Though no Pittsburgh Penguins prospects played in the 2023 World Junior Championship, the tournament featured a few draft-eligible players projected to be available late in the first round of the 2023 NHL Entry Draft and some interesting overage players potentially worth a late round pick or undrafted free agent contracts.
Bedard Dominant
The consensus first overall pick in the 2023 NHL Entry Draft–almost certainly out of reach for the Penguins–lived up to the hype and dominated the tournament, breaking Canadian scoring records along the way with 23 points in seven games–good for the third-best point total ever tournament behind only Peter Forsberg and Markus Naslund with 31 and 24 points, respectively, in the 1993 tournament, and second most assists ever in a tournament behind only Forsberg. Forsberg compiled the record point total in the ’93 tournament thanks in part to a 20-1 victory for Sweden over Japan in round robin play.
Pittsburgh Native Logan Cooley Impresses
Pittsburgh native and 2022 third overall pick Logan Cooley recorded at least one point in every game for the United States and finished second behind only Bedard with seven goals and 14 points in seven games. The 2022 third overall pick ranks second on the University of Minnesota with 11 goals and 25 points in 19 games and appears to be emerging as a potential franchise center for the Arizona Coyotes in the next few seasons.
Potential Picks
With the Pittsburgh Penguins likely picking somewhere in the back-half of the first round, a few draft eligible players projected to be available just outside of the top 20 showed some promise.
Maxim Strbak
Currently projected to go outside the first round, a strong tournament with Slovakia potentially bumps the Michigan State commit and son of former Pittsburgh Penguins blueliner Martin Strbak up a few spots. Maxi Strbak often matched up against the top opposing forward and finished second among blueliners on the team behind only Simon Nemec with three points in five games. Currently with the Sioux Falls Stampede in the USHL, Strbak projects as more of a defensive defenseman but looked capable on the breakout and, at times, comfortable on the powerplay. Already with decent size at At 6’2″, 198 lbs., perhaps the right-handed defenseman compliments Owen Pickering the more offensive-minded left-handed defenseman taken with the 21st overall pick by the Penguins in 2022.
Gavin Brindley
One of two draft eligible forwards on the United States, Gavin Brindley managed a goal and three helpers in seven games, and currently ranks ninth on the University of Michigan with 10 points in 20 games as a true freshman. At only 5’9″, 157 lbs., Brindley needs to fill out over the next few seasons with the Wolverines but showed some excellent playmaking ability and skill in the tournament.
Charlie Strammel
Charlie Strammel managed three assists in six games with the United States. A stark contrast to Brindley at 6’3″, 216 lbs., the other draft-eligible U.S. forward currently ranks eighth on the University of Wisconsin with seven points in 16 games as one of only two true freshmen on the team. Strammel needs to continue improving for a few more seasons with the Badgers, but showed some promise as a power forward.
Alex Ciernek
Projected to be taken early in the second round, the son of former NHL forward Ivan Ciernek managed two goals and a helper in five games. A but undersized at 5’10”, 179 lbs., Alex Ciernek needs time to develop but shows some promise as a goal scorer and already plays in the HockeyAllsvenskan, the second tier of professional hockey in Sweden, contributing a goal and three points in nine games.
Potential Overage Picks And/Or Free Agent Signings
Gabriel Szturc
Boasting a 1.42 point per game average in the WHL with the Kelowna Rockets and ranking second on the team going into the tournament with 37 points in 26 games, Czechia forward Gabriel Szturc ranked second on Czechia with five goals and eight points in seven games, behind only 2022 first round pick Jiri Kulich. Szturc appeared to be all over the ice at times in the gold medal game, creating problems for Canada and potential scoring chances for Czechia.
Sami Paivarinta
Off to a bit of a disappointing start to the season after going from six points in 34 games in the Finnish Liiga last season at 18 years old to no points through 14 games in 2022-23, Sami Paivarinta tied for the most points on Finland with four in five games and led the team with a plus-four rating. Though on the smaller side at 5’9″, 159 lbs., Paivarinta played the part of two-way scoring center well for Finland.
Thomas Suchanek
Arguably the best goaltender of the tournament, Thomas Suchanek helped Czechia upset Canada in round robin play and backstop the team to the gold medal game, nearly upsetting Canada again. Suchanek finished the tournament with a .934 save percentage and 1.52 goals against average. After upsetting the United States in the quarterfinals in the August tournament with 28 saves on 30 shots in a 4-2 win, Suchanek clearly comes with the innate ability to show up for big games. With decent numbers on a slightly below average Tri-City Americans team in the WHL with a .901 save percentage and 13-9-0 record, expect several teams to be interested in using a late pick to get the 19-year-old into the system.
Attilio Biasca
The captain of Switzerland and the Halifax Mooseheads of the QMJHL, Attilio Biasca provided a steady two-way presence for Switzerland and led the team with four points in five games. Biasca ranked fourth on the Mooseheads with 27 points in 28 games going into the tournament and showed good two-way ability in overtime wins over Finland, Latvia and Slovakia in round robin play.
Marcel Marcel
No, not a typo, Marcel Marcel impressed with six points in seven games for Czechia. Though not lighting up the QMJHL with the Gatineau Olympiques with only 17 points in 26 games, a 6’4″, 216 lbs. frame likely intrigues some teams looking to add size to the prospect pool.
Jani Lampinen
The only undrafted goaltender on the Finnish roster, Jani Lampinen ended up stealing the starting job and finished the tournament with a .933 save percentage and only five goals against in three games. Lampinen plays in the Mestis, the second tier of professional hockey in Finland, and boasts a 10-2-2 record with a .909 save percentage in 14 games.