2026 NHL Draft: Who boosted their stock at the U-18 World Championship?

May 4, 2026, 08:35 EDTUpdated: May 4, 2026, 09:17 EDT

2026 NHL Draft: Who boosted their stock at the U-18 World Championship?

Credit: (Steven Ellis/The Nation Network)

And that’s that.

The U-18 World Championship took place over the past two weeks in Slovakia, with Sweden taking home gold with a win over the Slovaks. It was a tournament filled with crazy upsets – Latvia beating USA, anyone? – and a fair share of blowouts. But that’s the nature of an event like this, with players ranging from 15-18 years old.

On one hand, especially for those in attendance, this tournament can be a fun event to watch from a hockey perspective. But the primary focus is for scouts to get one last look at the top prospects before the 2026 NHL Draft. A tournament isn’t always the best way to evaluate a player, but it’s a good chance to see how guys handle the pressure.

Which prospects helped their stock the most at the U-18s? Here’s a breakdowns of those who used this tournament to their advantage the most:

Mathis Preston, RW (Canada)

Preston had a prime opportunity to play a big role with Canada, and he delivered. Preston finished with six points in five games, which, given that he finished second in scoring, made it surprising that he wasn’t named one of the top three players for Canada. He was a puck-possession machine, and he consistently got the puck into high-danger areas. Preston is an undeniably talented player who could become a top-six threat down the line. Preston has a remarkable shot and often wastes no time firing in the back of the net from the slot. His shot looks NHL-ready right now. Preston is one of the few players here with first-round potential, but I know a few scouts were very impressed with his overall impact.

Martin Psohlavec, G (Czechia)

Psohlavec made 35 saves in the huge quarterfinal victory over Finland, including 16 in the second period and all 12 in the third. He had to be spectacular as the Finns fought for their lives, but Psohlavec was absolutely dialed in. It wasn’t surprising, given he had multiple close, competitive efforts to get the Czechs into a spot to win and play for a medal. Scouts, in particular, are impressed with his hands, because he doesn’t give opponents much to shoot at up high. The 6-foot-5 keeper is the 17th-ranked European-based goaltender, according to NHL Central Scouting. Despite that, he has put up some remarkable numbers all season, including eight shutouts at the Czech U-20 level and a solid overall record at this event. His semifinal performance wasn’t good, though. I think a team will take a chance on him in the latter rounds, more so than I would have expected before.

Dominik Řípa, RW (Czechia)

Řípa is an undersized forward, but he makes up for it with a tremendous work ethic. He’s always out there chasing after pucks and getting into the dirty areas, and it paid off numerous times throughout the tournament. Řípa had points in nearly every game and was one of Czechia’s top players away from the puck. It’s especially impressive given he wasn’t a big-time producer internationally in the past. He might be too small to get a sniff from an NHL team at 5-foot-10 (especially with a lack of high-end traits elsewhere), but he has been a perfect fit for the Czechs this year. I’m intrigued – I’d take a chance on him.

Jakub Vaněček, D (Czechia)

Vaněček is a safe bet to go in the second round, but this tournament showed what he could do in a leading role. He played a ton of minutes against teams like the United States, Finland and Germany and did everything in his power to get quality chances on net on a consistent basis. Vaněček put up solid numbers with Tri-City, but I actually liked his game a bit more at the U-18s, even if he had just three points. That’s because the D-zone reads were impressive, and he never stopped moving out there. I see potential as an NHL No. 5/6 defenseman who can step up and provide some offense every now and then. Look for Vaněček to play a significant role with the Czechs at the next two World Juniors.

Emil Saaby Jakobsen, D (Denmark)

Every time Jakobsen hit the ice, you could tell something was going to happen. He was the fastest defender on the team by far, using quick hands to create high-quality opportunities. He’s an excellent puck-mover who reads plays at a high level and can lead the team offensively from the point. Being 6-foot-4 doesn’t hurt, either. ESJ had a good showing at the World Juniors, playing a ton of minutes despite being one of the younger players. I thought he was one of the few bright spots there, and that was the case again in Slovakia as he played more than 21 minutes a night on a team that won just one game. Is he a good enough skater for the next level? We’ll see, but there’s definitely some interest in him as a very-late-round pick.

Samu Alalauri, D (Finland)

Alalauri played the most of any Finn today, and it was easy to understand why. He had three points against the Slovaks and averaged more than 22 minutes a night (the 10:41 against Canada was an outlier). It felt like he played with significant confidence and thrived in the D zone, rarely making a bad pass. Alalauri still needs to improve his ability to make plays in transition because he can be a bit too passive at times. But I like his skating, puck work and general defensive play. The 6-foot-2 defender has received love as a potential second-round pick, but he played much closer to a top-35 player than, say, a 50th-ranked dude.

Olivers Mūrnieks, C (Latvia)

Is the third time the charm? Mūrnieks represented Italy at the U-18s for the third season, and he was easily one of the most noticeable forwards every night. Latvia didn’t have much going for it offensively (despite making it to the medal round), but Mūrnieks was the team’s premier setup guy. He makes many smart passes, and he’s great in the faceoff dot, too. Murnieks deserves love for his two-way game, and he’s a play driver on a team like Latvia. Without him, the Latvians would have struggled to even make the playoffs. Scouts are still worried that Mūrnieks isn’t spectacular at anything, and his jack-of-all-trades approach (mixed in with a subpar shot) could hold him back from a good NHL career. Regardless, I could see him going in the second round.

Patriks Plūmiņš, G (Latvia)

If scouts didn’t notice Plūmiņš before the tournament, they do now. He had a strong showing against the Finns to start his tournament, beat Norway quite convincingly and then stole the show against the Americans to advance to the medal round. While a lot of goalies find themselves scrambling when the pressure gets high at this level, Plūmiņš kept himself calm, cool and collected and rarely allowed a bad goal. Plūmiņš does struggle a bit while screened, though, which is a bit concerning for a 6-foot-3 goaltender. The sense I get from NHL scouts is they’re intrigued, and they loved his tournament, but they want to see him make the move to North America to play tougher, quicker competition. Regardless, he’s definitely a prospect worth keeping an eye on.

Samuel Šramatý, LW (Slovakia)

Šramatý was easily one of the most fascinating players in Slovakia. He primarily played in a bottom-six role, but few players worked as hard as he did. Šramatý had six points in his first five games alone, with his three-point effort against Latvia being one of the highlight performances from any player. His hard work against Canada was also important in pulling off the upset victory on Day 1. I like his speed, fearlessness, and physical play. I know he put up modest numbers this season, but this tournament showed a legit pathway for Šramatý as a bottom-line winger. There’s still a lot of room to go, especially if he can’t find another gear in his game. But I absolutely loved his performance.

Wiggo Sörensson, C (Sweden)

Sörensson does a good job of picking up rebounds, but he also has a strong wrist shot, too. He has had a good year with Sweden’s U-18 team, but this tournament was easily his best hockey of the year. With no Viggo Bjorck, the Swedes needed more from their centers, and Sörensson was impactful both with and without the puck. Sörensson has played essentially every level of junior hockey possible this season, and scouts have really started to come around on him in recent months. Sörensson is very deceptive with the puck, both when it comes to getting a pass off, but also in tight, allowing him to deke goalies with ease. I could see him going in the third round.

Dayne Beuker, C (USA)

This was a coming-out tournament for Beuker, who was one of USA’s best players all tournament long. He finished with a point-per-game average but was also one of the better backcheckers. Beuker forced his way into a top-line role and played quite well every single night. – it was surprising he didn’t score more. Beuker is an excellent playmaker, but he also plays with a ton of energy and boasts some of the best hockey sense on the USNTDP squad. He’s not the biggest forward, but he’s smart and makes so many calculated decisions with the puck. Beuker is a bit undersized but I think his hockey sense will excite teams.

Wyatt Cullen, C/LW (USA)

Could Cullen go in the top 10? Some scouts think there’s legit potential for him to go in the top five. He was USA’s top player throughout the tournament thanks to his high-end hockey sense and the ability to get the whole American attack moving. His deceptiveness with the puck – both as a shooter and a passer – is remarkable. Cullen is a high-end skater who seemingly found a whole other gear once he got up to speed this season. Cullen is a constant scoring threat because he’s always scanning lanes for passes, but he has the quick footwork and lateral mobility to blow by most opponents and put himself into dangerous areas. USA might have lacked a star talent this season, but Cullen was the closest to it, and it will undoubtedly help his draft stock.

Lucas Zajic, RW (USA)

Scouts wanted to see more offensive potential from Zajic this season, and he delivered to close the year out. Zajic had 11 goals with the USNTDP U-18 team this year, then followed that up with five goals in just five games in Slovakia. That was highlighted by his three goals against Germany, but given he averaged around 11 minutes a night, he was very effective. There’s some talent there, but he was more of a depth-energy guy all season for the USNTDP. Fortunately, he plays with speed and an unrelenting drive to win every shift. Zajic is an excellent skater, and he reads defensive plays well. Another year of junior hockey, whether in the CHL or USHL, would be huge for his development, but there’s some raw potential to become a toolsy, mid-round pick.

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