While it’s always fun to watch the World Junior Championship as a fan of a few select prospects, it is also a really great opportunity to get to know some new names. Prospects who you’ve barely heard or, or who you’ve maybe never even heard of, get the chance to shine on a global stage at this tournament and this year is no different.
Today I’m going to try my hand at predicting which prospects will earn a ton of much deserved attention this year, both drafted players who are often overlooked (Breakouts) and first year draft eligible prospects who aren’t getting a ton of hype throughout their draft year (Sleepers). There are always a few surprises at the tournament, such as the success of Axel Sandin Pellikka which helped him raise his draft stock to the point that he was selected 17th overall in the 2023 Draft by the Detroit Red Wings.
Related: Guide to the 2024 World Junior Championship
With all that out of the way, let’s dive in with my predictions for the breakout and sleeper prospects of the 2024 World Junior Championship, four of each.
Breakouts
Jani Nyman, RW, Ilves (Liiga)
Jani Nyman hasn’t drawn a ton of attention in the prospects world, even dating back to his draft year, but I think that is going to change very soon. Nyman is a massive winger who leads all U20 Liiga players in points, competes really hard and has a brilliant shot. A second rounder for the Seattle Kraken back in the 2022 Draft, Nyman has continued to improve in Finland’s top pro league and looks nearly ready to make the jump to either the NHL or AHL as soon as next Fall. Watch out for Nyman as one of the very best players for Finland this year.
Owen Allard, C, Soo Greyhounds (OHL)
Owen Allard is an undrafted 19 year old centerman who is having the best season of his junior career this year by a wide margin. He’s scoring at a point-per-game rate on a Greyhounds team that has been phenomenal offensively. Allard was not on most peoples’ radars for the World Juniors so even just making the selection camp was impressive, though he didn’t stop there, earning a role in the tournament lineup alongside Nate Danielson and Owen Beck.
Related: 2024 World Juniors Rosters by NHL Team
That line projects to be an important matchup line for Canada, and Allard’s reputation, as well as his chances of being drafted or at least signed after his CHL career ends, is likely to be on an upward trajectory throughout the next few weeks.
Danny Nelson, C, Univ. of Notre Dame (NCAA)
Danny Nelson was a fascinating player to watch last year, having recently switched from being a defenseman to a centerman. His physical and defensive work was solid, and his 6-foot-3 frame is a great starting point, but his offensive skills were cause for some skepticism. However, Nelson has cooled those doubts significantly this year, looking like a strong two-way center prospect with 14 points in his first 18 college games. If he can keep this momentum going into this tournament, he will earn a lot more attention for the rest of the year.
Noah Östlund, C, Växjö Lakers HC (SHL)
This one may be a bit of a stretch because Noah Östlund is a fairly highly regarded prospect and was taken with the 16th pick of the 2022 Draft by the Buffalo Sabres just 18 months ago. However, the Sabres also selected Matthew Savoie and Jiri Kulich in that same round, two prospects who I think have overshadowed Östlund for the most part.
I don’t think that will last too long though as Östlund is poised to be a major contributor for Sweden in this year’s tournament, looking like their best player in some of the pre-tournament games. He is a phenomenal playmaker and I think a lot more people will know him by name when the dust settles on this year’s World Juniors.
Sleepers
Emil Hemming, RW, TPS (Liiga)
Emil Hemming is a confident puck carrier who is thinking “shoot the puck!” far more often than he’s not. He absolutely dominated the Finnish U20 league to start the year and earned a callup to the Liiga where he has already scored a handful of pro goals. Hemming is great at skating through contact and protecting the puck, and his shot is very strong at this point. If he can find his defensive game and/or playmaking in the Liiga this year, he will have a great chance of being a first rounder this year.
Daniil Ustinkov, LD, ZSC Lions (NL)
Daniil Ustinkov is an under-talked about prospect in this year’s draft, partly because his point totals in the top two pro leagues in Switzerland don’t jump off the page, and partly because there are so many other great defenders to talk about this year.
Ustinkov is a really consistent and sturdy two-way defender who doesn’t have a ton of skill with the puck, but can produce enough offense to hang thanks to his compete level and some impressive playmaking instincts. His defensive game is strong and consistent, he could push for a spot late in the first round with a strong showing in this tourney.
Eriks Mateiko, LW, Saint John Sea Dogs (QMJHL)
Eriks Mateiko is a massive winger who is playing in his second season with the Saint John’s Sea Dogs in the QMJHL. His rookie season there was promising but he has taken a massive step forward since then, scoring above a point-per-game pace through the first half of the season.
Related: 10 Players to Watch at the 2024 World Junior Championship
He’s got a heavy wrister and plays a power forward style despite the need to fill out his frame a bit more. Mateiko is very effective deep in the offensive zone, keeping plays alive and setting teammates up from below the goal line. A good performance here would likely put him on the radar for a ton of NHL teams, likely as a potential second round pick.
Luka Radivojevic (2025), RD, Örebro HK J20 (J20 Nationell)
Luka Radivojevic is not eligible for this year’s draft, and he won’t hit his 17th birthday until the tournament is nearly over. He is a highly talented offensive defenseman playing in Sweden’s top junior league this year where he has put up 18 points in his first 27 games (the next highest point totals among U17 defenders is 10). Radivojevic is also the only U17 player to play in the SHL so far this season, which is incredibly impressive even though it has just been two games. Any kind of success at this tournament would be a massive win for Radivojevic, earning him lots of attention as he wraps up this season and moves into his draft year.
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