from Steve Ellis of The Daily Faceoff,
After months of preparation, the 2023 men’s World Hockey Championship is finally upon us.
The popular European-based event is definitely lacking a bit of the usual high-quality talent we’ve become used to. In the past three tournaments alone, we’ve seen David Pastrnak, Jason Robertson, Timo Meier, Mathew Barzal, Moritz Seider, Rasmus Dahlin, Nikolaj Ehlers, Nico Hischier and Jake Oettinger, among others. This year, more teams are taking a youthful approach, with the possibility of some extra talent showing up midway once the second round of the Stanley Cup playoffs comes to a close.
So luckily for the rest of us, there are some skilled young prospects ready to make their mark. From future NHL starting goalies, to high-scoring defensemen and top-six forwards, fans looking to get a glimpse of the next generation of hockey talent will be treated to one over the next few weeks.
Carter Mazur, LW, USA (Detroit Red Wings)
Mazur was part of the dominant American line that saw him and Drew O’Connor combine for a couple of goals on Tuesday. Mazur’s previous experience with the Americans at the 2022 World Junior Championship was exceptional, and he continued with a tremendous NCAA season at the University of Denver. Add in a point-per-game rate through six AHL contests and Marzur means business.
many more names
from Kevin Allen of Detroit Hockey Now,
What Does His Detroit Future Hold?
Yzerman will be looking to improve Detroits offense this summer. But part of that improvement is making sure theres no reduction in output from players like Kubalik.
After Kubalik registered 30 goals and 46 points in his rookie, he followed up with seasons of 17 goals and 15 goals. The rebuilding Red Wings cant afford another drop-off from Kubalik. At 27, he should be in his prime scoring years.
What does Lalonde want from Kubalik?
(To be) assertive with his offensive game, Lalonde said. When he was scoring early on, head down, puck was going to the net, shooting with authority. Now you can see maybe at times when hes not at the top of his game, he thinks it through too much. Is a pass-first? Is he shooting it? For him, being a shooter, need a little more tunnel vision. Just getting some inside positioning. Its a simple thing. It probably goes unseen a lot, getting to the inside, middle lane drive. Youd be surprised, all the sudden one or two more battles where you get to the inside, your looks are a little bit different.
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In the beginning, Kubalik was scoring most of his goals on one-timers from the right dot (and mostly on the power play). Opponents figured that out and, to a large extent, took that shot away. Now he needs to adapt his game and do what Lalond suggests.
I really like his compete level. He gives 100% effort when he's on the ice. The question becomes: Does he have enough hockey sense to play an "inside" game? If he can do that, he'll be a dangerous weapon. If he can't, I don't think he'll be around long.
I am seeing so many mock drafts these days but I am holding off until the draft gets closer. It starts on June 28th and right now I look at many of the mock drafts as click bait.
from Ted Kulfan of the Detroit News,
Here's a quick look at some of the players the Wings could be eyeing with the ninth overall pick:
▶ Nate Danielson, center, 6-foot-1, 185 pounds, 33 goals, 45 assists, Brandon (WHL): Danielson, on the surface, seems to be the ideal Wings draft pick. He's considered to be one of the better two-way centers in the draft, with a solid physical build. Danielson's offensive game took a favorable upward direction this season, especially his passing skills. Some scouts question his overall ceiling, but he sounds like a relatively safe pick who is going to play in the NHL.
▶ Dalibor Dvorsky, center, 6-foot-1, 200 pounds, 16 goals, 19 assists, Slovakia: Might be wishful thinking because many mock drafts have Dvorsky getting plucked anywhere from fifth to eighth, but if he drops to the Wings they'll be pleased. Dvorsky is a Wings type of player a guy with leadership skills and a strong two-way center who can definitely supply offense.
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My choice would have been Fantilli from UofM, but since we ain't got a shot at yet another premier Wolverines player (Owen Power, Matty Beniers, and Kent Johnson in recent years since Larkin), I'm just hoping Yzerman will pull a magic trick out of his sleeve and shock the world once more.
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