The 2026 World Junior Championship is particularly loaded with high end prospects for the 2026 NHL Draft. You might be seeing close to half of the first round on display in this tournament including a wide variety of players that have at one point or another been viewed as challengers for the No. 1 spot in June.

We will often see a few players here and there for a draft year at the World Juniors, but for as shallow as the 2026 draft class is perceived, they’ve got a number of high performers that can dramatically improve their stock going into the second half with a strong showing at the World Junior Championship.

Canada alone has three draft-eligibles that could be picked among the top five in this draft. Team USA has a top-five candidate in Chase Reid, while Sweden boasts Ivar Stenberg, who may be the forward most threatening to Canada’s Gavin McKenna at this point, and another pair of first-round candidates in Viggo Björck and William Håkansson. Meanwhile, Latvia has a number of intriguing NHL Draft-eligibles led by No. 1 defenseman Alberts Smits, who could be in the running to be the first D picks in 2026.

The list is long, so long in fact that this one stretches to 18 players and doesn’t even cover the full group of draft-eligible candidates playing in the tournament. That makes for a great opportunity to see some of the draft’s most important players all at the same time. 

Here’s the 15 2026 NHL Draft eligibles to watch closely during the 2026 IIHF World Junior Championship.

2026 NHL Draft Prospects To Watch At World JuniorsGavin McKenna, LW, Canada

The most talked-about player in this draft class has the most to prove after a so-so start to his freshman season. While there have been some excuses made for McKenna in terms of how hard college hockey is, particularly this year, he hasn’t performed like a No. 1 pick. That conversation can change quickly with a strong showing at the WJC. McKenna is surrounded by talent and being given a ton of opportunity. This is as golden a chance as he has to reshape the way people are talking about him.

Ivar Stenberg, LW, Sweden

Currently having a historic season in terms of production in Sweden’s top pro league, Stenberg will be a leading offensive player for a team with real gold medal aspirations. Averaging nearly a point per game in the SHL, Stenberg has proven himself against men and should be able to be a driver for Sweden, which will only help his rapidly improving draft stock.

Can Ivar Stenberg vault into the consensus top spot with a big WJC?!

Full Episode: https://t.co/5yr4RAdR7O@eliteprospects #CalledUp #CalledUpPodcast #WorldJuniors pic.twitter.com/nTWTBciShZ

— FloHockey (@FloHockey) December 9, 2025Carson Carels, LHD, Canada

Is he the fastest rising prospect in the draft? Yep. Carson Carels finished his pre-tournament by playing in Canada’s top four. A steady, reliable two-way defenseman who can skate and play physically, Carels is viewed as the kind of player that can be on an NHL blueline in the near future and for a very long time. If he manages to establish himself up Canada’s lineup, the buzz will grow.

Keaton Verhoeff, RHD, Canada

Verhoeff may end up as Canada’s eighth defenseman, which isn’t a huge slight considering Canada has a very veteran and experienced group on its right side. Meanhwile, Verhoeff is going to be among the younger players to patrol a blue line if he gets into game action. I’m not sure the WJC will have an outsized impact on his draft stock due to what we expect is a more limited role. Canada did not yet register the 17-year-old North Dakota freshman on its roster ahead of its opening game.

Alberts Smits, LHD, Latvia

Another fast-rising prospect, Smits has seemingly been on a developmental rocket ship for the first half of the season. He averaged two points per game in Finland’s U20 ranks, then has become a top-four defenseman in Finland’s top pro league. He is averaging over 20 minutes a game of late and has shown an ability to move pucks and play with incredible maturity. He could play half the game for Latvia and may have to.

Chase Reid, RHD, USA

It’s unclear how much ice time Reid will get with Team USA, but he plays more than just about any defenseman on a per-game basis in the OHL. The 6-foot-2 right-shot blueliner who ascended from the NAHL to the OHL last season has become one of the most intriguing prospects for this year’s draft. He has skill, skating ability and a nose for the net. USA could use him on their second power-play unit, which is Reid’s ticket to being a regular in the lineup, but he’s a mega talent that should make the most of whatever ice time he is given by Team USA.

Chase Reid makes USA’s preliminary roster.. let’s chat about it 🙌

Full Episode: https://t.co/voBPQVRaFN@eliteprospects #CalledUp #CalledUpPodcast pic.twitter.com/drLoMEHvAn

— FloHockey (@FloHockey) December 5, 2025Adam Novotný, LW, Czechia

Things have really been clicking for Novotný in his first season in the OHL. He has 35 points in 29 games and 19 goals for the Peterborough Petes. He has thrived at the junior level and that may be the momentum he needs to carry into the World Juniors. He was in the event last year and had just one goal, but look for him to be a focal point of Czechia’s offensive attack.

Oliver Suvanto, C, Finland

Among the younger players in the draft class, Suvanto is built like a man already at 6-foot-3, 209 pounds. He is rising up draft charts steadily while playing more and more regularly in Liiga. He has just seven points in 30 games, but is getting a regular shift and a good level of ice time. Finland has a big hole at center without Konsta Helenius, if Suvanto can adequately fill it and produce a little, teams are going to take serious notice.

Juho Piiparinen, RHD, Finland

An exciting defenseman with size and upside, Piiparinen has shown glimpses of more refined puck moving ability, but it’s been a struggle for him to find consistency in pro hockey this year. He’ll be an underager in this tournament, but I expect Finland to lean on him a bit more in the tournament, which will give scouts plenty to track the next few weeks.

Viggo Björck, RW, Sweden

There is a lot to like about Viggo Björck, but he is neither big nor fast, which can scare teams away. What he is, however, is a highly-intelligent, shifty player who can drive play and find seams to exploit defenses. He has eight points in 24 pro games this year and Sweden plans to use him in a lot of situations. This tournament could be a great showcase for Björck to show off more of that offensive skillset.

Ivar Stenberg 🤝 Viggo Björck
The future of Sweden’s national team? 👀#WJSS #TeamSweden pic.twitter.com/YeRe06LYRA

— FloHockey (@FloHockey) July 30, 2025William Håkansson, LHD, Sweden

Sweden doesn’t have tremendous depth on the blue line, but they do have a number of intriguing options to throw more ice to. Håkansson could be one of those options. He’s a massive 6-foot-4 and 207 pounds with good range. He hasn’t been part of Sweden’s national team program much of late, but now they need someone with his skillset. He can defend adequately and if he can bring some physicality to the table, he’s going to help Sweden make games tougher for their opposition.

Vladimír Dravecký, RHD, Czechia

A 6-foot, right-shot defenseman with mobility and good hockey sense, Dravecký has been making a solid adjustment to the OHL while playing on the league’s deepest team in Brantford. He has 18 points in 28 games so far, outpacing his junior production from when he played in Sweden last year. He could get a solid amount of ice and maybe even some power-play team on a sneaky-good Czech team. He’s one to watch.

Tomas Chrenko, C, Slovakia

Chrenko has been getting some first-round love from various outlets this year as he puts up impressive numbers in Slovakia’s top pro league. He has 17 points in 27 games, which is a pace that has been beaten only by Marian Hossa and Marian Gaborik in their draft years among forwards in that league. Slovakia doesn’t have great chances in the tournament, but Chrenko helps them level the playing field some.

Olivers Murnieks, C, Latvia

Murnieks can play a heavy two-way game and if he can get his offense clicking well enough, he can be a go-to player for Latvia. He played in last year’s WJC at 16 and put up four points, getting strong minutes. This year with Saint John in the QMJHL, he has just 13 points in 22 games as he finds his way a bit in a new league after excelling in the USHL last year. Murnieks is the kind of player who can help Latvia be more than just a spoiler.

Back in the lineup, back on the scoresheet.

🚨: Olivers Murnieks (3)
🍎: Olivier Groulx
🍏: Dylan Rozzi

💻 » https://t.co/b84fjTgex4#GoDogsGo | @flohockey pic.twitter.com/URe3XURJHl

— Saint John Sea Dogs (@SJSeaDogs) November 28, 2025Lars Steiner, RW, Switzerland

Before getting hurt and missing more than a month of action, Steiner was getting on a roll in the QMJHL. It didn’t take him long to get back on one when he returned. He has 14 points in 15 games with the Rouyn-Noranda Huskies and had 60 points a season ago. Switzerland desperately needs players like Steiner to step up and make an impact if they have a chance against any of the big teams.

Adam Nemec, C/W, Slovakia

A 6-foot-1 forward producing at a strong rate for his age in Slovakia’s pro league, Nemec is looking to make his mark in his first World Junior. The younter brother of New Jersey Devils defenseman Simon Nemec, Adam has skill and can be pretty crafty in his own right. He played in each of the last two U18 Worlds and should be one of Slovakia’s most relied-upon forwards in this event.

Brady Knowling, G, USA

Added to USA’s camp late, he may yet see some action in this World Juniors. After backstopping USA to the title at the Hlinka Gretzky Cup, and playing extremely well in the CHL USA Prospects Challenge, Knowling earned his way onto Team USA’s World Junior squad. He could end up as the No. 3 and never see a game, but there’s a lot to like about this 6-foot-5 netminder who gives the U.S. a bit of a safety net should their veteran goalies not be able to get the job done. We have seen goalies put their names higher on a lot of draft lists with a strong World Juniors. Knowling would have to do some upstaging to get there, but it’s not out of the realm of possibility.

Just call him Big-Game Brady. After leading USA to gold at the Hlinka-Gretzky Cup over the summer, Brady Knowling stopped 42 of 44 shots for Team USA in a 4-2 win over Team CHL in Game 1 of the #CHLUSAProspectsChallenge@USAHockeyNTDP | @USHL | #NHLDraft pic.twitter.com/pb3yNO4VSj

— FloHockey (@FloHockey) November 26, 2025Rūdolfs Bērzkalns, C, Latvia

Another returnee who is still an underager for the tournament, Berzkalns didn’t score any points in last year’s WJC, but very well could this year. He has 16 points in 27 USHL games with Muskegon this year. The 17-year-old has size and a lot of upside at 6-foot-4, 203 pounds with enough skill to potentially get some looks for the mid rounds in the NHL Draft. FloHockey recently caught up with Berzkalns to talk about his NHL Draft season and the World Juniors.

2026 World Junior Championship Teams

View the list of teams, by group, for the 2026 IIHF World Junior Championship.

Group AUSAGermanySwitzerlandSwedenSlovakiaGroup BCanadaCzechiaLatviaDenmarkFinlandFollow FloHockey’s Coverage Of The 2026 World Junior Championship

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