The last time Central European nations could be considered as anything but pretenders in the U18 World Championship was around the turn of the millennium. The Czechs and Slovaks were able to upset some of the best national teams but never won the gold.
An exception occurred four years ago, as the Czech Republic team surprised the hockey world at the U18 World Championship. David Pastrnak, Jakub Vrana and Pavel Zacha fought their way through Russia and Canada in the knockout stage winning both games in overtime. The gold rush was ended by the Americans and the Czechs finished with the silver medal. Just as a side note, during that tournament the United States roster carried a few star players like Jack Eichel or Auston Matthews.
Outside the 2014 run by the Czech Republic there were no bigger surprises made by the Central European nations in the last decade during the U18 World Championship. A surprise could be considered the Swiss team in 2015, when they reached the bronze medal game. Unfortunately, they lost to Canada but still exceeded the hockey world’s expectations.
Occasionally, there will be a surprise team that comes out of nowhere and finishes in the top three in a world tournament. The best example could be the Men’s Germany hockey team during the PyeongChang Winter Olympics. Against all odds they finished second and shocked everyone with their performance. NHL players not participating in the Olympics is another thing but still not many people would put their money on Germany.
Jakub Lauko
The U18 World Championship is a great opportunity for draft eligible players to raise their stock value a few months before the upcoming NHL draft in Dallas. Jakub Lauko and Jan Jenik will be in the spotlight for the Czech team and Valentin Nussbaumer will most likely lead the Swiss team even though he will be draft eligible for the NHL draft in 2019.
Jan Jenik
The question is who will emerge from the shadows, take away the spotlight and get selected by a NHL franchise in Texas this summer?
Here are some draft-eligible key players from the Czech Republic, Slovakia and Switzerland based in the Central European leagues worth keeping an eye on:
(The rosters for France and Belarus were not yet officially announced by the time this article was published.)
Czech Republic:
Adam Gajarsky
A very well-rounded forward that has a nose for the net and easily finds scoring chances. He can dish out an accurate pass off the rush or blast the puck with a quick shot. Most known for his offensive contribution but he is also effective playing a two-way role at the center position.
Lukas Dostal
A solid and positionally sound goalie with good athleticism and reflexes. His greatest strength is probably his quickness and ability to cover the bottom half of the net. His blocker and glove are also fast. A solid all-round goalie that is ranked as number one on the NHL Central Scouting list for International Goalies. How accurate is that prediction?
Slovakia:
Martin Bucko
A strong and mobile two-way defender. Very steady on his skates, has good balance and looks to be more physically mature than his colleagues. He rarely seems to be on the wrong side of the puck and knows when to take the risk or stay back and play it safe. He likes to join the rush or take the puck deep into the offensive zone creating good scoring chances for his team. Bucko is not on the radar of many scouting agencies but this U18 World Championship might just be what he needs to pop up on the most wanted lists.
Sebastian Cederle
An unselfish left winger with good playmaking skills who likes to build up the play from his own end. He is a good passer and has very good vision. He plays efficiently without the puck and finds empty spaces in the neutral zone making himself available for a pass. Cederle has good puck handling skills and his offensive decision making is probably one of his greatest traits.
Switzerland:
Simon Wuest
A promising and strong two-way forward with great defensive skills. He can outmuscle players from his age group along the boards or in the corner. Wuest is also a very skilled poke checker and should do a fine job on the Penalty Kill for the Swiss team. He is not shy about contributing in the offensive zone as well by outworking the opponent or creating chaos in front of the net.
Akira Schmid
A proficient and well-rounded goaltender that relies on his positioning in net. Like most goalies nowadays he uses the butterfly style and drops down to the ice on almost every shot attempt. Having said that it is worth noting that Schmid has a 6-4” frame and he covers a lot of the net even when he is down low. His hands are quick and he blocks or catches pucks surely. He often uses his stick to poke pucks off from the opponents sticks or prevent cross crease passes or wraparound attempts.