It is now late December, and that means that families all over the world are glued to their televisions watching the IIHF World Junior Championship. This year’s event is hosted in Gothenburg, Sweden and has produced plenty of great hockey even before the medal rounds have started. Many players utilize the tournament as a means of showcasing their skills in an effort to be drafted, signed, or gain more opportunities. The Calgary Flames are in the midst of a middling season in the NHL and could potentially be in the market for some draft picks, given their multiple highly-coveted unrestricted free agents. Should the team slip farther in the standings and one or more of Elias Lindholm, Chris Tanev, and Noah Hanifin get moved, they’ll likely be looking for talent available via the draft, assuming picks are traded in return.
Related: Calgary Flames’ Best Players to Ever Play at the World Juniors
Therefore, the World Juniors offer a great chance to watch certain players in preparation for the June draft. It is also convenient for watching your own team’s prospects or taking notes on other teams’ prospects in anticipation of trades. Flames’ in-house products at this year’s competition are scarce. Most fans will likely be cheering on defending champions Team Canada, but countless individuals should have their attention this year. The round-robin games are officially done, and the all-important medal round is about to begin. This is where the fun begins. Without further ado, here are four players the Flames and their fans should keep watch over at the 2024 World Junior Championship.
Samuel Honzek, C/LW, Team Slovakia
First up is an obvious one, as Flames fans should be paying mind to last year’s first-round pick, Sam Honzek. The organization nabbed him with the 16th overall pick after he starred for the Vancouver Giants of the Western Hockey League. He totalled 23 goals and 56 points in just 43 games, and had four points in four playoff games as his team was swept in the first round by the Kamloops Blazers. The 6-foot-3, 181-pound native of Trencin, Slovakia is highly touted for his puck protection skills and his offensive finesse despite his size. This year, he was named the first European captain in Giants history, but his season with the team has been limited to just five games due to injury. In that time, he has scored three times and has seven total points.
This is Honzek’s third World Juniors; he skated in all four games for Slovakia in 2022 and then had his 2023 tournament cut short by injury, only suiting up for two contests. He went scoreless in his first two tournaments, but as alternate captain of a strong Slovak team this year, he has three goals and four points in four contests. He’s served as a big net front presence on the power play and has shown off his soft hands in tight.
Flames fans should be very excited to see how he can step up in crunch time with potential medals on the line. The 2024 Slovak team has surprised many with a 3-0-1-0 record through the round-robin stage and will look to win their first medal since earning bronze in 2015.
Niks Fenenko, D, Team Latvia
Next up is a bit of a curveball with Latvian defenceman Niks Fenenko. Latvia finished last in their group after round-robin play but will take on the United States in the quarterfinals. However, we think Fenenko, one of the team’s top blueliners, is worthy of more attention. Even though he is pointless through four games, he has played big minutes in all situations and is the only Latvian defenceman to not have a negative plus/minus rating. The 19-year-old plies his trade in the Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League with the Baie-Comeau Drakkar, and has five goals and 25 points through 29 games this season. This season is no fluke either; he had 77 points in 118 games over the previous two seasons. The Flames could certainly do worse than to take a flier on Fenenko and see if he can reach an even higher level of play.
Felix Unger Sörum, RW, Team Sweden
Third, we have a prospect from another NHL organization, winger Felix Unger Sörum. The 18-year-old was drafted in the second round of last year’s draft, 62nd overall courtesy of the Carolina Hurricanes. This came after starring in Sweden’s junior league and making his professional debut for Leksands IF of the Swedish Hockey League. With the Hurricanes supposedly having talks with the Flames on acquiring the services of Lindholm, perhaps Flames scouts should spend some time watching Unger Sörum (from, ‘LeBrun rumblings: Latest on Lindholm, Pettersson, Kuznetsov, the Olympics and a Devils game-changer’, The Athletic, Dec. 22, 2023). His draft profile discussed high levels of puck handling, distribution, and body movement that keep his defenders guessing.
The crafty young forward has played very well for host Sweden, finding immense chemistry within the top six and on the power play. Unger Sörum has one goal and five assists in four matches thus far. He has the same totals in 17 games for Leksands IF as well, as he has made the full-time transition to pro hockey for 2023-24. His playmaking from the wing and strong power play passing skills would benefit the Flames greatly. The Hurricanes are surely high on Unger Sörum, but as a competitive team, they could be willing to part with him for a package centred around Lindholm to get better in the immediate future.
Zeev Buium, D, Team USA
Last is a player we think is more than worthy of a first-round selection at the 2024 NHL Entry Draft. 18-year-old American defenceman Zeev Buium has proven himself as a blue-chip defensive prospect even while stuck behind Team USA’s many talented rearguards. He has two goals and two assists through four games and is a whopping plus-9, while only having committed one minor penalty. He is a solid two-way defender, being responsible in his own end while hopping in on rushes and making excellent first passes up the ice. He is currently in his first season at the University of Denver in the NCAA, where he has already made waves with five goals and 25 points in just 18 games.
Many rankings have Buium slated to be picked in the mid-to-late first round, where the Flames may just have a selection. Their own pick is shaping up to be mid-round, and should they acquire another from a contender via trade, maybe one selection could be used on Buium.
In conclusion, the World Juniors is an annual festival of talent, and all kinds of players make names for themselves there. Whether they’re already team property, a potential draft pick, or perhaps a future trade acquisition, NHL scouts keep close eyes on a multitude of young players at this tournament. The four listed here are some you can bet will have eyes on them, and if you’re a fan of the Flames, you should too.