The rescheduled World Junior Championship kicks off this week, and there’s a handful of Senators prospects that will be participating. In total 6 Sens prospects, representing 4 countries, will take the ice over the coming days looking to impress ahead of training camps.
While top prospect Jake Sanderson was eligible for this tournament, he will not play as Ottawa doesn’t want to risk injury ahead of the 2022-23 campaign. But there’s still some interesting names taking part that all have a shot at representing the Senators one day.
Team Canada: Ridly Greig
Ridly Greig will be a returnee from the original World Junior team, which was cancelled last December. At the time, Greig was slotted in as the third line center who would handle the defensive matchups. It’s possible we still see him in that same spot, but he might get an increased role with some players not returning from that original team. Greig is a scrappy, but skilled center/left winger whose potential seems to be increasing by the day. He’s most likely going to be a middle six winger one day, but there’s a possibility his scoring increases slightly between now and when he’s NHL ready. The past two seasons, Greig has dominated the WHL and was named captain for the Brandon Wheat Kings last year. He was third in points per game, showing he was too good for that competition. After the World Junior Championship, look for him to challenge for a spot in the Senators forward group at camp, although he’s more likely to spend a year playing top minutes in the AHL.
Team Canada: Zach Ostapchuk
Ostapchuk wasn’t on the team in December but made the squad this go around. Last year he got off to a slow start which likely affected his chances of making the initial roster. He had 15 points in 23 games, which was considered low production for a high 2nd round pick. However, in his next 50 games (including playoffs, he scored 50 points. His 23 points in 12 playoff games thrust him into the spotlight and showcased his ability to play anywhere in the lineup. Because he’s a late addition, it’s possible we could see him dressed as the 13th forward or a healthy scratch as the tournament kicks off. Due to his 2003 birthday, he could certainly make the upcoming World Junior team this December. Moving forward, many expect Ostapchuk to become a player very similar to Ridly Greig with a little less offensive upside. However, at 6”3, he will be more of a traditional power forward than a grinder like Greig.
Team Finland: Roby Jarventie
This will be the second World Junior Championship for the 33rd overall pick in the 2020 NHL draft. The first championship in 2021 was a disappointment for the Finn. In 6 games, he recorded 0 points and saw his role decrease every game. Now that Jarventie will be one of the more experienced players in Finland, all eyes will be on him to produce at both even strength and the powerplay. When he was selected two years ago, he was seen as a boom/bust pick that could be a project. His work ethic was always questioned, but the goal scoring ability was hard to ignore. He’s been on the right track, scoring at decent rates the past two seasons. He recorded 25 points in 48 games in the Liiga in 2020-21 and 33 points in 70 games for Belleville in 2021-22. Unless he’s a part of a trade, look for Jarventie to spend a couple more seasons in the AHL to round out his game a little more.
Team Finland: Leevi Merilainen
Merilainen was considered as a reach in the 2020 NHL draft but has progressed well so far. In this tournament, he projects to be the starter for team Finland. He has shown flashes of brilliance, but has also had some head scratching moments as well. He’s still very much a project at this point in his career. In his draft +1 year, he posted a .934 save percentage in the U-20 league in Finland. This past season though, his .891 save percentage in the OHL could be considered a step back.
Team USA: Tyler Kleven
Ever since being drafted 44th overall in 2020, Kleven has impressed those within the Sens organization. His two seasons in North Dakota weren’t stellar offensively but he plays a bruising defensive game that figures to translate well to the NHL level. Standing 6”4, he throws thunderous hits and plays a hard-nosed game. Sometimes big defenseman struggle with the puck and have a tendency to get caved in. By all accounts, Kleven hasn’t had these problems in his two seasons in the NCAA, combining for a +27 rating in only 60 career games. Fans will see a good amount of Kleven, who is technically a returnee from 2021 as well, on the US team this tournament. He only played 2 games last time around but will be a mainstay this season. Kleven projects as a 2nd or 3rd pair defenseman down the line if everything goes right in his development. He’s certainly on the right path and will most likely turn pro this spring when his season at North Dakota wraps up. When playoff time comes around, Kleven will thrive with his physicality.
Team Czechia: Tomas Hamara
Hamara will be the only 2022 drafted player going to the tournament. Widely regarded as one of the best picks the Senators made in their draft, the 74th overall selection will be playing a prominent role for Czechia. In the under 18’s this past spring, Hamara recorded 8 assists in 6 games, leading his team in scoring. What’s even more impressive, is how he did that as a defenseman. Now, will Hamara be putting up the same numbers at this tournament? Probably not. But look for him to play top 4 minutes and generate rushes. After this tournament, he will certainly be a candidate to play in the 2023 and 2024 tournaments as well. Moving forward, Hamara looks to be an NHL player. Standing at 6”0, he’s an average sized left shot defenseman who is going to be solid on both ends of the ice.
Though it doesn’t really mean anything, it’s still impressive that the Senators will have 6 players going to this tournament. Ridly Greig and Zach Ostapchuk will be good depth players for team Canada, but the rest should get prominent roles against international competition. I would personally keep an eye out for Tyler Kleven though. He’s going to thrive when it comes to physicality in this tournament and will be counted on to be a leader on team USA.
Although it’s a bit bizarre to have the Christmas time tournament in August this year, it will hopefully help tide Sens fans over until training camp opens a few weeks from now.
-Damian Smith
Twitter: @Damian__Smith