What to expect from Team Canada at World Juniors

Bedard, meanwhile, is an electric player to watch. He may have the best shot of anyone I’ve ever seen at his age in terms of the release, the deception and the explosiveness. He can score from anywhere on the ice and is just as dangerous on his backhand as he is on his forehand. Bedard also has good jump with some explosiveness in his skating that backs down defenders. At just 16 years old, Bedard hasn’t filled out yet and is slight compared to the older Wright, but there is nothing slight about his offensive game. Bedard scored 12 goals in his first 15 WHL games last season. He has 14 goals through 24 this season, with an additional 10 assists, to average a point per game. At that same U18 World Championship, he had seven goals and seven assists, matching the same amount of points Connor McDavid had at the same tournament at the same age. No one else has come close to what those two did at 15.

Both Wright and Bedard are special talents, and neither would be on Team Canada’s roster if he couldn’t help the team win. The fact is Wright may be more integral to the team’s chances this year, but if the offense falters even a little, look for Bedard to play a more prominent role.

Power, Guhle lead defensive group: Canada has an all-left-shot defensive corps, which is probably not as big of a problem as it sounds. The Canadians took the players they felt were the best defensemen. On top of that, this D corps is going to be anchored by two exceptional prospects on the back end.

Owen Power, the Buffalo Sabres’ No. 1 overall pick in 2021, is going to log a ton of minutes and likely play on the top power-play unit. His offensive game has taken off in a significant way this season at the University of Michigan, which opens a lot of different ways for Canada to use him.

The other guy who is going to log massive minutes for Canada is returnee Kaiden Guhle. The Canadian captain is a brilliant skater and can play a physical game. He defends at a high level but moves pucks well. There’s a good chance in the most crucial games for Canada, you’ll see one of Power or Guhle on the ice almost the whole game.

Players to Watch

The fact is Canada has a bunch of high-end prospects who we’re going to be seeing in the NHL very soon. Watch all of them, but here are a few guys whom I’ll be keeping a particularly close eye on as potential impact players for Canada.

Cole Perfetti, LW, Winnipeg Jets: Perfetti may end up being my pick for the tournament’s best forward because I think he’s going to put up a mountain of points playing on Canada’s top line. He is an elite playmaker with some of the best vision you’ll see. He made his NHL debut earlier this season but has spent most of the year with the Manitoba Moose in the AHL.

Perfetti has been a key offensive player for the Moose with 15 points in 17 games. Additionally, Perfetti is a returning player from last year’s silver medal team. He had six points in the tournament but will figure in a lot more prominently in this year’s event. Perfetti also won gold alongside Owen Power at the 2021 Men’s World Championship last spring. All of the experiences he’s picked up suggest he should have a big tournament.

Owen Power, D, Buffalo Sabres: He’s the No. 1 pick, and it’s not often we get to see No. 1 picks play in this tournament. They’re usually in the NHL. Power wanted another year of development, and he’s making the most of it. He also wanted to play in this tournament and certainly won’t let this opportunity pass him by. Power is having such a great year for Michigan in the NCAA, playing well at both ends and making a bigger impact on the score sheet. His mobility, size and range are all going to challenge players at this level.

Kaiden Guhle, D, Monreal Canadiens: Heavy are the shoulders that don the C for Canada at this tournament. Guhle is being given a great opportunity to lead, while also playing a substantial role for Canada. Expect him to log major minutes and play an integral role on the blue line. He should see PK time and probably get a lot of tough defensive matchups. This is the ideal situation for a player like Guhle to showcase the full complement of his skills.

Kent Johnson, LW, Columbus Blue Jackets: After arriving to camp late due to an illness, Johnson is ready to go and should be a significant piece of the puzzle for Canada. He’s one of the most dynamic players on the roster, with skill and playmaking abilities that are of a particular variety. After watching Trevor Zegras dominate this tournament last year, Johnson has the potential to have a similar impact. He’s got the same kind of flash and confidence that Zegras does, and that combo has helped lead to 23 points in 17 games as a sophomore at Michigan. He’s going to make players around him better.

Mason McTavish, C, Anaheim Ducks: McTavish has a chance to be one of the heart-and-soul players for Canada. He’s got the right mix of physicality and skill that will make him a handful to deal with for the opposition. He was a force for Canada at last year’s U18 World Championship and showed early this season that he can handle the physical game of the NHL. The Ducks sent him back to junior, which was a huge boost to Canada’s center depth and versatility. McTavish can do just about anything you need him to.

Shane Wright, C, 2022 Draft Eligible: For all of the reasons listed above and because of the maturity he plays with, Wright is going to be asked to play a much larger role than underage players are often given on this team. Plenty have come before him and attempted to make a big impact only to find the tournament more of a grind than they expected or to have their roles diminished. I don’t think Canada will do that this time, and the way Wright plays probably wouldn’t let them anyway. Wright should be looked to as a source for offense.

Ridly Greig, C/W, Ottawa Senators: Similar to McTavish, I think Greig is going to be a major lead-by-example kind of player. He’s skilled but has real tenacity and grit that should make him a thorn in the side of opposing defenses. Canada has the skill to play a pretty game, but some of those tighter contests may call for a little more sandpaper. Greig can bring that, while not sacrificing any offense at all. He has 28 points in 19 WHL games this year with the Brandon Wheat Kings, where he serves as the team captain.

Outlook

Canada’s chances to win this tournament are as good as anyone’s. The Canadians are always going to be the betting favorite at the World Juniors, and this team should be. The squad has the goaltending to potentially steal games if need be, but that probably won’t be necessary against most opponents.

The Canadians are once again in a group that includes some of the weaker teams in the tournament. Both Austria and Germany are teams that could be locked in a battle to stave off relegation, while the Czech Republic and Finland are good teams but not on the same level as this Canadian outfit. The key is going to be managing adversity if and when it comes, which may not be until the medal round.

At last year’s World Juniors, Canada’s players talked about how surprised they were by Team USA’s game plan against them during the gold medal game and couldn’t really adjust quickly enough to handle it. They didn’t really get tested at any other point of the tournament, which left them more vulnerable than expected during the final. That was a valuable learning experience and something that the coaches I’m sure will be trying to contend with to make sure the team is prepared.

With its goaltending and potential for explosive scoring, Canada should be expected to be in the gold medal game, but the U.S., Russia and Sweden all have teams capable of knocking the Canadians off if they’re not careful. Nothing I’ve seen yet from the other countries, however, would move me off of my position that Canada will have the best team on paper heading into this tournament. Now it has to show it on the ice.