Frozen Fantasy: World Junior Mania

Forget Santa, Chanukah Harry, Easter Bunny or St. Patty's Leprechaun. Who cares about the ball drop, the groundhog and his shadow or cupid and his arrow? The best holiday of the year is upon us and it's fantastic.

Even if Canada sucks.

Yes, it's game on for the World Juniors. As you know, I took in the tourney last year and was flat-out spoiled by the caliber of the hockey. Put it on your bucket list if it isn't there already. Just check how many young studs from last year's tourney are toiling in the NHL this year. Connor McDavid. Jack Eichel. Dylan Larkin. Max Domi. Anthony Duclair. Darnell Nurse. Noah Hanifin. Sam Reinhart. Curtis Lazar. David Pastrnak.

2015 was quite a year.

This year, I'm still a little stunned by all the pre-tourney pundits who gave Canada the best odds to win again. The team is fine, but not great. Maybe vanilla is the best description. And so far, they've shown the same kind of rhythm as Katy Perry's Left Shark.

#MiracleNeeded.

This year has produced some excellent moments, though. I can't remember when I've been so unequivocally impressed by draft-eligible prospects. And roundly disappointed by those already affiliated with an NHL team.

Or should I say, drafted Canadians. Spit.

I'm sure Mitch Marner will be a fine NHLer, but he really hasn't leapt off the page, especially at even strength. I'm still unimpressed with Dylan Strome, although he's been one of the few who has actually shown up. Jake Virtanen cannot keep his crap together. And Lawson Crouse sure looked a whole lot better last year, didn't he?

Like Crouse, there are a lot of guys who need talent around them to excel. Brayden Point. Brendan Perlini. The list goes on. But I have been impressed with Mathew Barzal, an Isles' draft pick. He's been the best Canadian forward all tournament.

Hey, Boston- are you kicking yourself for passing on this guy THREE times last June? You should be.

But let's ditch the Canadian conversation and take a look at the guys who have caught my eye this tourney.

Adrian Kempe, C/RW, Sweden (Los Angeles Kings) - Kempe was long considered one of those "safe" draft picks -- he has good size, good wheels and a willingness to go into the dirty areas near the net. But he does have some flashy offensive skills that have been on display during the World Juniors. His north-south game is actually perfectly suited to the Kings' style and he has really impressed on a low-scoring AHL squad this season. I shuddered when Kempe took that high hit in Sweden's first game, but he came back with a vengeance and finished the round robin with two goals and two helpers in four games. He might not be the next Anze Kopitar, but he might not be that far off. Seriously.

Patrik Laine, C/LW, Finland (draft-eligible in 2016) - Laine is one of two 17-year-old Finns who are dominating a tourney that's essentially for 19-year-olds. He's a big-goal power winger who wants the puck and knows what to do with it once it's on his tape. Laine isn't as polished as his teammate Jesse Puljujarvi, but his size (6-foot-4, 210), skating, skill and creativity could deliver him a better overall NHL career. He's a beast whose performance thus far has moved him into the conversation for the third overall pick in June. He has it all. And so will the team that lands him. Think Dylan Strome with much better wheels.

Auston Matthews, C, USA (draft-eligible in 2016) - Matthews is a stud in the way Jonathan Toews is a stud. And you know I wouldn't toss out that comp if I didn't mean it. Matthews is a polished, elite two-way center with smarts, size and skill, plus an all-round game that has allowed him to already excel as a pro at just 18 (Swiss National League). His agility is off the charts and that coupled with his size and speed make him super hard to defend. He leads the US in scoring and could easily lead them to a shiny medal at this tournament. Matthews will be in the NHL next season. And will bring a Toews-like success to the team he ultimately leads. You know he's on my radar.

Alexander Nylander, RW, Sweden (draft-eligible in 2016) - Damn, this kid is good. He's just 17, but he delivered eight points (three goals, five assists) in just four games in a tournament that's supposed to be tilted heavily to 18 and 19 year olds. Nylander's game looks a lot like his brother's, but his development in the OHL will give him a big leg up on his talented older sib. This tourney is Alexander's coming out party. He's definitely among the top-five forwards of the 2016 draft and could find himself headed off the board as high as fourth in June.

William Nylander, C, Sweden (Toronto Maple Leafs) - Nylander went into the tourney with Toronto- no, Canadian- media touting him as the best player in the AHL. And admittedly, his game has grown. But that blind roll into center ice that resulted in injury reminded me of all the things I saw at last year's junior tourney. It sure looked like Nylander thought he could get away with a looser style in Finland, perhaps because of his name and so-called status. Go ahead -- call me pessimistic. I like him, but I'm not sold ... unless he suddenly starts eating a little humble pie. That's when he'll truly stand out. Until then? I'm stashing him in my keeper league and using him as trade bait with a rabid Leaf fan.

David Pastrnak, RW, Czech Republic (Boston Bruins) - Unlike Jake Virtanen, Pastrnak's victory lap at the World Juniors has proven to be a good decision. OK, he's got one up on Virtanen -- this is his third trip around the sun at this tourney. Pastrnak was loaned to the Czech team as a way to boost the kid's confidence coming off a busted foot. It's worked. He has looked sharp, delivering four points in three games, and getting better as the tourney has worn on. Pastrnak has superb skill, something the Bruins desperately need. He's a keeper.

Ivan Provorov, D, Russia (Philadelphia Flyers) - This guy comes as advertised (and then some). Provorov hits like a Mack truck, leads the rush and bricks up walls in the defensive zone. He's cool as a cucumber and is always involved in the offense without compromising his own zone. He's going to be a true number one stud on the Flyers' blue line. I still can't believe Ron Hextall got this one right.

Jesse Puljujarvi, RW, Finland (draft-eligible in 2016) - Puljujarvi's 12 points in four games has already set a new Finnish scoring record for 17 year olds. And by the time the tourney ends, Puljujarvi's performance could go down as one of the greatest by a 17 year old in WJHC history. He's a big (6-3, 200-plus), game-changing power winger whose vision and playmaking are equaled by his drive and compete. Last year, it was McDavid/Eichel. This draft class, it is Matthews/Puljujarvi. And like Jack Eichel, Puljujarvi will be a sweet consolation prize for one very lucky NHL team.

Dmytro Timashov, LW, Sweden (Toronto Maple Leafs) - Timashov fell to the fifth round last year because he was viewed as a one-dimensional offensive player who erred on the side of selfishness. Bad assessment. This guy is the steal of the 2015 draft. Timashov is a dynamic offensive talent who is great in possession and he's shown elite vision and exceptional two-way play in this tourney. That's growth. And he's doing the things I thought Mitch Marner would do this tourney. Like be a noticeable first-line presence at even strength. There are 29 NHL teams wishing they'd dug a bit deeper on this guy. He'll be in the AHL next season. And Leafs' fans are going to love him at the ACC.

Matthew Tkachuk, LW, USA (draft-eligible in 2016) - The spawn of Keith and cousin of Jimmy and Kevin Hayes is going to be flat-out unstoppable once he fills in his 6-1 frame. His hockey sense and vision are elite, and he thrives from the dots in, just like his dad. That helps, because his skating needs work. Tkachuk will be a top-five or top-six pick in 2016 and has shown well in Finland. But he needs the right situation to thrive- he has seven points in four games of round-robin play, but line mate Auston Matthews drove those chances. Don't get me wrong -- he's a good player. He'll be great in the cycle and powering out of it. But time will tell if he'll be more like a Nick Ritchie than his brother Brett Ritchie. And the jury is still out on Nick.

Back to the best holiday of the year.

Who will win? This article was filed late Saturday morning, before most of the quarterfinal matches were complete. But kudos to the Danes -- that was an incredible effort to scare Russia.

First, Canada won't win a medal. That hurt, but they're just not good enough. It'll take a miracle, and I'm not sure I believe.

I guess there's always hope. Sigh.

Sweden will take gold in a match over Russia, who'll beat the US in the semis. The US team is good, but they're top heavy and they won't be able to compete with the pro-like Russian squad. The US will compete against Finland for the bronze. It's hard to cheer against the Finns in that situation, but the US defense and goaltending is much, much better.

I hope I'm wrong and Canada finally gets its game in gear. But even if it does, it'll be stretched to bring home bronze.

I'm going to put on my jersey now and cheer for a miracle.

Until next week.