto isn’t a player with any high-level attributes, but he’s shown a high level of overall growth, and hasn’t looked out of place in sheltered minutes in Liiga. With how much he’s improved as a player, he may have a few big proponents of his game within the coming months.
HockeywizScouts 