Four Flames prospects are headed to World Junior camps (and maybe a fifth)
By Ryan Pike
3 years agoThe Calgary Flames’ 2019 draft class could be well-represented at the upcoming World Junior Championship during the holiday season. This past week a fourth prospect was named to a summer national team camp, while a fifth may be waiting in the wings.
2019 third round pick Ilya Nikolayev has been invited to Russia’s camp for the Sochi Hockey Open in August. He joins first rounder Jakob Pelletier (Canada), seventh rounder Dustin Wolf (USA), and fifth rounder Josh Nodler (USA) as headed to camps.
The last man on the outside from the 2019 class is fourth rounder Lucas Feuk, who could end up going to Sweden’s summer event at the end of August. Sweden had 13 forwards at last year’s World Juniors, 10 of which aren’t eligible to return. The likely returnees are Rangers prospect Karl Henriksson and 2020 NHL Draft prospects Lucas Raymond and Alexander Holtz.
So who’s got the inside track for the other 10 spots among players born in 2001 or 2002?
- The top still-eligible SHL scorer is Noel Gunler, a 2020 NHL Draft prospect.
- From the secondary Allsvenskan, there’s overage draft prospect Hampus Karlsson (who went undrafted in 2019).
- From the junior SuperElit, the leading point-per-game players are Canucks prospect Arvid Costmar, Red Wings prospect Elmer Soderblom, 2020 draft prospects Zion Nybeck, Emil Heineman, Oskar Magnusson, Theo Niederbach and Isac Andersson, and Feuk.
Feuk didn’t blow the doors off the Allsvenskan last season, but he was a very productive player in the SuperElit. Based on Sweden’s tendency to go heavy on 19-year-olds on their World Junior teams, Feuk has a strong chance to be involved in the camp and a pretty strong chance to make the team.
Sweden should announce their summer roster within the next few weeks. There’s a good chance that all five Flames from the 2019 NHL Draft will be involved in some manner with their national teams’ summer World Junior camps.
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