Plymmy's WJC Draft Rankings

Hello and welcome to my preview of Season 21 of the World Junior Championships! Open to all players who missed out on playoffs, those eliminated from CHL playoff contention in the first round, and for the first time randomly assigned veterans, this iteration of the WJC tournament is surely going to be an exciting one. Featuring just four teams, Canada (Dersley, Superchimp, JP Nasty), Russia (M4CK EH, Niteowl, Zero92), Sweden (Lietuenantdan, TFA, Saad Excuse), and the United States (tgBeezy, CVilly, agrigs) will compete through two round robin weeks before lining up in the playoffs to compete for a coveted goal medal.

With the draft tonight at 9pm EST, I thought it would be nice to feature my personal top ten players available and a few others broken down by position. With no draft coverage available via Five for Costing or NoThumbs tonight, I thought I would step up and put together a list to feature some of the best and brightest names available in the draft. This is not necessarily what order I think these players will be drafted in, just an overall grouping of talent.

I have not included anyone that signed up past this afternoon and any late stragglers that might sneak in under the wire. Enjoy!

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1. FrankZTank - Left Wing - Significant upper league experience playing in the WJC after a solid run of ECU appearances at all three levels? Sign me up. Even if it's just been a couple weeks since acquiring him, Frank's been incredibly helpful for us in Kingston, and he deserves to have a quality run in WJC's. In this crop of players, Frank stands head and shoulders above the rest.
S39: 8-13-2 (NHL) - 26g, 10a, -25

2. DocoPunk - Right Wing - One of the most creative and feared players at the CHL level in LG, Doco's no doubt going to go in the first round and if you aren't taking him there, are you really even trying? He's capable at every position, has zero ego, and while he'll bitch and moan saying "I'm washed whaahhhh," just go ahead and click the draft player button and get on with it already.
S39: 20-3-0 (CHL) - 18g, 79a, +84

3. The Man Roch - Left Wing - Another player enjoying the RAV life, Roch returns to the WJC tournament after winning gold in S14 of this event. Able to score in the blink of an eye, Roch excels when he's playing on a chemistry line and is surely one of the best talents in the draft.
S39: 15-4-4 (AHL) - 28g, 27a, +7

4. SenSei Dropshot - Right Defense - Capable at multiple positions, SenSei moves to defense for this tournament where he would be a sure fire first line defender. He has nothing left to prove at the CHL level, compliling 136 wins with 482 points and a +178 rating. His party presence is every bit as elite as his game and I have no doubt he will be among the first names off the board.
S40: 11-6-2 (CHL) - 23g, 23a, +11

5. WILKESY l13l - Center - Wilkesy's been hiding on old gen and recently picked up next gen and hasn't lost a step. My former GM with Orlando, Wilkesy plays a strong two-way puck possession game and is very difficult to take off the puck. He's no doubt one of my favorite players in the draft and you damn well better not let him down!
S39: 16-6-1 (CHL) - 21g, 39a, +22

6. Lagsak - Left Wing - Surprising to see him back in the CHL level with Brandon this year, Lagsak lost a heartbreaking game 7 against Prince Albert to send him to the WJC tournament. He's a proven AHL commodity, posting similar numbers to his S40 campaign. It'll be interesting to see how he fits in outside of his friend group, but there's no question he can compete.
S40: 14-7-3 (CHL) - 33g, 35a, +2

7. VolTaGe TaCKtik - Left Wing - After spending the last two seasons in the AHL, Voltage returned to LG signing up late and showing Barrie in his ECU appearances that he can still go. His last two trips into the WJC's have been terrific, putting together a 14-2-2 record with 49 points in round robin play. If he gets good linemates I think he could be among the top scorers this tournament.
S39: 9-12-2 (AHL) - 22g, 24a, -29

8. Rygerian - Left Defense - One of the most well respected Owners in LG, Rygerian takes a break from Sudbury where he's been playing a good brand of hockey at forward. Moving to defense for this tournament, I can't imagine he's going to struggle here. He would be a big help to anyone who picks him up, and if you can get him with some of his boys, I'd imagine they'll be a tough matchup for anyone this tournament.
S40: 13-10-1 (CHL) - 27g, 39a, +16

9. l Cote x 15 l - Right Wing - Love him or hate him, this young lads just as solid on the ice as he is in management. Taking Kelowna to 7 games is no mistake, his boys gave it a run and now Cote should take flight against much easier competition. He's had a couple long runs in WJC tournaments in the past and should be among the highest scoring players this year.
S40: 15-7-2 (CHL), 17g, 30a, +4

10. Lil Cle 97 - Center- I'm not entirely sure what happened in the last half of the season for Cle, but he went from sure fire first round draft pick to one of the biggest question marks in LG. He's a top prospect and quite difficult to play against, I've personally had a hard time defending him but now that he's away from Kitchener, perhaps he can replicate his early season numbers and truly take the next step forward.
S40: 13-10-1 (CHL) - 17g, 32a, +6

Honorable Mention:
Fleury l8l - Right Defense - Will probably be removed from the draft, as he finished the season as management in the AHL. If he's eligible to play, no brainer high end draft pick on and off the ice. If you pick him, I'd get him in your party as his league knowledge would be extremely helpful putting a team together.

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I also decided to list some other names that should be on draft boards tonight. There's a good mix of talent young and old, and while this tournament won't be won tonight, it could certainly be lost by having a bad draft. Get these guys into your plans!

Left wings:
I Damaster I - Nicest human in LG history, give him someone to play with and he'll produce!

I Hebs I - Seattle's shining light, Hebs had a 75 point/15 win season for a team that underachieved and blew a 3-2 series lead over Tri City. Hebs was the straw that stirs the drink for them and a force to keep an eye on.

Joakim XI - Bit of an unfair shake this season, Joakim has skills to complete a line and do the dirty work.

Kometstickboy96 - Put up respectable numbers in net behind a Lethbridge squad short a few pieces, Komet's back to LW where he's probably better served. He's done fairly well in eSports too.

PatrikLainel29l - I've run into him in club quite a bit the last few weeks and he's always been a handful. Good with LT's and coming off a good season with Prince George.


Centers:
Bilal-I96I - Playing forward for the first time in his LG career, Bilal's a very capable defender who would be an asset at center. Knowing how to defend is very important this year, and if he can chip in a few points he'd be a big asset.

Bathersxn - Also known as Beaury, he put together a solid season on Prince George. He put up good numbers in the AHL as well this year and probably won't be around past round 3/4, especially with only four teams.

Ehoode - He may not achieve the levels of success he's used to, but Hoode's always been a solid #2 center at the CHL level.

MoooQc - PSN AHL'er came over late and didn't do much with Hamilton. Lost a game seven but he did score the only goal for his team. Heard good things about him.

X Lube X - One of Sudbury's top players, the wheels fell off to end the season, but rest assured Lube can still get on the sticks and slide in and out of the offensive zone with ease.


Right Wings:
Baercheese - Tough season on bad teams, good thumbs/vision and he's been fun to play with in club when we've linked up. Makes good use of close quarters and can sneak a goal in when you aren't expecting it.

Fanzy Duck - Capable RW with two-way skill, fun Frenchie to have on any team. He's got one-on-one ability, good vision and can transform his game to suit any linemate.

Marco l26l - I really like his game personally, got off to a hot start with Windsor and faltered a bit down the stretch. Reliable, team first attitude, efficient player overall.

superroger11 - Inexplicably left off London's playoff roster, Roger's one of the all time good guys in LG and a true asset for whoever drafts him. Cup of coffee in the AHL was solid and he looked good for London when asked.

xKookz - An extremely underrated manager, Kookz can really play well when it's crunch time. His eSports line is sometimes tough to play against, but Kookz is clearly the best of the bunch and deserving of a pick.


Defense:
dthomas53 - Reliable 17 win RD S39, fell off this year as a forward but he's returning to his best position and is primed to play solid D for whoever snags him.

Gens Rule 29 - One of Cote's BFF's, you have to figure they want to reunite for this tournament. He's a great defender but always seems to have something else going on and availability questions.

Judgement Owl - Steady stay-at-home type, great dude, middle pairing rock that won't put a step wrong. He's helpful in parties and wants to know how to improve in all the right ways.

KeBrik - Late signup couldn't catch on, solid CHL caliber defenseman. He's got a 69% winning percentage in the CHL and there's no questioning he can be a rock in WJC's.

Madad1369 - Mobile defenseman able to work with a stay-at-home partner to defend quick rushes and distribute pucks effectively. Absolute legend of the sixes community.

Ob of Zob - If it wasn't for his pesky wife not allowing him to play more than two games in a night, Zob would be a highly rated defender. Sadly, his personal situation keeps affecting his game and one has to wonder why he keeps signing up for LG events?

Samsquanch15883 - Saskatoon's Owner heads into WJC where he's one of a few guys I know can play either side comfortably. Solid player/person and he can be a big help to a management team. Heard he may switch to G to be on the lookout for that.

The Riddler3 - One half of a legendary CHL defense pair with Canis Pugnaxis, Riddler's been a steady player in every stop since leaving the management ranks. More of an offensive player, Riddler is no stranger to a well-timed pinch and foray into the offensive zone.

TNOOSE856 - Through no fault of his own, Tommy f'in Noose keeps getting absurd contracts from braindead management. It would be awesome to see him land with capable talent around him for once, as an avid stay-at-home type TNoose won't make mistakes often found at this level.

Yann x44 - He'll probably tell you he's washed, but don't listen to him, Yann's still a top Frenchie and just needs quality teammates to get the best out of him.


Goalies:
B1G CHEECH - Almost a calendar year removed from his best season, Cheech was a late season addition for Red Deer. He put up good numbers for them, but I'm not sure he's playing much NHL these days and you'd want to make sure he's committed first.

KeiranGW - Good year on center, returns to G, can carry at times plus he'll help in the room. He's a great guy and anyone would do well to pick him up. I saw he was debating between C or G, and either way he should be high up your draft boards.

LKYLUISITO - Luisito's been around forever and is a reliable backstop. Pretty funny on the mic from what I remember.

TennisTurkeyTrot - Unlucky not to feature this season on Xbox, this NHL PSN veteran is a no doubt #1 starter in this tournament.

z Spiers - I've heard nothing but good things about him, and he had great numbers on Brandon. His eSports numbers are good as well and I'd bet he would lock things down in WJC's.

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Thanks for reading, will be fun to see how I stacked up against the actual top ten tonight. Feel free to pick this apart as you see fit, comments always welcome, but as the Bison King says, "facts detected!"

TLDR: Draft Frank/Doco, ???, profit.

 

Very good write up. props.

 

Where’s @Date Mist mention

 

Awesome stuff Plymmy!

 

great write up

 

No love for my boy @LedvinKa

 

Damnit that's an oversight for sure, my bad! Clearly deserving of being on the list, if not the top ten.

 

Ctrl+f my name

oh ! Sweet

 

Thanks for putting me there man appreciate it !

 

Don't know who this "Bison King" is bit he sounds pretty cool . Great write up tho plymmy, best of the best you are!

 

Thanks for the write up Plymmy

 

Thank you for the mention Plymmy really appreciate it.

 

Post draft analysis:

Canada good.

 

Thanks for the mention plymmy <3 it's appreciated ! keep your good work

 

Thanks for the mention Lyblah. Hope your K'Nacs go all the way.

 

https://clips.twitch.tv/CrowdedBombasticOctopusPJSugar-YnMw3RrkJuzCAHWV


ggs

 

Roch excels when he's playing on a chemistry line and is surely one of the best talents in the draft.

To fix

Roch excels when he’s getting carried by Broomball16, without Broom he should be nothing more than a complimentary piece. @The Man Roch

 

Sweden better