BAKER: Looking back at Kulich, Rosen and Ostlund's 2023 WJC performances

For a young hockey player, the honor of representing one's country on the international stage is a useful development tool, both professionally and personally.
The unique experience is also a physical and emotional grind, as a trio of Sabres draft picks recently learned as they battled through seven games in a span of 11 days at the 2023 IIHF World Junior Championship. It was a grind that saw one come away with a coveted medal, one left wanting more, and another eager for redemption when the 2024 event convenes on home soil.

Rochester Americans forward Jiri Kulich (2022, first round) certainly did his part in helping Czechia secure a silver medal, pacing his squad with seven goals, nine points, and 39 shots on goal. His goal and shot totals ranked second to only budding Canadian mega-star Connor Bedard (eligible for the 2023 NHL Draft) among all tournament participants.
Kulich's straight-line, "no-nonsense" style proved impactful during the Czechs' march to hardware. In addition to his scintillating array of shooting skills, Kulich left an impression blending power with high-end puck-carrying speed, making subtle hustle plays to win battles, and taking the puck downhill to the net.

The ball got rolling for Kulich in his second game of group play when he used a fast-rising wrist shot, booming slap shot, and a quick-handed deke to net a hat trick in a 9-0 romp over Austria. He took his game to the next level when it mattered most, collecting four goals and six points in the three knockout round contests.

Czechia's semifinal hero, Kulich demonstrated his attacking mindset and strength on the puck with a pretty overtime goal to thrust his country a 2-1 victory over Sweden and a spot in the gold medal game.

He continued to show his net presence in the title tilt when he crashed the center lane to jam home a rebound as the Czechs clawed back to force extra time in a 3-2 overtime loss to Canada.
Kulich's efforts earned placement on the Media All-Star Team, where he joined a lengthy list of Sabres prospects to receive the honor in the last decade:
Rasmus Dahlin (SWE - 2018) and current goaltending prospect Devon Levi (CAN - 2021) also earned media All-Star accolades prior to entering the Sabres' system.
The good that Kulich displayed in his game was a continuation of the body of work that the 18-year-old has constructed in his first American Hockey League (AHL) season. The confident forward appears on track keep the developmental spike going as he targets a Sabres full-time roster spot in 2023-24.
While Czechia's junior program maintained its upward trend, hockey-rich Sweden went home without a medal for the sixth time in the last nine years.
The primary factor in Sweden's disappointing outcome was the lack of production from their forwards. After opening the tournament with an 11-goal eruption in a shutout of Austria, Sweden would strike just 16 times over the remaining six contests.
Nearly half of those tallies came in an 8-7 overtime loss to the U.S. in the bronze medal game, so while they ended on a high note offensively, the Swedes were unable to consistently get enough pucks in the back of the net, especially when on the power play.

Amerks rookie forward and one of Sweden's top-line wingers, Isak Rosen (2021, first round), followed a similar tournament trajectory, scoring twice in the opening day dismantling of the Austrians only to see goals hard to come by the rest of the way.
Playing on Sweden's top line from start to finish, Rosen flashed his acceleration and agility, small-area puck control, and willingness to fire quick shots from sharp angles. Rosen concluded the event tied for third among the Swedes with six points (2+4), while his 17 shots on goal and 17:02 time on ice per game also ranked third among team forwards.
The best teacher of the game is the game itself, and the lessons learned from the pressure-packed tournament will help drive Rosen's developmental agenda moving forward.
There is a fair amount of AHL runway left ahead for the 19-year-old, and Rosen's tournament profile may provide baseline clues to what his best fit role could one day be once his body fills out.
The skating and hands combination look promising. He performs well with skilled linemates that can get him the puck. Added strength should help bring it all together to enhance his board play and drive him inside more often for increased shot quality.
For Noah Ostlund (2022, first round), his first World Junior endeavor was seemingly an opening chapter with the speedy centerman penciled in as the early candidate to power Sweden's top line when next year's event is played in Gothenburg, Sweden.

Ostlund, who broke through for his first goal of the tournament in the third-place game, gathered four points (1+3) and 16 shots on goal while averaging 16:35 of work per game, fourth-most among Sweden's forwards.
A theme of Ostlund's tournament was his elevated pace of play and three-zone awareness. He regularly supported the defensemen low in the defensive zone, while his sound positioning all over the ice created opportunities to leverage his playmaking instincts.
Using short, crisp connections and a creative lob pass or two, Ostlund functioned as a middle-line pivot at even strength while also seeing extra minutes on the power play.
The plan for Ostlund should see him remain in Sweden for one more season before eyeing a move to North America in 2024-25. His homework assignment prior to arrival is all about strength development.
It's not how big you are. It's how big you play. The game aptitude is clearly present, so gaining leverage in one-on-one battles and getting stronger over the puck to generate more puck possession time will only improve his efficiency.
At the end of the day, the World Junior Championship provides a brief snapshot into a player's ongoing development. Individual production at the event does not guarantee NHL success, and vice versa.

The work must continue for these prospects. Just ask recently minted NHL All-Star Tage Thompson, who six years ago recorded a modest one goal and four assists in seven games as a middle-line winger as the Americans brought home a gold medal.