2026 World Juniors: Top 10 NHL Draft prospect standouts
MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. – For the most part, the World Junior Championship is typically dominated by NHL prospects.
It makes sense, given they’re older and may have already played in this tournament before. In theory, they’re closer to the NHL than their younger brethren. But all 32 NHL teams are keeping a close eye on those eligible to get selected this spring – whether they be first-year eligible, or those trying to show how far their development has come since being passed over.
Today, we’re going to look at 10 prospects eligible for the 2026 NHL Draft who have stood out the most. Some are in the running for major tournament awards, while others have dramatically boosted their draft stock in Minnesota.
These 10 prospects deserve your attention – and for what it’s worth, the top five, in particular, are super tight:
1. Tomas Galvas, D (Czechia)
Galvas has continued to establish himself as one of the best WJC players in recent Czech hockey history with his attempt at challenging Jiricek for tournament MVP honors. Galvas is as good a skater as you’ll find at this tournament, using his quick footwork to pivot on a dime. He also makes quick, accurate backhand passes that seem to throw off opponents quite frequently. Passed over twice before (he’s small at 5-foot-10), it’ll be interesting if teams deem his talent too good to ignore at this point.
2. Gavin McKenna, LW (Canada)
For all the talk about McKenna not living up to expectations, he has been Canada’s most consistent forward. He has points in all five games so far, scoring three goals and six assists. He only scored in the one game against Denmark, but his ability to find his linemates on the power play has been incredible. I have liked his two-way game much more than we’ve seen out of him at Penn State, and I think very few players have met his natural skill and hockey sense in the offensive zone.
3. Alberts Smits, D (Latvia)
With Latvia lacking true high-end talent, Šmits was tasked with heavy minutes – and he didn’t disappoint. He was excellent at both ends of the ice, and he often was tasked with leading the team’s offense when things were looking dire. Šmits’ mix of hockey sense, mobility and disruption potential should allow him to become a top-four defenseman in the NHL. There’s still room to grow in his decision-making and in whether his offensive prowess will carry over.
4. Ivar Stenberg, LW (Sweden)
Many expect Stenberg to be the top challenger to Gavin McKenna to go No. 1 at the NHL Draft. The highly skilled forward had a solid round-robin (surprisingly, he failed to register a point in the 8-1 win over Germany), scoring a couple of big goals along the way. Whenever teams shut down Frondell, Stenberg was there to pick up the slack and start shooting like a maniac. There isn’t a single player in this draft class I’d trust more in a high-pressure situation to score a big goal – but that doesn’t mean I didn’t wish we had seen more from Stenberg up to this point.
5. Chase Reid, D (USA)
When Cole Hutson went down with an injury, Reid stepped up in a big way. He quickly became the team’s go-to power-play quarterback, showing a level of hockey sense and playmaking acumen that few 17-year-olds have managed to replicate. His ability to fake a shot before finding a perfect passing lane has been unmatched in Minnesota. Don’t be surprised if he’s taken in the top five of the 2026 NHL Draft – he has a massive ceiling.
6. Viggo Björck, C (Sweden)
Anton Frondell was Sweden’s best player in the round robin, but Björck wasn’t far off at points. The projected first-rounder had points in all but one of his round-robin games and seemingly got better with every showing. While scouts wish he’d be bulkier (he’s 5-foot-10), his hockey IQ is off the charts. Björck’s shot is incredibly deceptive, especially on the power play. He doesn’t give you much to work with if you’re a goalie – and it’s because he doesn’t need to. His shot is quick and accurate, and he consistently releases it from a dangerous area.
7. Matias Vanhanen, LW (Finland)
Vanhanen hasn’t scored a single goal through five games, but he has been, arguably, the most important part of Finland’s top line. He’s the glue that keeps it altogether, essentially. Vanhanen has points in all but one game, the 2-1 overtime loss to the Czechs. In that span, he has averaged two shots per game, but has also assisted on some of Finland’s biggest goals – including the 3-on-3 overtime winner against the United States. Vanhanen might be small, but he has played a bit more feisty than I remember seeing, and he’s been chirping everyone on the ice.
8. Tomas Chrenko, C (Slovakia)
Teams didn’t learn at the U-18s last spring: stop leaving him alone on the power play. All he does is exploit open space. He had a hat-trick against Germany and another three points against the Americans to finish as Slovakia’s most important player. A projected first-round pick in 2026, Chrenko has done wonders for his draft stock in Minnesota – although I know some scouts wanted to see him more engaged away from the puck at 5-on-5. But when he’s all alone with the puck, he doesn’t miss.
9. Bruno Osmanis, RW (Latvia)
Latvia had very little skill up front, with Osmanis among the few who consistently made things happen. I loved him the most on the power play – I’d argue he was a top-five player in the tournament on the man advantage, overall. That’s mostly because he waits long enough to get the pass where it needs to be, and not on net just for the sake of trying something. Osmanis was the team’s best skater because he’s not only quick but also pivots well and is highly shifty. Overall, I loved his tournament.
10. Luka Radivojevic, D (Slovakia)
The Slovaks missed Radivojevic in the opener, and then their defense improved mightily after he joined. Throughout his international career, Radivojevic has rarely not been Slovakia’s best player in any given event. He’s by far the most skilled defender they have, and he’s electric on the power play. He makes everyone around him better, with his hockey sense and raw talent being true difference-makers. He finished the tournament with five points and was a major reason the Slovaks came close to winning against the USA and Switzerland. He’ll have a chance to play in his fourth World Juniors next year, where he’ll look to lead a potentially stronger Slovak team deeper into the tourney.
Other notables: William Bundgaard, RW (Denmark); Jasper Kuhta, RW (Finland); Ethan MacKenzie, D (Canada); Dustin Willhöft, C (Germany); Nils Maurins, G (Latvia); Lars Steiner, C (Switzerland)
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