Frozen Fantasy: Hockey Bucket List

It's my favorite time of the year. And not because of Christmas. It's World Juniors time, and as you know, I'm a bit obsessed with this tourney. I even take holidays to make sure I can watch every game, regardless of time zone.

Yeah, I need help.

But this year is different. I'm living the life of a fan and I'm doing the tourney. Yep, I bought the ticket package for Toronto and I'm happy as a pig in you-know-what.

Now, I'm not rich. Not by a long stretch. But one seat (in the upper bowl) to every game in Toronto – including the medal games – is still cheaper than a pair of median-priced tickets for one Maple Leafs game. Seriously.

#nobrainer.

Canada is playing its pool games in Montreal; I saw them in exhibition play and I'll see them again in the quarterfinals. And fingers crossed, the semis and medal rounds. But that doesn't mean there isn't great hockey being played in Toronto. We've been treated by the play of the Swedes, Russians, Czechs, Danes and Swiss. And the hockey has been flat-out amazing.

There have been a couple of real standouts. The Sweden-Russia game on Monday started out cautiously, but it was a barnburner by the end. Honestly, I think Russia should have won it – the Swedish twinetender clearly had horseshoes in his jock. And Tuesday's shootout win by Denmark over Switzerland was record setting. You can't buy moments like that.

Of course, I'm also watching every other match on television, so I'm a bit bleary-eyed. But who cares? These games are full of emotion, played by kids who may never have pro careers. They're playing their hearts out.

And I'm ticking off one of the biggest things on my bucket list.

So, this week is a lot different than my usual article. This isn't about the guys to pick up this week. Nope. It is about who you'll want to be watching – and stashing – for your future.

Let's take a look at who caught my eye at the tourney so far.

The Great Debate: Eichel or McDavid?

Jack Eichel vs. Connor McDavid (both 2015 draft eligible): I'm going to get hammered for this, but I really like Eichel's game – did you see that gorgeous strength/balance wraparound (on his inside edges, no less) against Germany? Wow. No, freaking wow. McDavid will be the more productive fantasy player long-term, but Eichel is bigger, stronger and more mature than the Canadian. And he's already showing a Jonathan Toews-like ability to carry a team. Sure, I'll come clean – I have three Toews jerseys in my closet, so I'm a little biased. But I didn't like McDavid's sad face after Canada's first game. He didn't score, but the bottom line? His team won. He has looked better as the tourney has gone on, but shouldn't a generational talent – even one who's 17 – stand out relative to his team? Eichel is just three months older and he sure does…

Canada

Max Domi, C, Arizona: I'm a believer. I was prepared to be dismissive of him because of what I thought were the limitations of his bloodlines. But this guy is a top-end talent. Plus he actually back checks! Go figure. He topped 34 km/h getting back to break up a play. That's impressive considering Martin St. Louis' top speed is something like 35.9 km/h. Sidney Crosby has topped 35, and Phil Kessel also comes really close to that. So, Domi is already NHL elite, at least in terms of wheels. And those hands – they rival Kevin Fiala's as some of the best in the tourney. I'll be targeting him. He's that good.

Curtis Lazar, C, Ottawa: Don't get me wrong – I love this guy. He reminds me a little of P.K. Subban in that he plays every shift with a sh*t-eating grin plastered on his mug. And his two-way game is super solid. Yes, he's a great sniper, but there's something in him that screams Scottie Upshall to me. I don't know what it is, but I'm going to let someone else take him on.

Nicolas Petan, C, Winnipeg: Sure, he's 5-foot-9, but nothing stops him. He's going to be Canada's top scorer and may even top the entire tournament. His vision is elite. So is his hockey IQ. He's going to be a star.

Nick Ritchie, LW, Dallas: Color me displeased. I expected huge things from Big Nick in a Jarome Iginla kind of way. But he ended up being Canada's 13th forward in their win over Germany. Germany! I expected a bubble guy like Frederik Gauthier to snuggle into that spot, not the pride of Orangeville. I'm hoping he picks things up – I drafted him this year as trade bait, but I need him to do more to maximize my returns. So does Canada.

Sam Reinhart, C, Buffalo: Reinhart plays a really, REALLY quiet game, but that doesn't mean his game is silent. No bloody way. He's going to be the center that Buffalo hoped Cody Hodgson would be (and then some). Those two goals against Finland were flat-out gorgeous. From a fantasy perspective, he'll slip a bit on draft day behind all the flashier names. But his production will be worth so much more. I'll take substance over style any day. #luckyday.

Czech Republic

Jakub Vrana, RW, Washington: It's fitting that the Caps drafted Vrana. Why? He's either hot or cold, up or down. He's loaded with speed and skill, but he can't carry a team, even in short spurts. And he disappears for long stretches. Can he be more than Alexander Semin? One can only hope.

Denmark

Oliver Bjorkstrand, RW, Columbus: I drafted this guy in a deep dynasty format in September, largely on a wing and a prayer. After all, Columbus has swung and missed a lot on draft day. And it's hard to know if those 50 goals last year were real. But seeing him on Boxing Day has made all those questions disappear. Tuesday's snipes against the Swiss showed his shot is pro ready. And that shootout juke? That brought me right out of my seat. #playoftheweek. He may not create his own offense in the NHL, but he will finish. Again and again. And again. I can't wait.

Nikolaj Ehlers, LW, Winnipeg: Ehlers' offensive skills are off the charts. He's creative, shifty and fast. Plus he's super smart, and that combination truly sets him apart from his age group. He may be one of the tourney's most dangerous forwards and he showed it against Russia on opening day. And when his team needed him most in Tuesday's shootout, he delivered with a smart man's goal. Winnipeg has a bright future with two, 80-point wingers in Ehlers and Petan (above).

Finland

Kasperi Kapanen, RW, Pittsburgh: Kapanen has great skill, but it has been all but neutralized by big, smart defenders who have pushed him to outside this tourney. He needs to grow some and find better lanes to the net. But then again, he's a Penguins' draft pick, so all he'll need to do is skate with his stick pointed toward the net and he'll get NHL points. I'd like to see a lot more, though – he has it, but hasn't shown it much. I hope he isn't resting on the laurels of being a first-round selection.

Jesse Puljujarvi, RW, 2016 Draft Eligible: Wow – the Finnish Flash comparisons are actually real. There have been moments when this 16-year-old has been the best and most electric Finn on the ice. Yes – he's just 16. He may not have any points to date, but at 6-foot-3, he's a force on the ice. He can absolutely fly and he can fire the puck like Teemu himself. This tourney will be his next year.

Russia

Ivan Barbashev, C, St. Louis: I've now seen Barbashev live and in-person in two separate games. And he played pretty much the same, steady and boring game each time. Don't get me wrong – there's nothing at all wrong with what he brings to the ice. But it's a third-line, two-way kind of game. That's nice enough, but it's not exactly fantasy friendly.

Pavel Buchnevich, C, NY Rangers: Holy smokes, this guy's release is sweet – try NHL caliber already. He slipped to the third round in 2013 because of his birth certificate, but he had borderline first-round skills. Now that Russia's economy is tanking and taking the KHL with it, Russian-born players will have fewer reasons to stay home. He could be a second-line stalwart in Madison Square Garden with a shot like that. He really stood out in Russia's loss to Sweden on Monday night – I just couldn't take my eyes off him. He played a complete game (breaks a stereotype, eh!) and looked a lot bigger than 6-foot-1 and 160 lbs. There's plenty of upside here.

Sweden

Jacob de la Rose, C, Montreal: He looks like a man among boys right now, but that's largely because he's been playing with men in the AHL this season. Don't get swept up by his leadership, muscle and experience – he's showing more offensive flair at this tourney than he'll ever show in the NHL.

Axel Holmstrom, C, Detroit: Henrik Zetterberg, Gustav Nyquist and now, Holmstrom – yep, they're all late-round steals by those sneaky devils in Michigan. This guy is a solid, gritty center with great playmaking skills and loads of compete. He just keeps overachieving – he's one of the top-scoring teens in the Swedish League this season. And he's continuing that this tourney. The Wings have done it again. Damn them. Mark my words – you're looking at the Wings' second-line center in about six years. Not a bad gig for a guy taken 196th overall.

William Nylander, LW, Toronto: Skill, skill, skill – Nylander has speed, skill and smarts, and can find a seam faster than just about everyone in this tourney. He only needs a couple seconds to change a game. However, you may not notice him at times. That's not in a Jakub Vrana, inconsistent way. It's more of a waiting in the weeds to deliver a kill kind of way. Leaf fans have every right to be excited. He is one of the smoothest, silkiest skaters in the tournament, and he carries the puck with a confident authority that's unlike any of his teammates. The crowd at the Air Canada Centre erupted every time he touched the puck Monday night. He didn't score, but he was instrumental in setting up two markers. I'm glad I have him in my big dynasty league.

Switzerland

Kevin Fiala, LW, Nashville: Fiala may have the weirdest taste in stick taping, but that isn't a barrier when it comes to scoring. Those two markers in the Swiss win over the Czechs on Boxing Day were sweet. His hands rival Mr. Domi's and might even be the best on display in the entire tourney. He's undersized, but plays like Brendan Gallagher of the Habs. He was all over the ice in Tuesday's shootout loss to the Danes. The Preds have opened up their game – this guy will be a joy to watch in the NHL.

Mirco Mueller, D, San Jose: He's a man among boys in this tourney. His passes show the vision, power and speed of an NHL defender. He's solid and reliable, and is rarely out of position. And he has ice water in his veins. He may have trouble putting up elite offense in the NHL, but he will deliver on every other front as a top-pairing guy…not unlike Brent Seabrook does in Chicago. Yep – yum, yum.

United States

Dylan Larkin, C, Detroit: Larkin looks like a pro, plain and simple. He plays an efficient, intelligent game and has the speed/skill/vision/poise of a top-six NHL center. He'll need to fill out a bit, but I'll cut him some slack – he's still a teenager, after all. His line with Hudson Fasching (Buffalo) and Sonny Milano (Columbus) has been flat-out dominant in every contest this tourney. Detroit has yet another good one and fantasy owners would be wise to stash him away.

Auston Matthews, C, 2016 Draft Eligible: The World Junior Championships is a 19-year-old's tournament. So it wasn't a surprise to see 17-year-old Matthews struggle in the Americans' first game against Finland. But he showed up large against the Germans and scored a sweet wraparound. And he picked up an assist in a win over Slovakia. He's an explosive skater with skill and toughness, and he'll likely be the first player taken off the board in 2016. Yes, the McDavid-Eichel debate is a good one. But the 2016 draft is going to be sweet, too.

Sonny Milano, LW, Columbus: Milano has a little Johnny Gaudreau in him. He plays big and absolutely pounces on pucks. He can skate like the wind, and has a fire in his belly that makes him absolutely fearless when driving the net. He's been riding shotgun with Dylan Larkin for the U.S., and that line has been their team's best. Creativity with the puck plus drive plus smarts = priceless. Just saying.

Back to the tourney.

You'll notice I've only included one blueliner in my list above. So what gives? You're absolutely right to wonder – I am almost as obsessed with defensemen as I am with the world juniors.

There are plenty of hot, young defenders that I could talk about. I expected the world of Finland's Julius Honka (Dallas), but he has disappointed. However, Canada's Madison Bowey's (Washington) two-way game looks especially delicious. And American Noah Hanifin (2015 draft eligible) is as good as the scouts say.

But it usually takes defenders several years to make a fantasy dent. By then, most of these forwards will be ripping it up on your Yahoo! squads.

That is, if you already know their names.

Until next week.