World Juniors 2025: 10 NHL Draft-Eligible Prospects Who Should Draw Attention

Generally speaking, the World Junior Championship is a 19-year-old's tournament. NHL draft-eligible players who are 17 or 18 years old don’t always get the opportunity to be contributors.

It usually takes an elite top-of-the-draft prospect on one of the stronger nations or a high-end player looking to lead one of the smaller nation's squads.

This year, three of the nearly unanimous top four players for the NHL draft are competing at the world juniors, as well as a few really interesting prospects throughout the class.

Shoutout to Gavin McKenna, who is eligible for the 2026 NHL draft. McKenna was the CHL’s leading scorer when he left for Canadian selection camp, and he should be a must-watch player at the world juniors.

Let’s dive into many of the notable players looking to grab the attention of scouts ahead of the 2025 NHL draft as they compete at the World Junior Championship.

James Hagens, C, USA

The highly skilled playmaker who came into the season as the favorite to go first overall will be the top-line center for Team USA, playing between Boston College teammates Ryan Leonard and Gabe Perreault.

Hagens is incredibly mobile and sees the ice at an elite level. While he will be one of the youngest players on the American team, he should also be one of their most effective at the offensive end of the ice.

Hagens can assert himself as the No. 1 player in the class. He will play head-to-head against Canada on New Year's Eve, where he will be on the same ice as Porter Martone and Matthew Schaefer, which should be a nice measuring stick game for all three of them.

Related: 2025 NHL Draft Rankings: Ferrari's Pre-World Juniors Top 64

Matthew Schaefer, D, Canada

Confident, smooth-skating, well-rounded defenders with a cerebral edge at both ends of the ice will always draw the eyes of scouts. Matthew Schaefer can showcase all of that on junior hockey’s biggest stage.

While many quickly label Schaefer an offensive blueliner, he excels on the defensive end, and his transition game may be the best part of his game. He’s been practising on Canada’s power play, and it won’t shock anyone if his role at 5-on-5 will likely grow as the tournament goes on. Schaefer always seems to step up when the spotlight is on him, and I expect nothing less from him at the world juniors.

Related: Matthew Schaefer Has Put His Stake In The Ground For No. 1 Overall In The 2025 NHL Draft

Porter Martone, RW, Canada

It’s no shock that Hockey Canada went with Porter Martone over Michael Misa.

Martone plays with power and a more simple brand of physicality. There is a more plain and simple safety in Martone because if they play him lower in the lineup, he should be able to grind it out and play some simple crash-and-bang hockey.

That said, Martone is so much more than a simple player. He has excellent vision and playmaking ability. He can make passes under pressure or with guys on his back. Martone is also a very gifted shooter. In many cases, Martone seems to be the fourth guy in the group of four at the top, but an excellent showing at the world juniors could change that.

Related: Porter Martone Earned His Spot At Canada's World Junior Camp

Victor Eklund, LW, Sweden

Depending on how big of a role Eklund gets with this Swedish squad, this could be the event where he inserts himself into the conversation at the top of the NHL draft.

Eklund plays at a breakneck pace with some physicality and the offensive skill to make an impact every time he is on the ice. He isn’t the biggest player at 5-foot-11 and 161 pounds, but he goes into battles expecting to win the puck. He is a fearless offensive presence who loves to attack the middle when he has the puck. If he gets the chance, he could shine at the world juniors.

Related: 2025 NHL Draft Notebook: Schaefer, Martone, Eklund Shine Ahead Of World Juniors

Luka Radivojevic, D, Slovakia

When he is at his best, Radivojevic is a silky smooth, creative defender making high-skill plays on the breakout and in transition. He often tries to pull off a big move, but there are plenty of instances when he can't execute it, which leads to turnovers and mistakes. His high end is quite high, but his floor is questionable as well. If Radivojevic has a good World Junior Championship, he could rocket up lists.

Logan Hensler And Blake Fiddler, D, USA

Hensler and Fiddler will compete for ice time for the American team as the top four seems fairly set, and a couple of older players are in the running for third-pair minutes. Hensler can do a little bit of everything, and if he gets the chance, he should be able to use his skating and two-way play to make an impact.

Fiddler is a bit more defensively responsible, and his game comes with a bit more safety. If the Americans want a worry-free third pair, Fiddler could be a big part. Neither of these guys will play big roles for the Americans, but each could bring value as depth pieces.

Related: Team USA Releases Preliminary World Juniors Roster: Initial Reaction, Snubs And Battles

Vojtech Cihar, LW, Czechia

On a Czech team looking to stay in the hunt for a medal and keep their competitive run at this tournament going, Cihar could be a nice addition to this team. His speed and straightforward game should be assets for the Czech team. He isn’t an incredibly flashy player, but he always seems to know what the next play to make is. Cihar shouldn’t have too tough of a time finding opportunities to make an impact for the Czech squad.

Bruno Osmanis, RW, Latvia

Osmanis is such an interesting player because he seems to have the offensive tools and understands how to use them, but he’s either on a terrible U-20 team or getting limited minutes in the Allsvenskan. That's made evaluating him a bit difficult.

With that said, he’s producing at the Allsvenskan level despite the lackluster deployment, with six points in 14 games. While he won’t have a ton of help on the Latvian squad, getting to play high-level hockey against players closer to his age group could make him a player to watch moving forward.

Carlos Handel, D, Germany

Handel's play in the QMJHL has been a bit underwhelming. There are flashes of solid two-way play, but gaps in his game are major areas of concern.

His skating and passing are very good, but he doesn’t handle pressure that well, particularly on puck retrievals and escaping forecheckers. It will be interesting to see him take on a decent role at the U-20 level because Germany is in a group with Canada and the USA, which should test him. If Handel can play well, maybe it can spark a solid second half of the season.

Related: Six Biggest World Juniors Snubs: Will Canada, USA Regret Cutting Cristall, Misa And Musty?

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